Skunk Black IPA - Three Heads Brewing

BeerPhan86

New York

3.63/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I went to RIT and this brewery was never around when I was in school (they just began in 2010), but their beers seem very hoppy and right up my alley so I was excited to find this at a local store. Black IPAs are popping up all over and while I have only had a few (Southern Tier and Otter Creek) it is a style I definitely enjoy quite a bit and I hope it keeps getting more popular.

A - Pours an opaque blackish-brown with a one finger light brown head. Good retention on the head and sticky lacing.

S - Piney and floral for the most part with slight hints of chocolate and roasted malt.

T - Somewhat sweet and dark up front followed by a blast of piney hops and a bitter, dry finish. Hints of chocolate and coffee in the finish. It's like someone mixed a porter with an American style IPA, and the result is quite delicious. Lingering taste is bitter and earthy and slightly metallic. I will admit it tastes less hoppy than the nose led on, but I enjoy what's going on here.

M - Very wet and smooth, not slick or oily like IPAs can tend to be. Slightly sticky on the lips. Carbonation level seems just right to me. Seems a bit too thin and watery though.

D - Probably too bitter for me to session but that seems to be par for the course for this emerging style.

Overall I was a little let down and expected a bit more bang from this. I'd have to say of the few black IPAs I have tried so far the Otter Creek Alpine has been my favorite. The Southern Tier Iniquity was incredible but more of an imperial of this style. Still worth a try and I can't wait to find their Kind IPA! If I was still in Rochester I'd definitely be hitting this place up with my growler.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2011 00:29:00 | More by BeerPhan86

Brad007

Vermont

3.25/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Pours a dark reddish-brown color instead of the usual black. It at least has ruby undertones in the light. Thick head to boot.

Sweet with a mild touch of pine resin in the nose. This is going to err more on the malt side. I can see it.

Mellow and full of pine resin. Not much else of note on the tongue.

Lingering resin at the back. A "toasty" kind of feel.

Not bad. Not the hop bomb I was hoping for but then again, not all examples can be such a thing.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 08:17:33 | More by Brad007

tdm168

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Hoyt for bringing me this bottle.

A - dark brown with reddish hues; thin, soft cap of off-white, brownish head that fades after a few seconds

S - citrus, coffee, faint chocolate

T - roasted malts, faint coffee, big citrus, a bit sweet, some faint chocolate, piney, intensely bitter finish

M - medium bodied, crisp, well carbonated

This is a nice, easy-to-drink, complex beer. The hops and the malts are each complex on their own but impressively come together to create a balanced beer. The finish is intensely bitter which does wreak havoc on the palate after a while, but without the boldness of the hops the sweetness of the malts would become cloying. This isn't the best black IPA on the market but it's better than most. I'm very glad that I tried it.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 17:18:06 | More by tdm168

MarkJBurch

New York

4/5  rDev +9.6%

03-22-2013 04:19:42 | More by MarkJBurch

dnolan36

Virginia

4/5  rDev +9.6%

03-21-2013 17:26:22 | More by dnolan36

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.2/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

My first Three Heads beer, served in a Port City tulip.

A: Poured a dark, grape juice color (or lack thereof), with a nice, robust, sticky off-white head that stuck around for a good while.

S: Faint scent of roasted, nearly burnt, barley, and a bit of citrusy hop character poking through under closer inspection.

T: Pretty bitter... to much to my liking even. The hop profile plays second fiddle to the char, roast, bitter quality that resemble the burnt on crust of a used griddle. Not a pleasant characteristic.

M: Like I stated, this was pretty bitter, but not in a pleasant way at all. The lacing was ridiculous and the carbonation was sufficient.

O: This sucker was just screaming for more citrus. I don't think I'll have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 23:18:34 | More by Chaney

GreesyFizeek

New York

4.25/5  rDev +16.4%

03-06-2013 00:30:25 | More by GreesyFizeek

TonyY

New York

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

02-24-2013 02:12:43 | More by TonyY

PeerlessMark

Ontario (Canada)

2.5/5  rDev -31.5%

02-21-2013 00:48:35 | More by PeerlessMark

Andragos

New York

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

02-04-2013 13:52:21 | More by Andragos

C-Dog

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

01-31-2013 02:07:57 | More by C-Dog

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.25/5  rDev -11%

01-18-2013 05:57:52 | More by Kelp

chippo33

Vermont

3/5  rDev -17.8%

01-18-2013 05:34:11 | More by chippo33

Hopheadjeffery

Illinois

4/5  rDev +9.6%

01-01-2013 17:44:42 | More by Hopheadjeffery

irs

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +9.6%

11-24-2012 03:25:00 | More by irs

suspect

New York

3.63/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a Central Waters snifter.

A: Nice dark brown color. Aggressive pour leads to a rocky 1 finger latte colored head that fades relatively slowly and leaves nice consistent lacing.

S: Toasted chocolate malts mixed with a nice hop aroma leaves a nicely balanced Black IPA.

T: Follows the nose directly. Nice mix of flavor of toasted darker malts, some cocoa nibs and some interesting hop mixes to balance everything out.

M: Not as thin as I would have thought. Medium bodied, better than average feel. Perfectly carbonated.

O: Very solid Black IPA. This is my first go 'round with 3HB and so far, I like what I've had.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 01:27:54 | More by suspect

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.83/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a dark mahogany color with just over a fingers worth of tan head

S: Some citrus and floral hops along with roasted malts make up the majority of the nose. Get some light coffee and dark chocolate from the malts

T: Starts off with a wave of citrusy hops and then transitions into a solid bit of roasted malts. Definitely get both aspects quite clearly. Finishes quite bitter and dry

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

O: A good black IPA with good aspects of both hops and roasted malts. A little lacking in complexity, but still has good flavors coming through. Easy to drink as well, at 6.5%. Recommended if you're just getting into the style or like extremely balanced black ales

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 22:09:27 | More by BEERMILER12

dgeebs07

New York

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%

10-14-2012 16:44:41 | More by dgeebs07

chefduff2

New York

4/5  rDev +9.6%

09-25-2012 12:51:22 | More by chefduff2

Dizzy242

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

08-25-2012 12:02:32 | More by Dizzy242

JottaGibboo

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +16.4%

08-16-2012 20:28:28 | More by JottaGibboo

dtx00

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

08-06-2012 15:16:00 | More by dtx00

thebouch01

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%

08-04-2012 15:43:31 | More by thebouch01

ABokononist

New York

4.5/5  rDev +23.3%

07-16-2012 01:27:21 | More by ABokononist

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle served in a pint glass.

pours a dark though translucent cola-brown while yielding a large, frothy 2" tan head. solid retention and sticky lacing all over the place. pretty much spot-on, appearance-wise.

nose packs a good blend of citric / pine hops and roasted malts, coffee, and chocolate. again, more or less exactly what you'd expect from a black IPA; not extremely aromatic, however.

flavor follows the nose almost exactly. all the hoppy / stout-like notes pull through. citrus, pine, roastiness, coffee, dark chocolate... tasty. bitter in the finish. on the lighter side of medium bodied, medium carbonation.

overall, i'm enjoying this, it brings some tasty elements to the table. would absolutely be up for more.

(originally reviewed: 01-17-2012)

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 02:59:44 | More by BostonHops