Alaskan Black IPA - Alaskan Brewing Co.

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BA SCORE
84
good
-
300 Ratings

rAvg: 3.72
pDev: 11.83%
Reviews: 108
Hads: 192

Ratings Help

Brewed by:
Alaskan Brewing Co.

Alaska, United States

Style | ABV
American Black Ale | 6.40% ABV

Availability: Spring. bottle (103), on-tap (5).

Notes:
No notes at this time.

View: Beers (22) | Reviews (1) | Events (0)

Reviews

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Reviews by lwillitz:

lwillitz

Florida

4.03/5 rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12-oz bottle into New Belgium globe

A - beautiful black body with golden/brown highlights under 2 fingers of light tan head

S - rich malt, toasted bread, dark fruit, earthy hops, coffee, pine, caramel sweetness

T - malty, bready, fruity, nice blend of bitterness from the hops and the roast malts, enough caramel sweetness from the malt to keep it interesting, dry earthy finish

M - full-body, above average carbonation, smooth and creamy, somewhat astringent

O - This is a very good dark ale. The appearance is stunning, the smell inviting, the taste delightful and well-balanced, and the mouthfeel smooth and pleasant despite having more of a bite than I would like.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 01:55:35 | More by lwillitz

More User Reviews:

gleemonger

California

4.5/5 rDev +21%

06-12-2013 21:50:26 | More by gleemonger

PaleZombie

Arizona

3.91/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle.

A - Deep ruby color with about a 2 finger of tan head which quickly dissipated.

S - Piny, grapefruity hops. Roasted malts, some mild sweet chocolate notes.

T - First the roasted malts and sweet chocolate notes hit you then are followed by some piny grapefruity notes on the end with a mild coffee bitterness that lingers.

M - Fairly smooth and easy drinking, on the lighter side of medium with mild carbonation.

O - Fairly pleasant beer and very easy drinking. Pretty complex also. I could see myself session this one. Especially at $6.99 for a 6 pack.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 00:25:04 | More by PaleZombie

AlaskanYoung

Alaska

4/5 rDev +7.5%

06-10-2013 07:16:32 | More by AlaskanYoung

Woodman70

Wisconsin

3.5/5 rDev -5.9%

06-01-2013 02:51:55 | More by Woodman70

jabo134

Illinois

3.75/5 rDev +0.8%

05-30-2013 02:59:59 | More by jabo134

BryantForestry

Texas

3.5/5 rDev -5.9%

05-30-2013 01:22:20 | More by BryantForestry

makersmarkers

Texas

3.63/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

The lady at the local package store recommended this little number from Juneau, AK when I mentioned that I enjoyed the flavor of hops and was seeking a seasonal or limited offering. I took it home with some excitement, as it is my first taste of this style of brew.

From the bottle and into the double-walled Bodum glass it poured an almost-black dark brown, which looked deep red when held up to the light. It created nearly an inch of frothy tan head which left remarkable lacing as it went down the glass. The aroma of this beer is quite enjoyable: dark chocolate, raisins, caramel, pine, and moss all come through very well. The bitterness of the hops, however, is somewhat overwhelming in the taste. Behind the earthy, pine-y notes of the hops, there is a bit of vanilla and the impression that some of the complexity of the aroma is also in the taste. It's just a bit overpowered. I thought the beer had good carbonation and had a pleasant body but nevertheless felt a touch light on my tongue. Overall, I expected a bit more but I enjoyed every bottle in the pack. I will be trying other black IPAs, for sure, but I'll think twice about buying this one again unless there are no other options.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 02:11:37 | More by makersmarkers

Jmick28

Texas

4/5 rDev +7.5%

05-24-2013 03:44:20 | More by Jmick28

BryanCarey

Texas

4.05/5 rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Alaskan Black IPA is a dark beer with an interesting and varied nose that combines such things as roasted malt, earthy notes, citrus, and pine. The generous tan- colored foam has good staying power and leaves its mark all along your glass as you drink.

Alaskan Black IPA is a complex beer with flavors of citrus fruits, pine, and bread with some coffee and dark chocolate. The taste is shaped by contributions of a dark ale and IPA, like you expect, but the taste leans more in the direction of an IPA than anything. The bitter sensation is a little more evident here than with other black IPA, but it is still kept under control enough that most consumers will find it to their liking.

Alaskan Black IPA is certainly a tasty beer and it rates a notch better than other black IPA I have tried. It is less balanced than others, with a greater reliance on the hops, but that fact should not dissuade anyone from sampling it, as its taste is still very good and memorable. The complexity and other factors make this ale one for the record and one everyone should add to their list of beers to try.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 04:34:05 | More by BryanCarey

eliz108

Wisconsin

3.75/5 rDev +0.8%

05-17-2013 15:48:59 | More by eliz108

SportsandJorts

Michigan

3.5/5 rDev -5.9%

05-16-2013 15:08:46 | More by SportsandJorts

Sokool

Washington

3.75/5 rDev +0.8%

05-15-2013 22:56:32 | More by Sokool

tclang

Wisconsin

3/5 rDev -19.4%

05-12-2013 20:55:23 | More by tclang

Moose90

Colorado

4.26/5 rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Best By 05.08.13
Tasted 05.11.13

A - Pours a deep, dark black, with a tall light tan head. Initially, this looks like a nice dark stout. On closer inspection, the head dissipates to a thin layer, and the body of the beer is more of a dark rich mahogany brown. Lacing is uniform, sticky, and overall great.

S – Woah hops, bright, fragrant, and floral. Held up with a large dose of sweet, rich malts. Dark fruits come through here as well. Quite complex, this beer is no longer fresh, but has developed some deeper notes here with time.

T – Rich and roasty, this is dark, deep and complex. Comes across as a robust porter, some coffee, bitter chocolate, and dark fruits again. Hops are vacant here, make a brief appearance, but that's it. Fine by me. Very complex, bitter coffee notes abound, dark chocolate covered cherry notes here, unique. Reminiscent of a barleywine in regards to it's level of complexities.

M – Light, crisp, and bubbly. Carbonation is high, but okay here.

O – Wow. I've had this one fresh, and it is great then, as a big hoppy dark ale. But now, once the hops have faded, the malt complexities are great. The sweet dark cherry and chocolate notes, to contrast the bright bitter coffee and light hop notes, are just great. This is truly underrated.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 07:18:45 | More by Moose90