Black Perle Dark IPA - RJ Rockers Brewing Company

bensbeers

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Interesting brew for sure. Pours out a huge, fluffy tan head over a pitch black body; minimal lacing. Smells rich and warm - notes of bourbon, vanilla. Even a little bit of oak. Taste is bitter, mostly smoky at first. The bourbon and vanilla sweeten it, but still mostly bitter. Feels medium bodied, but still light on the tongue.

Not sure where the IPA name comes from. Didnt get any hop taste or smell, the quintessence of an IPA. I would definitely classify this as an imperial stout - boozy, malty and smoky. Still a great brew though. And a killer bottle - love the wax. Just not what I was looking for on a warm day. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 00:50:19 | More by bensbeers

gkatsoris

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Black duh. A huge, monster tan head. The head disappeared within 30 seconds, with no lacing at all. But the head was huge.

S: Wood. Vanilla. Bourbony. Roasted Malts. Alcohol. Floral hops. Butterscotch.

T: Pretty woody and bland. Roasty malts. Really close to an APA.

M: Medium bodied. Thin and chewy.

O: One and done. And let down.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 01:34:47 | More by gkatsoris

EkimGram

New York

3.79/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Entry from my beer journal dated 3/3/12

Appearance: 22oz bottle poured into a snifter. Colour is dark, oil black with a thin toffee-coloured head that fades to just a film.

Smell: Lots of dark, roasted malts backed by spice, dark fruits, and alcohol.

Taste: Primary flavours are burnt and roasted malts followed by strong and bitter hops. There are two very distinct parts of this beer. A little unbalanced but tasty nonetheless.

Mouthfeel: Solid, medium body with a nice, soft, velvety feel to it. A mild amount of carbonation brings this beer to life.

Overall: An extremely roasty, burnt, and bitter beer that isn't for the faint at heart. Its appearance mirrors its flavours.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 04:17:21 | More by EkimGram

macrosmatic

Florida

4.14/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to my buddy Glenn for this bottle. Reviewed from notes. Poured from wax-sealed bomber into a CCB pint glass.

A: Pours a very dark brown, nearly opaque, with low visible carbonation. Forms a half-finger tan head.

S: Dark roasty malt chocolate with bits of coffee, vanilla & toffee. Pine and grass hops, boozy, with an almost oaky sweetness and vanilla.

T: Follows the nose. Sweet roasted malts - cacao, vanilla, caramel-sweet toffee. Some pine hop bitterness with the roasted malt bitterness, but these don't last long on the palate.

M: Hefty weight to the body for a black IPA. Moderate carbonation sensation, and the alcohol is noticeable but doesn't detract.

O: I'm torn how to score this one. This is a tasty beer, and a solidly enjoyable porter. But it doesn't come close to me as a Black IPA. I think they either need to go back to the drawing board with the hop profile, or just relabel it as a somewhat-hoppy porter. I think I'll give scores for the beer overall. I'd estimate 2.75 for style as listed.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 03:32:17 | More by macrosmatic

mactrail

California

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very attractive pour in the Duvel tulip. Dark brown with chestnut edges, with a fine grained foam and nice swirls of lacing along the glass. A serious mouthful with a nice sudsy character.

Rich and malty at first taste, and slightly sweet. The hops emerge with a long bitter boil. There are a lot of black, charred flavors with burnt sugar. Sort of salty. Overall, this is a huge beer with the whole array of dark malt flavors in all their variations. Hops are just restrained enough but more than ample in the aftertaste.

Quite sippable big dark brew. I wish I could remember where I came up with this bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 05:54:24 | More by mactrail

metter98

New York

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is close to jet black in color (traces of red are visible near the edges of the glass when it is held up to a bright light) and also has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a half finger high tan head that only died down a little, consistently leaving a thin head covering the surface and lots of lacing down the sides of the glass..
S: There are light to moderate aromas of chocolate malts in the nose along with some notes of roasted malts; these become stronger as the beer warms up.
T: The taste is similar to the smell, except that the strength of the flavors is reversed with the roasted malts being more prominent. There are also some hints of burnt malts and slight amounts of pine resin hops, the latter of which contributes a moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and both smooth and crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. Dryness from the roasted malts lingers through the finish. The beer also coats your mouth a little.
O: This is a very enjoyable and flavorful black IPA that is also remarkably drinkable considering its strength because the alcohol is well hidden from the taste.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 02:13:18 | More by metter98

kylehay2004

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: very large tan foam head with scattered lacing on a deep dark brown body.

S: nice chocolate and roasted malts. Hops are a little mild and mostly earthy.

T: very nice combination of roasted malts and coffee with earthy and slightly sweet citrus hops. These balance each other out well which is rare for this beer style in my experience.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: nicely balanced beer in both malt/hop mix as well as coffee bitternes and chocolate/citrus sweetness. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 00:34:12 | More by kylehay2004

katan

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz into a pint

A - Pours a dark brown color, with just a little bit of black highlights. Head formation is about nil, mocha in color.

S - Very sweet, huge amounts of sugar - comes across as chocolate, raisins, perhaps prunes. Hopping is pretty low - perhaps a little bit of citrus.

T - Starts off lightly sweet, nutty, oatmeal. Gets much stronger with hard hits of chocolate and raisins. Mid-stream gets a big alcohol burn, finishes with lots of retained sticky sweetness. The aftertaste finally brings the bitterness.

M - Full bodied, very thick and creamy, lacking in carbonation. Sticky, hot from the alcohol.

O/D - An okay beer, seems to have a tough time getting an identity. A bit filling and a pretty potent alcohol punch makes a 22oz bomber a bit hard to get down.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 20:02:17 | More by katan

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22 oz bottle poured into a snifter.
9.5% ABV, 2314 on back of label.

A - RJ Rockers Black Perle is as dark as the depths the label depicts, pouring a midnight black with a tall, dense foam head. After the minute off aspect of the nose, the thick, quickly rising foam isn't so shocking. Slow to fall, tan fingers of lace are left gnarled on the glass.

S - Heavy dry cocoa and mustiness give off an earthiness that's reminiscent of a wood-paneled basement. Strong earthy hops come through in waves, trying to balance the roasted malt nose that's predominant. It smells good, but something...unusual still seems off about it, lingering in the background.

T - Bittersweet chocolate and coffee splash in and out like waves lapping the shore. Earthy hop attributes add subtle pine resin notes, but are relatively muted in the presence of all the malt. After swallowing, the finish lingers with a milk chocolate-like thickness and flavor on the tongue.

M - Tight carbonation dances on the tongue with extreme effervescent, once again, pointing to an infection issue hiding behind the bold malt and hop. Besides the champagne-like feel, it's stout-like thick with a smooth, milky feel and acrid bitter finish. Dry from the hops, but definitely not bitter from them.

O - Black Pearle showed some real potential, but this American Black Ale from RJ Rockers has an issue. It's very faint in the aroma and almost undetectable in flavor, but the abundant and unnecessary carbonation is a telltale sign of problems (I should know, with all the homebrew I keep botching). Beyond that, I'd ask for more hop bitterness and flavor to combat the assertive malt profile in this Black Ale, but it's definitely drinkable and not offensive.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 23:54:31 | More by BeerFMAndy

DCon

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought a 650mL bottle of this from The Wine & Cheese Place in Clayton, MO for $7.49. Poured from the Blue Waxed topped bottle w/ a Ship on the front of the label into a 0,47l New Belgium Oversized Snifter Glass. Has no freshness date but definitely from 2011.

Aroma- A rich and roast nose. Tons of light coffee like attribute with hops wanting to come out on the nose but surely can't because of this malt character. Good overall.

Appearance- Pours a .5, dark tan colored head that dies fairly quick. Has a deep brown colored body with no clarity. Leaves a few suds behind on the glass.

Flavor- Once again, tons of malt, roast, and light coffee flavors. The hop is tough to find out but judging by the medium-high bitterness level, I suppose it is in here. Slight burnt flavor as well.

Mouthfeel- Medium Bodied, Light-Medium Carbonation, Sticky, and has tons of hop in the finish mixed with roast.

Overall Impression- Once again, this style ALWAYS makes my head hurt, wondering what I should be looking for... This one was drinkable with malt covering up most of the hop flavors. Good all around and starting to enjoy RJ Rockers and their beer portfolio.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 03:14:02 | More by DCon

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bottle poured into DFH Signature.

A - Pours black with a thin almond head. Shows great lacing.

S - Dark chocolate, roasted malts, and a large amount of oak. The smoke, booze, and oak contribute a lot of whiskey elements. I don't get many hops for a Black IPA.

T - Just as roasty as the nose indicated. Sweetens a bit as it warms with chocolate and macadamia nut. Somewhat bitter finish, although more from the char than the hops, I think. Alcohol isn't prominent and this one drinks easily.

M - Carbonation is light and the body is medium-thick. Smooth.

O - Pretty good beer, although not the best example of the style. Dark and roasty malt flavors are fantastic, but it lacks the hop complexity that I love in Black IPA. Not bad for the price, but there are better options out there.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 02:46:29 | More by NoLeafClover44

superspak

Michigan

3.6/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, 9/23/2011 bottle code on the bottom. Pours pitch black color with a dense 2 finger tan head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Some good spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of big apple skin, roasted malt, chocolate, biscuit, and toast. Aromas are very off balanced, way too much apple aromas. Something went wrong here. Taste of big dark chocolate, roasted malt, toast, biscuit, char, coffee, herbal, pine, and earthy spiciness. Fair amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark chocolate, roasted malt, coffee, char, pine, and herbal spiciness for a good bit. Nice balance of roasted flavors with hop bitterness; with a very robust amount of roasted flavors. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and slightly slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is very well hidden at 9.5%; with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Very smooth to sip on. Overall this is a nice black IPA that is quite robust with roasted flavors. Other than the obvious fermentation flaws in aromas with this particular bottle, it was still quite enjoyable. I will have to revisit this again and hope I get a better bottle.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 04:57:12 | More by superspak

Strix

Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pitch black, frothy tan head, decent lacing.

Primarily roasted malt, a smoky note, a bit of pine but not getting much in the hops department.

Very earthy, malt, sugar, murky chewy hop notes blend together. Dark chocolate/pine finish. Notable lack of particularly IPA-like flavors.

Medium-thick mouthfeel, fairly smooth.

This strikes me more like a big porter than a Black IPA. It was fine, but I wouldn't necessarily say it is deserving of a wax coating. The impression I got is there are a ton of ingredients involved, but they sort of all wash out distinct flavors.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 00:41:41 | More by Strix

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle served in a snifter.

L - black brew with a beige head that thinned to a few bubbles around the glass leaving a streak or two.

S - lots of roasted malt and chocolate in the aroma.

T - as with the aroma this beer is full of roasted malt and chocolate with a bitter finish.

F - medium bodied, it goes down smooth and easy.

O - a good example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 21:22:34 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

flagmantho

Washington

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 22oz waxed bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: entirely black with a thick finger of frothy dark tan foam. Good lookin'!

Smell: big, rich coffee, toffee and malt aromas with a little bit of vegetal hops. I'd think imperial stout before American Black Ale. Still, the aroma is smooth and enticing, if not particularly hoppy.

Taste: malt starts off with a light fruitiness, possibly due to the alcohol or to fruity hops. It then segues into a rich coffee roast flavor which is smooth all the way through. See my style comments above.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a decent carbonation and a lightly creamy silkiness. Pretty good, although more in line with a black ale than an imperial stout.

Overall: this beer doesn't really fall into an established category. It is technically an ale which is black which is made in America, but that's about as much as you can say for putting it in this style category. Still, it is a yummy beer I'd be glad to quaff again.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 03:44:17 | More by flagmantho

FosterJM

California

3.43/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

1228th Review on BA
Bottle to Pint
22oz

Thanks to Cliffbrake for this one

App- Poured out more like a deep crimson/garnet into the glass. Looked brown in the glass. Had a very large three finger khaki head. Decent lace and cling.

Smell-  Really a fine line between a coffee stout and a malty brown ale. A bit of earthiness behind the nose.

Taste- A creamier malty beer with a bit of the abv being upfront and a touch over roasted. Pretty smooth for as large as it is. Pretty standard profile.

Mouth- A touch thick bodied but mostly thin. A medium creamy carbonation with residual malts and coffee.

Drink- A welcome extra with some good layers of flavor and big boozy background. Dont think I would have again but still good.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 20:08:12 | More by FosterJM

UCLABrewN84

California

3.08/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours an opaque black with a tan head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is pretty bland with some roasty malt and herbal hop aromas. Taste is the same but seems quite watery tasting. There is a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty average beer with noting that really stands out in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 03:07:36 | More by UCLABrewN84

bigbluebeerguy

Kentucky

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a tulip. Deep, dark brown, almost black, with no light penetration. Voluminous sand colored head, with a smooth and creamy texture. Moderate lacing through the glass.

Nose is just a touch disappointing, I was expecting more in the way of hops. As it stands, I get mostly sweet malts and some slightly charred bread crust.

On the tongue, things pick up quite nicely. Smooth, bitter chocolates and the charred bread come through, some ghostly coffee undertones linger in the mid-palate, while a nice pine and ever so slight citrus hop bite steps in to finish things off. The malt backbone holds up nicely throughout.

Mouthfeel is slightly above average, not too thin, with a fairly decent astringency lingering. Medium body and carbonation, hides the alcohol very well. Would not have guessed 9.5%.

Overall the best offering I've had from this brewery. Would definitely pick it up on my next trip to SC.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 02:46:43 | More by bigbluebeerguy

cvm4

Mississippi

3.68/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured black and had a nice one finger tan head.

S - Malts, dark chocolate and coffee.

T - Roasted malts and coffee on the front. In the end you get some dark chocolate and bitterness. The abv is well hidden.

M - Perfect mouthfeel that just coats and medium carbonation.

O - Easy to drink. Flavors meld together. More porter or stout than a black IPA though. On its on, not judging by its category, it's a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 03:41:22 | More by cvm4

4thelvofbeer

Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Wow! Pleasantly surprised by this brew! Enjoyed my first 22oz bottle on 17 Feb 12, poured at about 55 degrees or so. Nite quite room temp, slightly chilled. Really nice black IPA. This is the first beer I had from this brewery and it is pretty good. A little unhoppy for an IPA, and tastes more of a really good porter of mild stout. Deep malts and sugars are dominant in this ale. I am actually surprised that it only has a 87 rating (at this current time), and think that it deserves quite bit of a better score.

A: Deep black pour...
S: Malts, sugars, and more malts! really nice..
T: The best part of this beer..like I said, has flavoring more of a porter or stout...
M: Really smooth
O: One of the better Black IPAs...itza nice!!!

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 23:11:48 | More by 4thelvofbeer

adrock7309

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First let me point out that I am reviewing this beer more as a cascadian or even a porter/stout or black ale despite the bottle claiming that it is indeed a black IPA - which it most definitely is not.

Poured a jet black body with a nice mocha tan head which lingered.

The smell was full of roasty malts, burnt sugar and slight coffee but absolutley no hops.

No idea when it was bottled so if it was an IPA at one point - it has surely evolved.

The flavors were also very dark with some rich smoky and roasted malts, a nice sweetness and an overall pleasingly full mouthfeel.

Although we were all perplexed by the style indicated on the bottle - we fully enjoyed this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 15:53:22 | More by adrock7309

TechTriumph

Virginia

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes on 12/17/11:
Bottle dipped in blue wax; No freshness date; Poured in a snifter.

A - Lives up to its name - pitch black in color; One inch of creamy, frothy, khaki colored head that leaves a decent amount of lacing

S - Nice inviting aroma; Notes of molasses, dark chocolate, leather, and woody tones

T - Flavors of sweet, dark chocolate, roasted coffee beans, woody/leathery tones, and tobacco; Very subtle earthy hops step forward at the end of the taste, accompanied by coffee flavors; A little bitterness present from mid-taste to the finish; No hints of alcohol

M - A little carbonation; A shade under full bodied; Dry finish

O - Overall, this was a pretty solid beer. I was hoping for a bigger showing of hops to fit the Black IPA mold, but got a much bigger showing of Imperial Stout type characteristics. That said, I think I'll try this beer again if I see it, as this newly developing "Black IPA" style really intrigues me.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 01:31:13 | More by TechTriumph

Gmann

New York

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a near black color that is brown around the edges. The mocha colored head is frothy and reminds me of chocolate milk.

The aroma is quite chocolatey and has a brownie batter note. I pick up some wood notes here and there but not much roast. I don't really pick up any hop aromas either. I like the chocolate aroma but feel that the beer should have some roast and hop aromas to be true to the style.

The taste has the roasted malt notes. Not super strong but does bring a ground coffee flavor. This is coupled with both a semi-sweet and milk chocolate flavor. Some light wood and char notes as well. However, not much of a hop presence, perhaps some grassy/earthy notes. Maybe light pine, hard to tell with the roasted malt.

Moderate to full feel with soft carbonation, which leads to a nice silky feel. Fairly sweet on the palate but does finish with a mostly roast bitterness but does have a hop bitterness as well. Not a bitter attack on the palate like most from this style.

I like the flavors in this beer. It has really nice chocolate notes to go along with a medium roast. There really isn't much of a hop presence so it takes some style point hits.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 17:52:13 | More by Gmann

coldriver

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber poured into Sam Adams glass. Pours a near opaque black with lots of suspended hop particles. Very good head and lacing. Aroma of roasted bready malts, alcohol and carrots. Hops and roasted malt give a nicely balanced taste as neither dominates. Nice smooth and creamy mouthfeel, but dry finish. This is a tasty and mellow version of an American Black Ale. Alcohol is well hidden for 9.5%!

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 22:25:04 | More by coldriver

henskejk

California

4.22/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

A - Beer is a deep dark brown, not quite black. small amount of light brown head.

S - smells a little bit sweet and roasted/toasted with a distinct hop character as well

T - Good balance between the bitter hop character and roasted malt. the two sets of flavors seemed to complement each other fairly well. Also, no distinct boozy flavor was present for this 9.5% offering

M - medium body and pleasantly carbonated.

O - overall this was a very good beer, drinkable despite being 9.5%, flavors not too overwhelming. a balanced and tasty drink. would recommend to others and will likely buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 20:26:42 | More by henskejk