Arcadia B-Craft Black IPA - Arcadia Brewing Company

emerge077

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Odd single in the cooler at Warehouse, hadn't seen before, hopefully fresh.
Code on the bottom reads "153 12 BIE 0351", if the date is the first part: May or June 2012... 4 months old.

Pours black into a mug, a sticky collar of light tan lacing adheres inside the glass, leaving behind a delicate web of lacing. Pretty good head retention as well.

Aroma is fairly subdued, mildly roasty, light herbal hops.

Flavor carries a slight citrus sweetness,medium bodied with a fair amount of roasted malt comprising the main flavor accent. Moderately bitter with a drying finish that is somewhat chalky in feel. A textbook IBA, nothing too wild but it's drinkable with a good hop character to it.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 01:52:02 | More by emerge077

Tone

Missouri

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

Pours a black color. One inch head of an off-tan color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of hop oils, slight floral hops, pine, slight roasted malt, and a hint of sweet malt. Fits the style of an American Black Ale. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of slight roasted malt, hint of floral hops, hop oils, citrus hops, and hint of sweet malt. Overall, good appearance, aroma, feel, and body. The blend and complexity are a little lacking.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 13:15:49 | More by Tone

CFHMagnet

Ohio

3.83/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A heavy pour delivered a finger of tan head over a deep brown body. Lacing can't quite hold on to the sides.

Mmm-mmm, this smells good. Grapefruit and pine start off the aroma, and its quickly followed up with brown sugar and passionfruit.

The hops on the flavor here are very mixed. I get grassy, orangey, grapefruit and pine. Conglomeration actually doesn't seem to go as well as I would expect, but it's still good. Brown sugar, light crackers and caramel finish off the end with just a hint of bakers chocolate and passionfruit.

Good carbonation bite, medium body. A little sticky on the back of the tongue, definitely dry.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 21:56:06 | More by CFHMagnet

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours dark with some prune-brown tones. Small lip of foam became a ring pretty quickly.

Mellow earthy nose with a languid hoppiness and smooth maltiness in the balance. Lightly fruity. Not particularly roasty.

Spicy pine and woodiness, blanched by stewy roast malts and notes of unsweetened chocolate. Bit of a boozy sting. Almost rosy. Finishing bitterness gets a little intense. Dominated by grain and earth. Not dirty, but a little woody. Hints of dark fruits or berries. Almost port-like in the finish, only super-dry.

Smooth and a little oily. Biting carbonation toward the end punctuated by the bitterness. Alcohol turns out to be a whole lot sneakier.

Pretty good black ale. A DIPA is a bit of a stretch. Still enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

04-18-2013 01:24:07 | More by thecheapies

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.85/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a Kuhnhenn snifter.

Appearance - Pours a dark brown, not quite black body with only a touch of a head. The faintest of collars around a translucent edge at the surface.

Smell - Some musty pine hops, but it isn't hop dominant. The hops are well balanced by a chocolate and caramel malt.

Taste - Pine hops throughout, which is nice. The chocolate is consistent with just a hint of sweetness shining through. It gets more bitter throughout without ever getting heavy on the malts.

Mouthfeel - Like a light, overhopped RIS. Never too sweet. Never too bitter. Nicely balanced without being a hop bomb of a black IPA.

Overall - I usually like hoppier black IPAs, but this is quite nice. There is a strange aftertaste that is there and gone in an instant. So brief I can't really identify it, so I won't peg it back for it.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 01:25:24 | More by Alieniloquium

barczar

Kentucky

3.88/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours an opaque deep brown with clear amber highlights and a dense one inch khaki head that lingers.

Aroma begins strangely, with a fruity, strawberry note, accompanied by roasted malt and a touch of chocolate. As it warms, the strawberry scent becomes more citrusy, breaking down as grapefruit and a bit of catty hops.

Flavor is initially roast malt, somewhat sweet, which forms a solid backbone to complement the citrus hop background. Notes of chocolate and coffee add complexity, while grapefruit, tropical fruit, and earthy hops lead into a slightly bitter, resiny finish.

Body is fairly thick, oily, with low carbonation, finishing slightly astringent, with significant alcohol warmth.

Overall, a very interesting beer. Alcohol is a bit hot, but the hop profile is complex, and the malt flavors support the hop character without dominating. A little on the sweet side, but worth a try!

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 22:07:37 | More by barczar

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up in Totowa since I hadn't given this a go and I wanted something darker to go with the cooler nights that are finally starting to set in. Because this beer was so accessible and easy to enjoy, this was a good choice and a solid example of the style. The alcohol was quite high but thankfully, not too pronounced when it came to the flavor and mouthfeel.

This had a dark pour to it, as to be expected, with a fair amount of head and just a bit of garnet around the edges. Not a lot of lacing to be seen either and the aroma wasn't that strong. What I could detect in the nose was a strong amount of peat moss, as if this were a Scotch Ale. The mouthfeel was not sticky and there was a good amount of roasted malt and burnt sugar in the taste. Not a lot of hops to be felt and with the carbonation being low, this almost reminded me of a Schwarzbier. The bitterness kicked up in the aftertaste with some earthiness and metallic notes to this but everything worked well together and the slight burn lasted for a while, long after I finished off each sip.

To be certain, this was strong and took a little while to fully savor. I didn't taste the booze and it didn't detract from the dark flavors but by the time I got to the end of the bottle, it had already sneaked up on me and caught me off-guard. Once I was past that, there wasn't much not to like here and this was a good example of what a black IPA should be. With more and more beers of this style hitting store shelves every year, better versions can be easily found but fans of Arcadia or beers that are strong and heavy will find enough to like here.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 08:12:56 | More by JerzDevl2000

alleykatking

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Arcadia.

A- Pours a dark brown lightly blackened color. One finger mocha colored head shows good retention. Good streaky lacing on the sides of the glass.

S- Malts on the nose give way to light roasted front. Piney hops on the backing of this with some light citrus hints here and there. There is a light bitterness in the aroma overall. A muted black IPA overall though in the aroma.

T- Nice roasted malts upfront with a light floral hop flavor. Chocolate notes in the middle of the beer itself with a light soapy taste. Slight bitterness in the ending of the beer with a return of the roasted flavors.

M- Medium light mouthfeel. Carbonation is a little light for a IPA but I think it does the beer justice. Clean flavors with a light overall soapy flavor. Roasted malts left on the palate with some light hops in the aftertaste.

D- This was good flavored black IPA I thought. Arcadia seems to be on the ball and coming up with newer more flavorful beers. Do yourself a favor and try this beer out.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2010 03:14:05 | More by alleykatking

zeff80

Missouri

3.9/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Sycamore.

A - Poured an opaque, jet black color with a two-finger, light brown head of foam. It left sticky rings of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of pine with a touch of citrus. Nice roasted malt aroma, too.

T - It tasted strongly of pine with a burnt toast maltiness. Nice chocolate and caramel flavors, too.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a dry finish.

O - Very cool to get a tap only offering here in Columbia. Thanks, Sanford. Very nice brew!

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2011 02:32:57 | More by zeff80

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.91/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Snagged a single from Vintage Estate in Ohio. Cost is $2.49

A - Ah good no sediment I fear it was over 3+ months old. Just a 1/3 inch of deep mocha head and the beer itself is Imperial Stout Back, very viscous.
S - Mild tones of citrus hops, and some ashy roasts.
T - Quite an original Black IPA it seems to have some anise or molasses tone along with some citrus hops, English malts, and coffee roast.
M - The ABV seems well hidden if not somewhat watery.
Overall I really liked this black IPA it imparts tones of Russian Imperial stouts with anise and molasses and hides the ABV well.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 04:19:20 | More by DrDemento456

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a tulip glass)

A- This beer pours a jet black body with a oatmeal tan bubbly head that last a good bit and trails of bubbles that glide up the surface.

S- The tropical fruit and bubble gum esters lead into a faint smoky hint of roasted black malt that is overtaken by woody green hops in the finish.

T- The bubblegum, double bubble flavor blends with green herbal hops in the finish and a soft roasted black malt note comes through in the aftertaste. There is a cola note that grows as the beer opens up.

M- The medium mouthfeel has no alcohol heat and a gentle fizz compliments the hops.

O- This beer has full yeasty ester flavors with the hops being much softer. It is a nice beer but not much of a session beer at 8.5 % abv.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 13:02:07 | More by rhoadsrage

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle. no bottled on date.

A: dark brown body. slightly off white head. good retention and lacing.

S: hoppy. piney and resinous. roasted grain is there but cant overcome the hops. this thing is definitely a black ipa.

T: a little of vanilla on the body. the bitterness is backed immediately by the sweetness of the grain. linger is milk chocolate combined with bittersweet chocolate. the body is mostly bitter and hoppy, but there is some dark grain that reminds you of the style that it represents.

M: moderate to sub-moderate amount of carb.

D: pretty tasty black ipa. wouldnt hate for a little more body or lingering sweetness to fill up the body. otherwise really solid.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 03:20:44 | More by Jimmys

patpbr

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- pours black but with almost no head
S- First smell was hops then malt.
T- Pine hops, citrus and chocolate. bitter. The roast malt balances it out.
M- Medium body the alcohol is present on the finish.
O- unique and worth a try. I don't think I would drink more then one in a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 03:26:03 | More by patpbr

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear, near-black with red at the edges of the glass when held up to light. Decent cappuccino coloured head and lacing.

Stunning aroma of roasted malts with a pine backbone. Roasted dark malts also feature in the taste, as expected, but this beer also has delightful tropical fruits and citrus elements. The high 8.5% ABV is terrifyingly well hidden, with only a hint of an alcohol burn in the finish.

A well balanced "cascadian" or "black" IPA that's a real pleasure to drink. Would highly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 02:22:36 | More by hopsolutely

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

A-very dark brown, almost black with a nice tan head

S-an odd mix of coffee and citrus, also a bit of oreo crumbs, which i find nice. good strength

T-comes in more or less how it smells. Upfront it's mostly oreo crumbs and coffee beans with an underlying citrusy hops flavor. lack of bitterness. the after-taste is mostly of espresso beans. it's a good flavor, just really not all that much to it.

M-medium dry carbonation with a dry finish

O-it's really an okay beer. it's even okay as a black ale. i could see this being mistaken as a citrusy porter. the abv isn't apparent at all. i think most black ale fans might not like this, a bit light on hops possibly. as easy as this is to drink, i don't recommend it or think i'll get it again in any situation.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 04:46:40 | More by AdamBear

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.96/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

I remember really enjoying this stuff during my birthday's visit to a trade show last year, so expectations are high to begin with this time. Full disclosure, I guess. This stuff pours a deep, dark sienna topped by a finger of tan-cream foam. The nose comprises roasted malts, light blackened pretzel, dry pine resin, and a touch of straight booze tossed in for good measure. The taste brings in more of the same, softening the resin, getting rid of the booze entirely, and adding a faint hint of hickory smoke. Nice. The body is a light-leaning medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda drying finish. Overall, a very nice black IPA, one that lived up to my pleasant memories in every way save the smell (which, to be fair, was probably getting pretty weak by the time I got to this one last year...).

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 07:09:20 | More by TMoney2591

Winger911

3.96/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Great roasted malt flavor, mixes well with the strong hop flavor and aroma. Foam head was nothing special but the beer had a very good smell; floral hops with dark barley scent.
Leaves a bit of an aftertaste where you can tell there is a potent amount of alcohol. Overall, great beer to try.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2013 20:29:02 | More by Winger911

SometimesIfart

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a deep brown with a half finger worth of head. Leaves decent lacing.

S - Smells like a strong hit of pine, burnt malt, and some weak vanilla. It's like an IPA met a Porter.

T - A strong burnt malt upfront, Met in the middle by an odd tropical grape flavor. More grape follows through in the finish and it sweetens as it goes down. The taste also gains a heavy vegetable-like quality as you get closer to the bottom of the glass.

M- The mouthfeel unlocks even more burnt malt and weak toffee. The longer it sits, The more obvious it becomes that it is an 8.5% beer.

O - Overall, This was a solid beer, with an interesting flavor, but once again, Arcadia has not astounded me.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 19:52:59 | More by SometimesIfart

jwinship83

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on tap at the bavarian lodge. served in a snifter.

A- this one comes to me looking very dark brown with a small khaki colored head. the head quickly becomes no more than a crown and doesnt leave behind much if any lacing.

S- roasted malts and a little bit of chocolate are the first things i pick up in the nose. after that i get some dark fruits and a bit of coffee. floral and herbal hops at the end.

T- the taste starts out with lightly roasted malts and a little bit of sweet milk chocolate. after that i pick up faint raisin notes with some figs also. then comes some coffee. floral and herbal hops at the end.

M- medium body with ample carbonation. very smooth. nicely bitter.

D- this was easy enough to finish. id try this one again if i could find it in a bottle. one of the better arcadia beers ive had in a while.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2011 01:43:40 | More by jwinship83

Brenden

Ohio

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer may perhaps be the definition of what's referred to as "cola" as far as the color: very dark brown with lighter brown highlights and just a touch of red visible. A creamy tan head grows to almost 2 fingers and recedes fairly slowly, dropping a combination of rings, legs and patches of lacing.
On the nose, I get an initial burst of raw pine and a tinge of alcohol. Delving deeper, there's a touch of mint, something like spruce, and a bit of roast. Rind pulls out a bit with the bitterness and some leaf finishes it out.
As for the flavor, at first sip it's an even level between roast and pine with some unexpected toffee-like sweetness and a bit of wood. The mint comes out again and there's the ghost of char just coming out in the finish. A touch of cocoa and coffee grounds are drawn from the roasted malts while the hops remain at an even level, adding an herbal element.
The body is medium with an evenly crisp and smooth feel to it. Carbonation is light and keeps it lively without overdoing it.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 04:04:06 | More by Brenden

dorianmarley

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance is rich black, with hints of brown. It has a very fluffy head with great lacing.

Nose is dense, with cigar smoke, roasted malt, and tight hops.

Taste is malty, with very dark chocolate, rich cigar smoke, candied nuts, with a spiced finish.

Mouthfeel is smooth and easygoing; great balance to the heavy, dense flavors.

Overall, this is a great Black Ale: smoky, dense, but never overwhelming. And all the flavors compliment each other.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 02:41:05 | More by dorianmarley

barnzy78

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a snifter, pours black with a thin head, even with a fairly rigorous pour, and leaves minimal lacing on the glass. Aromas are somewhat odd, or at least not what I expected: Dank citrus, evergreen, mango, candy black licorice cigar. Tastes are well balanced and very complex with up-front citrus/grapefruit, tropical with sweet fresh pineapple and mango, then pine, anise, mint, and roasted barley. Wild ride, but comes together nicely collectively. Mouth-feel is medium bodied and resinous, finishes bitter, but rather refreshing. Alcohol is well concealed. This one was strange, but I really enjoyed it. I wasn't expecting the tropical flavors that were present, but it was well balanced, both sweet and bitter, and a pleasant surprise. I need to grab another one when I get the chance!

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 03:11:24 | More by barnzy78

warnerry

Michigan

4.08/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours very deep brown with less than one finger of tan head. Head fades quickly to a collar and leaves spotty lacing.

S - Initial aroma is a big blast of citrus, both juicy citrus pulp and bitter citrus zest. Orange and grapefruit are both prominent. The malt profile is heavy with chocolate, both bittersweet and a faint amount of milk chocolate, along with roasted malts. Very nice.

T - Malts and hops appear simultaneously in the taste, which is a nice blend of the same components found in the aroma. There is a nice bitter hop presence, but it melds very well with the malt profile. Not sure which hops are used in this, but they seem to be well suited for a Black Ale, bitter, but blending very well with the chocolate and roasted malts.

M - Medium mouthfeel is by turn semi-sweet, creamy, bitter and dry. Finish is a nice bitterness comprising both the hop bitterness and earthy roasted malt bitterness.

O - One of the best I've had from Arcadia, and one of the better black ales I've had.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 01:51:42 | More by warnerry

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.09/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

SMELL: Upfront roasted malt, fig jelly, and chocolate.

TASTE: A good mix of dark malt and citrus hop flavor. Pine, earth, and grapefruit come from sizeable hop additions. Cocoa powder and rooty hop flavor work well together. The 8.5% alcohol is well disguised.

FEEL: Full bodied, well carbonated ale. Cocoa like malt flavor lasts well into the finish.

OVERALL: The B-craft Black is a well done strong black Ale. Solid all day, would have it again sometime.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2013 19:48:29 | More by Stinkypuss

kzoobrew

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed on tap at Shakespeare's, served in a pint glass.

The body is black at first glance though when held to the light a deep brown with cherry red hues appear. By the time the glass arrived at the tables there was zero head but a scant amount of white lacing was left clinging to the very top of the glass.

The aroma was quite balanced. A healthy amount of roasted malt pairs with an equally impressive hop bouquet. The hop aroma ranges from piny, to citrus and reaches into a bit of floral aromas. There is not one particular aroma which stands out, it is the balance that earns a high score.

The aroma perfectly sets up the palate for what's to come. A moderate roasted malt flavor emerges from the glass. The hops appear more towards the midpalate. A bit of a piny bite up front leads into a citric sweetness. What really surprised my with B. Craft is the combination of the dark malt and citric hop flavors blended leaving a bit of a dark fruit taste. Black berry with hints of cherry meld into the deep malt and bright hops.

B. Craft is on the heavier side of medium bodied. The carbonation is lively and the texture smooth. The finish is on the drier side though a bit of the roastiness lingers.

It is a crying shame that Arcadia does not bottle this one. I do enjoy many of the offerings from Arcadia but can honestly say this is my favorite. Went down very easily and could see have a couple in a sitting. While many may not have the opportunity to enjoy this one, jump on it if you see it.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2010 02:51:09 | More by kzoobrew