There Will Be Black (Brewmaster's Reserve Winter 2012) - Brooklyn Brewery

chinchill

South Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark brown, nearly black, with a durable tan head.
Smells quite hoppy. with a dark malt base.
Tastes less hoppy with dark malt in the background; basically as expected but rather simple. Pine and citrus from the hops seem to clash more than mix with the nutty and chocolate notes from the roast malt backbone. Slight burnt note in the moderately bitter finish.

Medium body with moderate carbonation.

O: With somewhat low hop flavor, this tastes more like a Black PA than Black IPA. Not a problem, especially given the hoppy aroma, but the failure of the dark malts to blend nicely with the hop load is a detriment.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2013 15:49:15 | More by chinchill

homebrew311

Illinois

3.76/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Appearance is black/ dark brown wih tan creamy head and heavy lacing. Nose is straight pine tips and roasted malt. Taste is heavily hopped with bitterness from both the hops and the roasted malts. Makes the taste somewhat one dimensional. Mouthfeel leans towards the thin side and highly carbonated. Overall, a drinkable one dimensional black ale that is a little thin.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2013 22:11:45 | More by homebrew311

barczar

Kentucky

3.48/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear deep brown with a frothy half inch tan head that lingers, eventually leaving a coating of foam as it dissipates.

Resin, pine, citrus, and chocolate add complexity to the roast malt backbone. Nutty notes of toasted malt are evident.

Underpinnings of grapefruit and lemon accent the roast malt. There's a hint of char at the slightly bitter finish. Resin is somewhat subtle initially. Flavor seems to be cut short, somewhat.

Body is moderate, with moderate carbonation and a slight astringent bite. Borderline carbonic.

Lacks a bit in flavor. Citrus hop flavor is fairly banal, and roast malt is pretty much the only grain character present.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2013 02:22:52 | More by barczar

KYGunner

Kentucky

4.03/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Amongst the thickest, strongest heads I've ever seen you could bounce a quarter on this thick beauty. Dark, opaque and just plain black the brown head christens a gorgeous brew.

The scent is of dry graham cracker and even drier chocolate.

The taste is chocolatey but a dry malty breadiness stands out. Not so diverse as to be confusing this black ale is exactly as billed....it's a black ale. Very dry in taste and feel, it's delicious with strong chocolate and even stronger bready crackery maltiness.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2013 02:20:17 | More by KYGunner

KTCamm

New Jersey

4.31/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Served on tap at Ginger Man, South Norwalk. Tasting glass, but enough to get a good feel for the beer.

Pours pitch black with white foam. Laces all over. Light pine oil aroma, and malty too. Pleasant. Smooth mellow blended bitter, buried in a late malty chocolate taste. Smooth. Chewy. No lingering bitter aftertaste. Great black IPA, very balanced.

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2013 23:28:13 | More by KTCamm

far333

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Dark brown and opaque with an inch high frothy head that settles out slowly. Low aroma of dark malt. Rich flavors of dark malt, cocoa, and subtle smoke. Interesting balance of citrusy hops, the hops are strong enough to make themselves known, but not overpower. Perfect balance, Garrett. Mouthfeel just a bit thin. Overall a very nice beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2013 17:39:55 | More by far333

rangerred

Tennessee

2.99/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Had on tap.

Appearance is pitch black with just a smallish tan head. Not very good head retention and just a little bit of lacing.

Aroma has a good deal of yeast esters witch seems a little out of place. There is pine coming through as well but not enough to keep the banana at bay.

Some light roast in the flavor along with a little bit of caramel. Piny hops shine through but that annoying yeast presence is still there. Mild bitterness with too much sweetness for the style IMO.

Overall, not a good example of an American Black Ale. If the yeast was dialed back this would score a few points higher but there are many better examples out there.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2013 20:44:37 | More by rangerred

metter98

New York

3.83/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Brass Rail, Hoboken, NJ

A: The beer is near black in color. It poured with a finger and a half high tan head that slowly died down but never completely faded away and left lots of lacing on the glass.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of chocolate and dark roasted malts in the nose.
T: The taste has some flavors of roasted malts and a light amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and slightly crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is well balanced between the malts and hops and is very easy to drink bit makes for a good accompaniment to food.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2013 19:49:35 | More by metter98

PicoPapa

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at New York Pizza. Pours a pitch black color with a 1/4inch of tan head. Tons of lacing. Aroma is chocolatey with citrus hops and roasted malts. The taste is smokey malts upfront followed by some dark chocolate and bitter orange peel. Juicy fruit finish. Insanely drinkable. Well balanced brew. Not very hoppy, but there is a nice hop presence. Just like Brooklyn Blast I am hoping this one gets bottled eventually. Overall, real good Black IPA that I hope I get to try again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2013 16:16:29 | More by PicoPapa

ranger7

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

On tap in a pint glass from The Londoner in Allen.
Served with their fish and chips (which are good, btw).

A - Dark with a nice thick head of tan foam.

S - Some hops and a slight roasted aroma.

T - Pretty nice. It has some bitterness to it, but it is balanced fairly well with malt. Overall, I'd say it tastes almost sweet. It's pretty flavorful.

M - It has a nice smoothness to it, not much carbonation. Almost no aftertaste.

Summary - I haven't had many beers in this style, mostly because the hops scare me off. After our server recommended this by saying it wasn't too "hoppy", I thought I'd try it and I'm glad I did. The prominent flavor is hops, but it isn't overpowering and has a nice sweet flavor in the end.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2013 03:24:21 | More by ranger7

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A pint at Accent Lounge in suddenly temperate Edmonchuk.

This beer appears a clear, very, very dark bronzed amber hue, with one finger of creamy, dense, meringue analogue beige head, which takes a coon's age to settle, and never really does, leaving a quarter-inch of latent foam before I tuck into this slow learner. After the fact, a singular column of Mayan ruin lace presents itself around the glass.

It smells of mildly bitter grapefruit and orange hops, semi-sweet milk chocolate notes, softly charred caramel malt, and a further twinge of earthy floral hop essence. The taste is bitter citrus rind, pithy pine resin, a clammy lactic sweetness, some faintly singed bready caramel malt, and a herbaceous earthy addendum.

The bubbles are a bit sassy, but generally on the level, the body a middling medium weight, and a little too tacky to be considered all that smooth. It finishes mostly dry, the lightly charred malt and lingering citrus/pine hop amalgam both fading to a seemingly watery grave.

Wow. Beyond the crazy-ass and thorough retention, and very west coast IPA predilections, this eventually settles to a semi-sweet, somewhat singed hoppy morass, as confusing as it was for the first quarter hour of head appreciation (and concurrent pub atmosphere acknowledgement) for such a cross continent, confounding newbie of an offering. In the end, a rather impetuous and more importantly far-flung rendition of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2013 03:49:05 | More by biboergosum

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a dark charcoal grey tinted brown, moderate cap of brown froth and some sticky lacing. Scent brings a touch of charred and roasted grain, medium grassy and herbal hop notes with a touch of citrus and tropical. More of the same from the taste. Medium bodied, thinner than expected, dry. Expected more, but still okay - tend to prefer black IPAs with little to no roast.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2013 17:54:53 | More by rfgetz

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.79/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Tap @ Chimes Covington

Pours a nice dark brown, near black colour with a frothy brown head. Aroma had some herbal, piny hops, chocolate and roast notes with tinges of coffee. Not too bitter tasting, pretty roasty, with notes of chocolate and pine hoppiness. Nice creamy texture, low carbonation, medium body, nice overall.

Not a really hoppy ABA, but it's got plenty of character and flavour.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2013 21:58:21 | More by EgadBananas

RoyAlan

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

On tap @ Two Stone Pub, Wilmington DE
Black as it name implies. Smell of coffee and hops.
Nice lacing from a creamy tan head that dissipates quickly.
Tastes good. Smokey with hops on the back.
Not an especially noteworthy black IPA. More subtle. Almost a Lite Porter.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2013 17:59:22 | More by RoyAlan

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.38/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On tap at Kickbacks in Jax. Poured into a snifter. Fluffy, off-white head, high retention on a black body. Soapy, suddsy, sticky lacing. Aroma is a nice blast of resinous piney hops with some roasted malt in the background. Very nice. Taste is biting and bitter, grapefruit like, again with roasted malt in the background. Interesting mix of flavors. What I like most about this one is that the hops are the dominant flavor and they don't have to fight it out with the dark malts. It truly is a black IPA. Nothing muted about the bitterness. Overall, excellent.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2013 06:12:16 | More by KickbacksSteve

Jacobob10

New Jersey

3.54/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

On-tap @ The Brass Rail in Hoboken, NJ.

Pours black with deep brown around the edges and a one-finger off-white creamy head. Light lacing on the glass. Good amount of roasted malt in the aroma with piney hops. Slight coffee flavor with a bitter finish. Lively carbonation, almost a little fizzy. Not a bad beer, but the body just felt a little too light and could benefit from being beefed up a bit. The hops also don't seem to match up well with the malt.

Serving type: on-tap

01-12-2013 22:09:39 | More by Jacobob10

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.48/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

As the playground for Brooklyn's brewery dive deeper and deeper into the exploratory trends and follies of flavor fantasy, they embark upon the cascadian taste of American "black" IPA. Expecting greatness, here we go...

And if they say, "There Will Be Black", then surely the beer will turn out black. The ale does this with a very schwarzbier-like attitude. Lightly brown about the edges, but the body of the beer is the darkest of browns and hinges on black oil hues. A light creamy head builds upon the beer and holds firm, as is expected from IPAs. Speckled lace and broken rings continue to reinforce the notion of the beer's high quality.

Moderate aromas of burnt toast, cocoa, roasted nuts, fresh ground coffee, and ...oh yea, hops all align to the sense of smell. First the toasty, roasty malts but then the real show starts as the scent of sharp spruce, citrus peel, and fresh cut grass fills the nose and reminds me that this is first and foremost an IPA.

Similar in taste, the flavors of burnt toffee provides the underpinnings, especially as the charred taste of grain, wood, and bread lay upon the early palate. But then the hops begin to build- first with citrusy grapefruit and orange peel, and then of sharper and spicier grass notes before concluding with a crisp woody bitterness that's reminiscent of spruce and pine resin. Although the malt character is somewhat reserved, the hops don't dominate in the way that they should; this leaves the beer lacking a bit of punch and depth that this type of beer deserves.

Medium-light in body, the ample carbonation isn't enough to bolster a creamier upstart. The dry malts release the carbonation very early on and leaves the bulk of middle palate unsupported and falling into the hands of thinness and lightness. Finishing toasty-dry and lightly ashy, the beer complements its roasty dryness with hop dryness and moderate alcohol warmth for a short-lived linger of citrus and toast.

Brooklyn's black ale is a highly drinkable beer, yet is doesn't give the strong sense of satisfaction as does many others of the trend. Unlike Stone's Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, this version is simplified and lightly thinned out.

Serving type: on-tap

01-11-2013 07:03:08 | More by BEERchitect

Durge

Connecticut

3.55/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed this one at The Grille Next Door in Haverhill, MA. It's a dark, rosy black with a decent light oatmeal colored head and decent lacing. I can smell solid malt with a tasteful quotient of evergreen hops and a nice chocolate element. The flavor surprises with a harsher grass-pine hop that bites the tongue right out of the gate while the malt follows in reasonable fashion. This is fairly thin bodied, medium-light, with light, sprite carbonation and an aqueous feel. I have to say that this is a bit disappointing for a Brooklyn brew, especially for one of my favorite styles. But it's certainly not bad. There's some charcoal in the finish, especially when I burp. I won't revisit but it's worth a try for those who want a lighter IPA experience.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2012 08:29:55 | More by Durge

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a tumbler at Haymarket.

Something about Daniel Day-Lewis in blackface comes to mind... Anyway, this stuff pours a dark, garnet-tinged black-brown topped by a finger of off-cream foam. The nose comprises licorice, roasted malts, light vinyl, and light greens. The taste brings in more of the same, along with some toasted sourdough. The body is a light-leaning medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a drying finish. Overall, a nice little black IPA, nothing earth-shattering (and definitely nothing DDL-worthy), but something easily drinkable and generally enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2012 05:13:44 | More by TMoney2591

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap, served in a pint glass

Ink black body through the core with some chestnut brown edges. The cap sat at about a finger and faded quickly. A tan head left some clingy lace along the edges and some spider web lacing.

The nose is clean. Roast and bittersweet chocolate with some pine resin and minty hops mixed in. Well-balanced.

Some bitter pine notes jump onto the palate first with bakers chocolate and mild roast mid-palate. A little bit of dark fruit and toffee emerge as the beer warms. The finish is bitter pine and grassy hops with a touch of mint and an underlying mild roast.

Medium body with low carbonation. A tad on the creamy side.

A nice, clean black ale with a pleasant hoppyness.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2012 19:18:34 | More by ColForbinBC

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a tulip glass. Very dark appearance, like a stout. Good head for a bar-pour. Dark, dark brown where no light shines through. Good ring lace after each sip.

Surprisingly mild smell. The usual culprits show up: toasted, near burnt malts along with

Dark malt and high hop bitterness is how I'd describe this brew.

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2012 19:57:33 | More by smcolw

Googs

New York

4.03/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Good Beer, served in a nonic pint glass.

A: jet black body with a good inch white head. Great head retention, very frothy. Sexy looking brew.

S: dark roasted barley and chocolate malts. Floral and citrus hops are on the nose too.

T: a really balanced black IPA. First I'm getting bitter chocolate and biscuity malt favors which are soon followed by the hops, bursting with citrus and pine. Finishes dry and bitter. Good stuff

M: creamy and well carbonated, this guy is easy to drink, crispy and refreshing. Medium low on fullness. Taste lingers in the mouth. Not tasting the alcohol but feeling it a bit.

O: I enjoy black IPAs, but they can be a tough style to pull off, even by the best. This hits the mark, and has all the great qualities of the style . Roasty and rich. Citrusy and bitter. They meld together nicely. I'll gladly drink more of this brew.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2012 03:22:14 | More by Googs

merc7186

New York

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Aurora Brew Works in East Aurora NY, poured into a goblet.

A: Opaque Hue, Passes No Light, Light Brown Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Black Bread, Mild Chocolate Malts

T: Lightly Roasted Malts, Black Bread

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Bitter

Overall, a nice black IPA with a hard bready flavor, not much hoppiness to it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2012 21:25:04 | More by merc7186

mdfb79

New York

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

From 11/28/12 notes. Had this on tap at the Waterfront Alehouse in Murray Hill NYC. Served in a 16 oz. pint glass.

a - Pours an almost black brown color with one inch of light tan head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of pine hops, roasted malts, chocolate, toasted malts, resin, and bready malts. Very nice mix of pine and roasted notes; I like it.

t - Tastes of pine hops, roasted malts, resin, citrus hops, sweet chocolate, dark fruity malts, toasted malts. Little fruit here and more hops than the nose.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. No bitterness, pretty easy to drink overall.

o - Overall a very nice Black IPA. Lots of nice pine hops and roasted malts mixing together in the nose, and the same in the taste with some ffruit and citrus. Easy to drink, well worth checking out if you're a fan of the style. Would have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2012 15:59:18 | More by mdfb79

plaid75

New York

3.7/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draft at Tap and Barrel, Hauppague, NY.

Poured a deep black hue with a two finger frothy tan head. There was very good retention and thick sticky lacing.

The smell featured a light herbal hop atop a slightly sweet chocolate malt.

The taste was well balanced with the herbal hop checking the soft chocolate and lactose.

The mouthfeel was typical of the style.

Overall a tasty well balanced black ale.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2012 23:40:30 | More by plaid75