El Hopadillo Negro - Karbach Brewing Co.

Bluestar

Texas

3.35/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 oz bomber into s dogfishead signature glass

A - A single finger thick, nicely coloured tan head presists from start to finish. liquid is a deep brown colour when held to the light. very nice lacing clings to the glass throughout the entire bottle.

S -hop resins dominate. Not entirely sure which hops. Background smell of dark chocolate and off in the distance I detect a faint coffee note...

T- bitter, hop forward beer. Here I get a little more coffee background, followed by some roasty notes. For some reason it just doesn't mesh together well...but I think that's indicative of the style and not any fault in the beer itself.

M - medium carbonation, just shy of being prickly on the tongue. Alcohol is not noticeable to any great extent.

O - Similar to other black IPA's on the market - well priced at $6 + tax a bottle. I would drink again, but not going to go out of my way looking for it. A hop-forward beer that is a little lacking in malt counterbalance .

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 03:51:50 | More by Bluestar

hoody711

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Let's see if Texas can actually produce a good beer. Clearly that is too harsh, but thus far the Lone Star state hasn't impressed me. Multiple solid beers - nothing out of this world.

A - bomber to tulip. Dark toffee color. Nice two finger head with good retention and excellent lacing. A very pretty beer.

S - mostly IPA here, and it's nice. Mostly citrus to me, with some grassiness. There's a hint of sweetness at the beginning. Seems to fade a little bit and flatten out pretty quickly. Not much of the blackness of this black IPA here - maybe a little roast at the very end. Good, nothing overwhelming.

T - huh. It's interesting. Taste seems to belie its nose for sure. There is definitely some hoppiness at the end, but I get mostly a one-note sweetness to begin. Sharp chocolate bitterness in the middle, then some piney hops at the end. It's okay, nothing spectacular, and I'd like a little more complexity.

M - well the bitterness from the end of your sip really just lingers there. Otherwise it's a bit dry. Carbonation is low.

O - unfortunately follows its Texas brethren into the realm of tastiness, but falls short of excellence. The appearance is amazing, the nose has the right idea but is just a little soft, and the taste just isn't really that complex. It's good though - I'm not drain-pouring. Worth the $5 bomber for sure.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 01:15:46 | More by hoody711

goochpunch

Texas

3.26/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Pours out pretty much black (at least with this lighting). Nice khaki head. Smell isn't all that strong. I get some US hops and some sweet malts. Not very roasty/toasty in the nose, as I'd expected. Flavor has some sweet, caramelly malts with a bit of a piney/citrussy punch at the end. Not a whole lot going on. I expect a little more complexity out of a black IPA with some darker malt flavors. This really just tastes like a typical IPA that has been merely colored with some specialty malt rather than flavored. I like the mouthfeel on this. Pretty soft and fluffy. Is there wheat in this? Overall, I don't know how I feel about this. I can think of better black IPA options, for sure. Will I buy this again? Probably not (MAYBE if they sold this in 6 packs of cans).

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 02:52:36 | More by goochpunch

BryanCarey

Texas

4.24/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Dark brown in color, El Hopadillo Negro Black IPA has an appealing appearance that grabs your attention. It pours out of a bottle to form a large and lasting head of foam that takes time to subside and leaves generous lacing. The nose on this ale is hoppy all the way, with some grassy notes hiding behind some pine.

Taste- wise, this beer pretty much follows its nose. The flavors of pine and citrus hops are obvious, as are the flavors of roasted malt. There is also a tropical fruit component to the flavor as well and it is equally obvious, although it catches you a little off guard because it isn’t the type of flavor you expect in a dark beer. The ale finishes bitter and dry.

This ale is an interesting one, to say the least, and it should appeal strongly to those who love a great craft beer made with a flavor all its own. As I said above, the tropical fruit taste takes you by surprise, but in a most pleasant way. The sense of intrigue and the full- bodied, plenty- of- frills flavor will keep craft beer freaks like myself occupied with each passing sip.

El Hopadillo Negro Black IPA is yet another winning brew from Karbach and one that earns an easy stamp of approval. Try it if you get the chance and wax philosophical about El Hopadillo Negro and its multi- faceted, take- you- by- surprise personality.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 03:05:56 | More by BryanCarey

champ103

Texas

3.2/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This was from a gravity cask at the Flying Saucer in Houston, TX.

A: Pours a dark brown, nearly black color. Ruby red around the edges. A small, bubbly beige head forms and recedes to nothing in a second. No lace to speak of.
S: Soapy hops up front. Some bitter sweet chocolate malts. That is about it.
T: Follows the nose. Soapy hops at first followed by a malty sweetness. Chocolate is dominate. Finishes to bitter for my tastes, that lingers on and on. Not a big fan of how the malt and hops compliment each other.
M/D: A medium body and very low carbonation. Almost under carbonated. Easy enough to drink. I can finish the pint without a problem.

Not bad, but like most beers of this style the hops and malt do not mesh well for me. Worth a try for sure, but far from their best offering.

Serving type: cask

12-30-2011 01:37:41 | More by champ103