Butchertown Black Ale - Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

jdense

Oregon

3.85/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bottle from The Beer Mongers PDX, poured into Ovila chalice 12.9.11.

One finger light tan head, medium-fast dissipation, bubbles clinging to sides of glass surrounding very dark brown opaque body. Nose is citrus, minimal roast, mild resin with some floral aromas. Taste mirrors nose, grapefruit, mild resin on backend, got increasingly bitter and sweetish as the beer warmed. Mouthfeel is medium, a bit light on effervescence, ABV well hidden. A nice change of pace for ABA, fairly light mouthfeel and minimal roast makes this fairly drinkable, though with this exploding style they'll need to ramp up the hops a bit to keep up with the CDA arms race.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 17:19:18 | More by jdense

MexicanSkittel

California

3.63/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep black with hints of brown when held up to a light. A vibrant off white head sat about 1/2 inch tall before falling to a thin layer.

Malty, chocolate, roasted barley, and bright hops dance in the glass. The sweeter notes over power the hops when you take a big whiff. maybe some brown sugar in there too.

I'm finding the sweeter flavors, with a slight pine aspect. Kind of lighter flavors from what the nose was leading too.

Mouthfeel ha a medium body, fairly decent consistency. I'm dissipointed with the carbonation, seems a little lower than my previous bottle. As I make it to the second half of the bomber it's damn near flat :-(

Overall this is my third go at this beer and maybe third time was really the charm but not in a good way. I'm hoping this was just a bad bottle. I will re visit again. If I can find it. No bottle date on the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 01:47:26 | More by MexicanSkittel

argock

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap in a Shaker pint glass at Mellow Mushroom (Charlottesville, VA).

A: Black with chestnut brown edges and short cap of off-white head with nice shades of lace.

S: Light nutty roasted aroma with modest citrus note

T: The flavor has much more teeth than the aroma with a dark but not black maltiness with no acrid elements, light caramel, and a citrusy hoppy note in the finish.

M: Relatively low carbonation with moderately dry finish and minimal aftertaste.

O: A solid black ale that could use a little more roast and citrus hopping but overall quite good and enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2011 17:07:16 | More by argock

Klym

California

4/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a surly pint glass.

I'm usually very skeptical of speakeasy and have been burned more than once by them but decided to give this a try.

To my surprise, I found this to be a really sessionable black ale. There's a fantastic hop blast in the nose, which mostly comes through in the taste with bakers chocolate and toasted crust. The tastes really come together nicely and it made for a very enjoyable drink. Cheers to a good brew from speakeasy!

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 00:48:19 | More by Klym

Arbitrator

California

2.63/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

Chilled bottle into a glass.

A: Pours a clear maroon body that appears opaque in the center of a large pour. The head is a limp formation of beige bubbles that falls quickly into a mild collar. Some streaks of lace are left in the head's retreat, but there are no curtains or register marks during the drink.

S: A modest aroma of roasted grains and possibly some nuts and cocoa. No hops on the nose. When I first opened the bottle, there was a strong burst of citrus hops, but they're considerably weaker in the nose. I detect some pine needles.

T: Roasted grain with baker's chocolate: the two contribute a light bitterness that segues easily into pine needles, hemp, and some grapefruit. It's not a bad flavor profile, though it lacks the boldness and punch of some of my favorites in this style.

M: Light-medium bodied, watery finish, with a metallic aftertaste.

O: This is a fairly easy drinker. I was expecting a lot worse. Still wouldn't buy it again when I could pick from SSR, Stone 15th, and some others on the shelves right now.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 03:35:46 | More by Arbitrator

peacebone116

California

3.85/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Listed at 8.2%ABV, I poured this ale from the bomber into a Delirium sinfter on 11.7.11.

A: Midnight black liquid fills my glass topped with a significant off-white head. The head recedes eventually, leaving wisps and delicate lace at the leg and clinging to the sides as high-water marks.

N: A not-overpowering aroma of roasted grains (a smack of coffee and chocolate) rises from the glass. As it warms, there is a slight detection of citric pine from the hops, but this is very and only becomes more distinguishable after tasting and as the beer warms.

T/M: Roasted coffee/bitter chocolate and grains dominates the palate of this big black ale. Not overly complex, but definitely delightful and tasty, there is a nice citric piney note on the back. The beer is full bodied, but not heavy, with a medium mouthfeel. It has a bit of an oily texture, presumably from the hop oils.

This beer is more stout-like than I expected, but I really appreciate the hop presence. It makes for a delightful sipper on crisp Bay Area evenings in the fall.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 00:47:29 | More by peacebone116

rstone57

California

3.95/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz. torpedo into a pint glass

Color is charcoal black with finger's thick creamy head.

Smell is roasted malt.

Taste is a unique combo of roasted dark chocolate, malts and hops. Medium body was a mild carbonation.

Unique beer and one of my favorites that Speakeasy does.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 04:17:34 | More by rstone57

Viciousknishs

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- pours coal black with a finger of light tan head. Decent head retention with some lacing.

S- soft aromas of roasted malt and dark chocolate with a note of char. Very woody hop aromas with a bitter orange citrus peel and some dank hemp qualities. Hop oils blend in as well.

T- initial burst of roasty malt and bakers chocolate hits the palate at first. Woody hop flavors soon take over with notes of hemp, pine and orange citrus peel. Finishes with a bitter bite and an astringent char.

MF- slightly oily slick mouthfeel with a light medium body and average unassuming carbonation.

D- decent drinkability.

Overall a good brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 01:20:38 | More by Viciousknishs

colforbin73

California

4.2/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

this is sort of an inbetween beer, having the high imperial-ish ABV but the style is sort of nebulous, not a stout, not a porter, not quite a black ipa. i like it though -- not mind blowing but very satisfying.

pours a dark brown/black with a small tan head -- the head peters out quick and you get sort of a chocolate milk type residue on the glass. there's a good amount of hops in the nose with only minimal malt presence.

the hops hit first in the taste, but it is not an overly bitter beer -- strangely it is sort of like the hop bitterness is where you would expect the roasted malt. i am thinking this beer used black patent and a touch of chocolate malts and left the big roasty/crystal malts out.

gets better as it warms a touch. this may be the best "black ipa" i have had yet.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 01:46:04 | More by colforbin73

lionchow

California

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

Pours clear dark brown to black with thin light tan head.

Aroma - roasty chocolately malt melds well with light piney, citrusy hops.

Flavor - Subdued, hoppiness in the aroma isn't totally carried into the flavor, very mild west coast citrus and pine flavors. Malt is well balanced against the mild hoppiness, with mellow roasted malt and dark chooclate. Well, balanced, but perhaps a bit too subdued for the style.

Mouthfeel - nice slight creaminess.

Overall a well balanced but slightly underwhelming beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 02:26:16 | More by lionchow

20ozmonkey

California

3.38/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Got a bottle at Healthy Spirits today. Poured into a tulip.

Beer forms a surprisingly light tan head that forms quite strongly and is dissipating fast. The beer is clear, but is so dark brown that you almost can't see through it.

Smells fist and foremost of piney and citrusy hops. Can't smell much more than the hops.

The hop flavor is actually subdued compared to the smell. Or maybe it's just an overall subdued flavor? The hops are the foremost flavor with a sort of stale coffee finish with the bitterness of the hops lingering.

Light carbonation, plain mouthfeel. It leaves an odd feeling in the back of my throat.

I was quite excited about this as I'm always looking forward to a new Black Ale, but this beer is perhaps a bit too dull. I could very easily drink large quantities of this if I were looking for an easy drinking beer, but this doesn't seem much like a "special" beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 22:09:11 | More by 20ozmonkey

augustgarage

California

4.15/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap @ Blue Palms Brewhouse in Hollywood - served in a goblet.

Dark dark auburn body with faint crimson highlights. Puffy desert sand stand of foam leaves behind pasty lacing; good retention.

Light roast barley, weak coffee, and herbal hops in the nose.

Rich malt, toasty and dark with a woody note. Herbaceous citrus-kissed hops add lots of flavor and a moderate bitterness. Dry hopping works so well for this style. Finishes dry and toasty with hints of black bread, pine, and earth.

Medium-light bodied, well carbonated with mild astringency and a nice alcohol kick.

A very satisfying example of the style and a fitting re-incarnation of their anniversary ale (which was an "Indian Black Ale" last year as well).

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2011 20:59:41 | More by augustgarage

hoppymcgee

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Picked up a 22oz. counter-pressure filled bomber of this at Bierkraft in Brooklyn, NY. Poured into a Narragansett pint glass.

A: Dark, but slightly translucent, brown with a beautiful "tight bubble" head that starts as a monster but then dwindles down.

S: There's not much going on here. I mean, I know I'm a little stuffy but I don't get anything in the nose here.

T: Now we're talkin'. Very well balanced - not too much hop or malt component. Slight chocolatey aspect too.

M: Good, but could have a little more body for 8.5% ABV.

D: The best feature of this beer. No problems here.

Serving type: growler

10-13-2010 00:47:57 | More by hoppymcgee

afksports

New York

3.88/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is from my iPhone, and I'm enjoying this one on tap in a snifter at Amity Hall during NYC Craft Beer Week. Shout outs to the bartenders!

The appearance of this one is great fun. Lotta foamy head, dark rich browns and blacks in the pour. Stupendous lacing (swore to myself I'd use another adjective with lacing at some point).

Enjoying the happy hour atmosphere, I'm not getting much from the aroma. Honestly it's hoppy but pretty plain, maybe a bit citric, but I'm not too impressed. Mouthfeel is good, but finishes a bit weaker than if expect for this abv and darkness. Drinkability is good though, due in large part to the taste. Speakeasy got that part right.

It's rich, sweet, malty, but balanced with hops that don't let anything overpower the other. It's like a porter except with Indian spices. The finish isn't clean, but this is still one I'd come back to.

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2010 22:14:17 | More by afksports

ThreeWiseMen

California

3.93/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Note: Midnight Run was brewed to celebrate Speakeasy's 13th anniversary.

Sampled this at the Speakeasy Brewery last night. Only $3.00 a pint! Following review written from notes.

Served in a clear, plastic pint.

Appearance: A short, sticky, dense, khaki-colored, bulls-eye-shaped crown sat atop a nearly opaque black body (brown shone through at the outermost edges). Tons of sticky lace. Nice!

Smell: Oily herbal hops, roasted malt, toffee, and white chocolate. Midinight Run had a much smoother and sweeter smell than all of the other IBAs I'd had. I really liked the change-up.

Taste: Caramel and white chocolate led things off; earth and pine melded with a touch of alcohol in the finish. Good sweet-to-bitter transition. While enjoyable, this wasn't as special as the smell; it was a little more run-of-the-mill.

Mouthfeel: Prickly, bitter, and dry. Alcohol was detectable, but not too strong. Medium-bodied. Moderately carbonated. A tad harsh.

Drinkability: If the guys at Speakeasy could get the taste and mouthfeel to line up better with the smell, this beer would be a knock-out. Still pretty good as it stands.

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2010 16:10:17 | More by ThreeWiseMen

david18

New York

3.9/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

When I bought this beer I totally misread the IBA, just thinking it was another IPA from Speakeasy. It was odd when I got it and it was as dark as it was but Southern Tier does it with their Iniquity, so what the hell. This was a very good beer but I thought it could have been a little more hop forward than it was.

Very dark color, ok aroma, good flavor. This is one to get if you see it.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2010 19:10:24 | More by david18

Jmoore50

Nevada

3.8/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The appearance is dark with a khaki head. Very small head that left fast. Leaves a light lacing. The color is black with light brown edges, pretty interesting color once you taste and smell it.

The smell is super citrus and dry bitter hops. There is a bit of an earthy background with a bit of the ABV present as well.

The taste is very hop forward, as expected. It presents itself with some citrus and pine hops and the malts present something different. There is a very earthy taste that lingers in this, not roasted malts or chocolate, just earthy. It is not strong either, it is just a faint background taste that distracts from the hops a bit.

The mouthfeel is thick and a bit chewy. I like my IPA's oily and bitter, but I feel like the malts paired with the hops bring down some of the great characteristics these hops have.

Pretty drinkable, but I would of preferred a regular hoppy golden IPA. This is good for a dark IPA, but I preferred Port Brewings Black Lie IPA.

J

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2009 19:35:45 | More by Jmoore50

plaid75

New York

4.13/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a deep black hue with a one and a half finger frothy off white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a serious dry hopped citrus.

The taste was a full citric hop experience.

The mouthfeel was light considering the ABV.

Overall a nice hop driven hefty IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2009 17:32:09 | More by plaid75

Nickls

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(From notes)

A - Deep mahogany brown nearing on black in hue; good lightly tan head with decent retention

S - Grassy and piney hop aromas; not much noticeable; hint of chocolate malt perhaps; but nice strong West Coast IPA aromas

T - Burst of juicy hoppiness including pine notes and darker fruitiness; solid malt balance though a little sweet; touch of chocolate as well

M - Medium to thinner; carbonation is a little prickly at the end

D - Nice sipping brew; the chocolate and dark fruits slow this down for me a bit, but still nice

Overall, an interesting brew in the juxtaposition, though Black IPAs are starting to be a more common trend.

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2009 19:59:34 | More by Nickls

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a very dark brown, nearing black. Creamy off-white head.

S: Lots of resinous piney hops and some roasted malts in the background.

T: Pine galore. The pine aroma leads into a quite strong bitterness with not much else making its way out. A good representation of a growing style.

M: Medium bodied and well-carbonated. Somewhat dry.

D: Quite drinkable--had no idea the abv was so high until I looked this one up on BA this morning.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2009 12:49:32 | More by Thorpe429

illidurit

California

3.85/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at The Red in Santa Cruz. Pours a really dark ruby brown but not quite black. Not difficult to see through it with some backing light. Head is creamy and tan. Aroma is graham, bread crust, and a fat dose of piney hops. Flavor is similar but the emphasis is even more hop-focused. A touch of dark wheat bread crust gets steamrolled by big herbal resinous hop flavors, with piney and citric accents. Nice solid bitterness with no astringency. Pretty significant alcohol burn. Mouthfeel is nice with a medium body and great carbonation. The only flaw here is the booziness. This is the west coast version of a black IPA for sure: just enough malt to contribute to the complexity, but not so much that it turns into a cloying undrinkable mess.

Serving type: on-tap

09-11-2009 05:47:58 | More by illidurit

capra12

New York

3.95/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed @ Rattle n Hum on 9/1/09,

Appearance: Deep Mohagundy with light cream colored head.

Smell: Piney and grapefruit hops.

Taste: Opens grainy, in the middle piney and bittering hops come through the graininess and just before the finish a hint of malts and alcohol come in leaving a bitter and hoppy aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied and slightly coarse.

Drinkability: Definitely worth a try and I would definitely have another.

Serving type: on-tap

09-04-2009 02:12:33 | More by capra12