Skunk Black IPA - Three Heads Brewing

JAramini

New York

3.78/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Village Beer Merchant in Buffalo, brought a growler to a party.

There is some variation among this style, some are dark roasty beers with a healthy amount of hops, others are IPAs with a touch of dark malt added. This beer is one of the latter. It's primarily an IPA, and a good one at that. The dark malts add a touch of roasted flavor and make the body fairly rich and full.

Citrus, pine, and some bitterness against a nice mouthfeel, good hop aroma, and a dark pour.

It's a style I have alternately enjoyed and hated, this is in the "good" column for me. Doesn't assault me with hops - it's hoppy but balanced. Worth trying, just a couple notches short of my favorite for the style - Southern Tier Iniquity. A stronger, more complex malt presence would improve it, otherwise it's definitely drinkable and good.

Serving type: growler

01-16-2011 18:26:08 | More by JAramini

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

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

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

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

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

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

On-tap 4/25/2012 at British Beer Company, in Walpole, MA served in a weizen glass.

A: The beer is a deep dark brown color, with a short dense beige head that fades very slowly and leaves a very thick on the glass.

S: The aroma is faint but contains roasted malts, floral hops, citrus and chocolate.

T: The taste starts out with a hearty roasted malt character and sweet flavors of chocolate and citrus. Then a strong but not over-powering hops presence comes in to provide a good balance in a style where it seems rare to achieve. The after-taste is bitter-sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is dry and slightly sweet.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, this is a solid beer to drink for a long time if you’re in the mood for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2012 01:24:38 | More by TheManiacalOne

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a surprisingly clear dark brown with ruby highlights when held to light. Creamy off white head shows moderate retention. Smells of pine and cirtus with hints of chocolate and coffee. Not quite porter like in the nose but the roast is definitely there. Pine and resinous taste mixed with a hint of chocolate and roasted grains. Medium body and carbonation level with a resiuos creamy mouthfeel. I really liked this one. Great Black IPA that almost ordered another one to my table.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 14:13:03 | More by WoodBrew

emerge077

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle has a code printed on the bottom "271 11 A1P 1812".

Poured into a small tulip this beer has a dense tan head and a veil of copious lacing around the edges. Lasting head retention, skim remains after awhile, after a few sips. Black body, duh.

Something grassy and green but indistinct hop wise, the aroma is colored by an odd swampy mix of soggy wet grains and vegetal notes.

Earthy dry bitterness works well with the roasty malt flavors, lingering resiny hop notes hang around for a few seconds. Some unsweetened bakers chocolate and green chlorophyll laden grasses. Medium bodied, dry feel and pretty drinkable.

Hope they send fresh stuff next time, this just arrived in the market and seems a little faded much like the Kind IPA I had a few weeks ago.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 02:32:34 | More by emerge077

Florida9

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Thin black in color; really more of a blackish-brown. A little translucent. Forms a decent sized light tan head that slowly reduces to a thin foam on top of the beer. Some very light lacing.

S: Aroma is of roasted malts and citrus hops.

T: Taste is lightly sweet, watered-down cola. Some roasted malts, but not a lot, a little chocolate, and a slight (rather out of place) vanilla flavor. Some citrus hops, but not nearly what I was expecting. Mild to moderate bitterness.

M: Body is on the thinner side of medium. Appropriate carbonation.

O: I'll admit I bought this one largely based on the label. Figured with a name like Skunk, this one would be loaded with some powerful dank hops. Unfortunately, it's really not loaded with anything with a flavor that is flat, minimal roasted malts, and limited quantities of hops which seem to clash with the malts more than accent them. Lighter body makes it drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 00:30:29 | More by Florida9

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.43/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a three-finger khaki head that fades slowly to a thin layer leaving a good lace. Black color, no highlights. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied. Nose is grapefruit hops and flavor is grapefruit with some caramel, lingering grapefruit aftertaste. Forced to buy this because of name - it isn't skunky, not a bad black IPA. $7.99 for a 22oz bottle from Julio's Liquors Westborough, Ma.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 22:38:44 | More by jdhilt

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a bomber for $6.50 at Brilbeck's on Tip Hill in Syracuse. The aroma has a surprising maple syrup note in the aroma, along with a mix of cocoa and grapefruit. The flavor is balanced between the smooth chocolate barley (though it's mild) and citrus rind that really builds in the finish. I'd want more flavor up front, but the big, biting finish makes up for it. The body is lighter and more drinkable for the style. Overall, a worthy take on the black IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 03:28:28 | More by tempest

DarthKostrizer

California

2.65/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to Ehammond1 for sharing this beer. I really enjoy this style so I was excited to try this

Look: Black with brown rings around the edges and a 1/4 inch head and no retention

Smell: Citrus and piney hops mixed with chocolate malt which for me creates a fruit pepples nose

Taste: Same as the nose

Mouthfeel: Thin body and medium carbonation

Overall: This in my opinion is one of the worst examples of the style. Avoid Avoid Avoid

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 07:29:29 | More by DarthKostrizer

Pahn

New York

3.83/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle split two ways into tulips. Thanks to BA mmcgrath for giving me this bottle in a recent trade!

Appearance: Free pour yields a 1 inch offwhite head that leaves a wall of lacing. Pours dark brown / black and continues to decorate the glass with eternal lacing.

Smell: Grape, some bread, and a slight hint of coffee. Mainly grape and a suggestion of hops. Good, but could be more pungent.

Taste: Interesting... roasted malt as husky and nutty up front, then grape and orange-y hops in the middle along with a bit of sweetness, finishing with roasted malt as black coffee bitterness.

Tough to score. I want to drop it down to 3.5 for not being bold enough with west coast hops, and because I'm not in love with the flavor. However, I really like that it's IPA strength hops with prominent roasted malt; most black IPAs, even when successful, are sort of porters/IPAs with identity crises. This is a roasted malt plus IPA hops experiment that works.

Along with the interesting interplay of roasted malt and hops, the overall flavor impression is refreshing, with a nice dry finish. Could be a bit more complex, but in all it's a lot tastier than the usual black IPA.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. Crisp dry finish. Good carbonation.

Overall: Unique beer, glad to have tried it. I would like some more pungent hops and overall more complex flavor, but I'm enjoying this regardless. The level of sweetness really calms down the assertive hop bitterness and roasted malt, while still allowing the beer to be crisp and refreshing. Piques my interest in this brewery...

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 03:29:01 | More by Pahn

ehammond1

California

3.1/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle

Acquired via trade
Thanks, MrHirschybar!

More brown than black IPA with a moderately sized brown head that eventually leaves dots of lace down the glass.

Floral and grassy aroma with a bit of earth and roast. Simple, almost like perfume.

Simple and mild flavors--not at all overly hopped. The roast component is mild as well. There simply isn't a lot here, though it's not anything bad or off-putting.

Medium bodied with high carbonation.

An acceptable, average version of the style. No need to seek this one out again.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 18:02:42 | More by ehammond1

rtaps

California

2.85/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

dark brown with an off white head leaving minimal lacing.

smells of citrus and pine hops with dark malts

taste kind of fallows the nose, dark malts and pine hops

mouth feel is medium bodied, overly carbonated.

overall it's an ok black IPA, that was a little to over carbonated and the flavors didnt blend all that great together IMO

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 23:35:13 | More by rtaps

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

3.33/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into my duvel tulip

A- pours deep brown, appears black, but on closer inspection is more dark brown. Little film of a head, and very little lacing,

S- floral hops mixed with crystal malts, smells good, almost perfumy

T- roasted up front developing into floral hops and finishing with a touch of pine.

M. Light with low carbonation, almost watery, could deffinatley use more body.

O- not a bad beer, the wateryness kinda makes it a bit sub par, although it is drinkable.... Not a bad smell or flavor, but it's missing a few important aspects that would
Make this decent beer great!

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 02:18:53 | More by PeterIngemi

UCLABrewN84

California

3.13/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to ehammond1 for sharing this one at MrVonzipper's tasting!

Pours a clear dark brown with a khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark malt, citrus zest, and some herbal hops. Taste is of dark roasted malt and herbal hops. There is a weird chemical taste I am getting as well. This beer has a high level of carbonation which is too much for the style. Overall, this is an average beer that smells better than it tastes.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 23:05:29 | More by UCLABrewN84

perrymarcus

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. would absolutely be up for more.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 00:37:51 | More by perrymarcus

SLeffler27

New York

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

Black is right, however, there is a hint of red highlights. A big, creamy, coffee ice cream head quickly builds, lasting a long while as it leaves a coating of lace.

A rather simple, yet well-defined scent of fresh squeezed lime infuses the pint glass.

My first of this style, Skunk Black IPA definitely hits the mark between a dark roasted stout and a bitter IPA. The grapefruit is most prominent in a long bitter finish, however, there are some notes of caramel.

This one is very dry with a medium body, light astringency, and prickly carbonation.

A good occasional beer, however, the malt and hop bitterness make it difficult to enjoy more than one at a time. This is good on its own, but better with pasta and tomato sauce.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 21:27:04 | More by SLeffler27

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Skunk Black IPA might at first blush appear black but a closer inspection to the light reveals a spotlessly clear beer that is more pecan-colored than anything. Its head has a sparkly sheen, like the unpolished side of a marble block, and crisscrosses the surface in an apple pie-like order. Its lacing looks like neatly folded blankets.

The bouquet is a bit soft but is successfully checkered with roasty malt and piny hops. There's equal notes of nutty milk chocolate and tree bark. It's a really unique combination and is truly 'Cascadian' in character (despite that this was brewed in upstate New York). The hoppiness is adequate enough even to emulate cedar and spruce too.

The leafy, vine-y, herbal flavour continues onto the palate. Despite all the hydroponics, however, toasty crystal malts do succeed in making a clean break and actually dominate the finish, leaving a pleasantly sweet and nutty aftertaste. It tastes something like creme brulee (done with a little Grand Marnier, or perhaps even green tea).

In a totally zoomed out view you can find tiny shreds of citrus zest as well as coffee-and-cream flavor. That's what you want: a solid dichotomy of hop and malt. Just when you start to notice one feature, the other shoe drops. This delivers on both fronts and, at a moderate 6 and a half percent, it won't leave you 'drunk as a skunk'!

I'm not only on the Three Heads Brewing bandwagon, I want to drive it. All the beers they've released since coming on the scene have been solid, perhaps simple, but satisfying offerings that commandeer their respective styles and represent great value for the buck. Let's hope they continue to do exactly what they've been doing.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 20:47:35 | More by biegaman

StJamesGate

New York

3.9/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ruby-tinged black with Irish stout-style clingy off-white head that leaves great lace. Bit of roast chocolate and herbal hops on the nose.
Chocolate and soil but malts are pretty quiet; herbal, leafy hops and roasty acidity to follow.
Oily espresso finish and big tongue-scrapping bitter linger. Medium, dry, crisp.

Where’s the malt? A bit too lean, but roast and hops combine for a nice punch. On the hoppy porter end of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 12:53:43 | More by StJamesGate

Ratman197

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bomber poured a clear reddisah brown with a lasting tan head. Aromas of roastiness, earthiness, skunk buyd, grapefruit and pine. Palate was medium bodied and smooth. Flavors of roastiness, earthiness, light grapefruit asnd a hint of pine with a smooth moderatly bitter roasty finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 13:44:36 | More by Ratman197

scottfrie

California

3.53/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle into Portsmouth snifter. Thanks for this one, Shawn.

A: Pours black with a thin dark tan head that faded into a bubbly color that left a sheet of tight lace down the glass.
S: Hoppy notes of pine dominant over sweeter notes of roasted malt. I do get a touch of something medicinal as well.
T: Hoppy flavors of pine and grass with a touch of sweet citrus. The hops fade into flavors of sweet malt and a bit of roasted grains. The aftertaste is lightly bitter and a bit minty.
M: Medium body, slick mouthfeel that is a tad oily and volatile. Carbonation is soft but ample.
O: A solid black ipa but nothing I would really want to drink that often. Worth a shot if you’re a fan of the style though. Thanks again, Shawn.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 21:54:08 | More by scottfrie