Schlafly Black IPA - Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Tap Room

deweese

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

01-06-2013 22:29:59 | More by deweese

ryanpj

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

05-22-2013 15:31:04 | More by ryanpj

dt_gbpackersfan

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

05-19-2013 01:25:59 | More by dt_gbpackersfan

abcdefghijkyle

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +6.1%

05-14-2013 21:11:29 | More by abcdefghijkyle

jacewg

District of Columbia

3.98/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance: Looks good. Deep dark brown to black color. Mocha head. Good lacing.

Nose: On first whiff, a big hop presence emerges. Can definitely smell the Mosaic in this guy. On the next whiff, a big roasty, fudgey note takes control. This definitely leans more toward "black" and less towards "IPA" than say a beer like Wookey Jack. Hops play a big role, but I'd call this malt-forward

Taste: Starts off big and rich and malty. Notes of fudge, some coffee-like roast, with a bit of sweetness. Late palate brings some of the citrus and tropical notes of the hop blend. The beer also dries out quickly and finishes fairly bitter. Really interesting the way the beer changes from start to finish.

Mouthfeel: Rich and velvety, especially for an IPA. Not cloying, but not as crisp as some other versions of the style. Mouthfeel leans more toward a hopped-up porter than Black IPA (though the two terms are mostly semantics anyway.)

Overall: A tasty beer, regardless of the style. Enjoyable and fun to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2013 15:36:07 | More by jacewg

BRD14

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +12.7%

05-11-2013 15:20:20 | More by BRD14

LambicPentameter

Kansas

4.25/5  rDev +12.7%

04-28-2013 16:38:19 | More by LambicPentameter

bsuedekum

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

04-22-2013 00:22:28 | More by bsuedekum

John_Schlaffer

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

04-21-2013 21:43:07 | More by John_Schlaffer

zeff80

Missouri

4/5  rDev +6.1%

04-14-2013 12:40:14 | More by zeff80

pooogy

Missouri

3.25/5  rDev -13.8%

04-06-2013 15:25:39 | More by pooogy

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

3.88/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass from the tap.

Pours a dark dark brown as most of these beer styles pour. There are some reddish hues on the edges but for the most part no light can get through. There is a nice thin (0.25 in) light cream head that forms its kind off dense but recedes quickly.

I take a deep breath to find an intense dark malt aroma. Not that that is too surprising because that is typically of these styles but as others have posted the roasted and dark malts are quite prominent on this particular brew. There is a nice mocha component to the malt profile with some slight coffee notes and a bit of cocoa sweetness this is underlain by the grassy and slightly resinous hop character.

Upon tasting the brew the aroma is confirmed. The flavor is much more malt forward than other versions of this style. The malt profile lingers for longer as well before the hops kick in. The malt profile is dominated by the aforementioned cocoa and roasted notes that were present in the aroma. The hop notes are fresh and grassy. There is some citrusness to them but mostly they are more piney. Mouthfeel is chewy like a stout.

Pretty good take on the Black IPAs. Much more roasty than expected.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2013 15:13:43 | More by JoEBoBpr

jmccullough108

Missouri

3.25/5  rDev -13.8%

03-24-2013 15:20:09 | More by jmccullough108

Eaglefan344

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev +12.7%

03-16-2013 22:23:55 | More by Eaglefan344

stljimray

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

03-04-2013 14:31:26 | More by stljimray

cwd

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +12.7%

11-18-2012 22:05:31 | More by cwd

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

It seems that everyone is getting their hands into the Cascadian (black) IPA game. In doing so, everyone strives to stand out of the pack by varying the taste, aroma, texture, and appearance of the beer. Schlafly does so by capturing a lot of hoppy stout flavors.

As you'd expect of any black beer, the beer's appearance is..., well- brown. Dark brown but still brown. It's opaque appearance gives visual cues of walnut or tree bark. The beer builds a dense and heavy cap of foam. Just off of white in color, the beer retains and laces ideally with ring and intricate patters straight to the bottom of the glass.

The nose is a melange of hops and roast. Where an expected one-sided hop aroma was expected, instead there's a balance of citrus, pine, and grass with dark roast coffee, chocolate, and burnt molasses. With its less than hop dominant nose, the beer sells the notion of American stout, but with even more assertive hop character to the sense of smell.

The balanced attack continues in taste. The beer coats the mouth with malty rich taste of toffee, coffee, walnuts, bittersweet chocolate, and starchy bread taste. Hop flavors of orange zest, grapefruit pith, pine resin, and fresh cut grass rise at mid palate and eventually command the beer- but no because of the immensity of hops, but also because of the wavering malt sweetness and breadiness. Where balance is often rewarded, this isn't the case in IPAs. Even the black versions should celebrate hop character more boldly.

The beer's fortified body provides a rich and velvety taste that extends from higher residual sweetness and dextrin. Although the hop dryness continue to rise through the finish, it's only when the malty weight subsides and the hops are aided by warming alcohols to finish the beer with an IPA-ish bitter dryness.

There's really no doubt that the hop character and amounts equal IPA proportions, but the chocolatey, coffee, and sweetness balance the beer instead of letting the hops have the stage. It's a wonderful beer, chocked full of complexity and flavor- but if tasted blindly, I would have called it a hoppy stout, much like Three Floyds Moloko Milk Stout.

Serving type: on-tap

10-20-2012 18:16:40 | More by BEERchitect

ortie

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

10-19-2012 03:12:22 | More by ortie

barczar

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a jet black opaque color with amber highlights and a huge, dense cappuccino head.

Dank cannabis and skunk dominate the aroma, with subtle roast malt beneath, offering a slightly sweet respite.
With
Flavor is overwhelmingly dank and skunky, slightly bitter, with notes of roast at the finish. Notes of lime, derived from hops, add complexity. Wow. It's hoppy!

Body is moderate, with moderate carbonation. It's fairly smooth.

Overall, an extremely dank, skunky, hoppy beer with slight roast character. Wish there were more hop complexity. Wouldn't want another.

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2012 22:11:59 | More by barczar