Blacksmith India Black Ale - Village Brewery

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.03/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

341ml bottle poured into pint glass Oct, 8 2012

A looks like cola until I hold it to the light where its almost purple, a thumbs width of foam sits for a few sips leaving some random lace

S smells of faint dark fruit, coco powder and a handful of pennies, quite metallic and some raisin as it warms. Not much for hops and I expect much more considering the style

T much like the smell but with some faint licorice, basic but not offensive but lacking hops for sure, a little char as it warms

M a little thin but enough bubbles to give it some life, not very bitter for a BIPA and a fairly roasty finish

O perhaps as a porter but even then a little weak, not really a BIPA, IBA, Cascadian Dark Ale what ever a dark hopped beer is called this one isn’t it

Although not a bad beer they need to double perhaps triple the hops in this one for it to anywhere near the style their going for.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 20:20:14 | More by wordemupg

zachloveshisbeer

3.6/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This is a pretty darn good brew from Calgary's newest brewery, but with probably it's most seasoned mix of marketing reps, brewers and people backing its launch. Hoping they remain tried and true and hoping they develop some wicked seasonals. This one poured a deep brown with a very nice two finger wide head. Smells of charcoal, caramel and a hint of chocolate. The hop presence isn't necessarily present rigt upfront, but it shows up on the finish of the first swig. It's a tasty treat, but I'd probably identify it as more of a black ale than an "India Black Ale" as it's labelled. There's nothing wrong with making a brew like this and I understand that they're trying to go "slow and steady" at first. Overall, definitely a nice beer to drink at any time of day under any weather conditions.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2013 18:00:54 | More by zachloveshisbeer

schnarr84

Alberta (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%

12-14-2012 14:02:11 | More by schnarr84

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

11-05-2012 01:49:19 | More by BigBry

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - cola black with a tall tan head, nice retention, minimal lacing
S - roasted nuts, mild cocoa, leafy hint
T - roasty malt with cola up front, nuttiness is there but milder than the nose, leafy with just of touch of citrus hops
M - medium and somewhat creamy, just a touch prickly but it mellows to a full and slightly dry finish
O - a nice offering from Calgary's newest brewer, love the choice of style for an initial flagship brew, here's hoping they keep growing

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 02:53:47 | More by joemcgrath27

Alberta_Beer_Guy

Alberta (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +27.1%

07-16-2012 00:52:50 | More by Alberta_Beer_Guy

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

3/5  rDev -15.3%

05-25-2012 19:27:55 | More by Converge

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A pint at Craft Beer Market.

This beer appears a dark cola amber colour, and not all that black, particularly in the light of day, with one finger of thin foamy beige head, which settles at due pace, leaving a low berm of lace around the glass.

It smells of roasted malt, mild coffee grounds, an oily nuttiness, and leafy, floral hops. The taste is lightly toasty caramel malt, subtle cafe au lait, a bit of orchard fruit, and decently strong leafy, earthy hops.

The carbonation is a bit tacky, but easily ignored in the long haul, the body a solid medium weight, and smooth with a fruity pedigree. It finishes off-dry, the fruity malt pushing out the weakening hops.

A decent black ale, but unfortunately my palate has been plastered this past week by my Half Pints experience with this particular beer style. So, to be fair, with their different aptitudes and utilities, this is the ABA that I take out on the town, as opposed to the Black Galaxy, who I take home to meet Mom.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2012 20:34:01 | More by biboergosum

mattsander

Alberta (Canada)

2.73/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Dark brown in color with some red highlights - I'd estimate around 30srm. Thin whisp of head disappears quickly without lacing.

S: Sweetness, medium roasted malts and minerals. A nice aroma but oddly lacking hop character for the style.

T: Sweet, smooth and balanced. A nice beer though it doesn't seem to fit in the style of American black ale / Black IPA. More roasted malts and late hop additions would help.

M: Thin but refreshing, this beer goes down very easily.

O: Oddly named beer considering it's lack of discernible bitterness or hop character - but not bad. Give this new brewery a try.

Serving type: growler

03-09-2012 20:09:45 | More by mattsander

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance- Pours a dark black brown with minimal head. Bubbles are present.

Smell- Roasted notes from malts, barley, and oats. Hint of coffee bean.

Taste- The roasted character of the malts and grains is the predominant flavour. There is a mild bitterness at the end. The taste is not as sweet as the smell.

Mouthfeel- Light to medium bodied with light carbonation. Has a pleasant smoothness.

Overall- A refreshing Black IPA from Village. Seeing as this is my very first offering from them, the flavours blend quite nicely and are nice and mellow. I’m looking forward to seeing what these guys do in the future. Its nice to see a new face to the Calgary craft beer scene. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: growler

02-28-2012 22:20:10 | More by leaddog