Black Top - New Glarus Brewing Company

emyers

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a New Glarus pint glass.

Appearance: Cloudy dark brown with a thick off-white head.

Smell: Citrus and pine up front, and it's balanced out very quickly by caramel. There's a little bit of cocoa and roast, but not much. In a way it almost comes off more like a hoppy amber than a black IPA.

Taste: This for me is the toughest area for a black IPA to get right. They tend to either come off like hoppy stouts or standard IPA's with not enough contribution from the roasted malts. This one strikes the balance very well - grapefruit, lemon zest, and pine from the hops, and caramel, toasted biscuits, and cocoa from the malt. Nicely done.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, medium carbonation. Pretty smooth with some prickly carbonation as it goes down. Drinks very well.

Overall: The black IPA is a difficult beast to master, but this beer is very well done. Nails the balance between hops and malt, and while I'm not sure I'll ever have a black IPA that really wows me, this is one of the better ones out there in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 05:05:59 | More by emyers

herman77

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Dark brown with a fluffy khaki head. Good retention. Very nice lacing.

S: Some pine hops with coco powder, some carmel malt, a bit of citrus. Very enjoyable smell.

T: Not as good as the nose. Mild to lighter pine hops with a bit of citrus mixed with toasted malt. Some chocolate and a bit of bready carmel malts.

M: Medium body. Average carbonation. A bit creamy.

O: Pretty drinkable. Probably on the less hoppy side compared to most other black IPAs. Fairly solid, just like everything else New Glarus puts out.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 21:50:59 | More by herman77

tewaris

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark brown with a medium head, good lacing. Somewhat piney, somewhat roasty aroma. Drinks like a hoppier brown ale and that's what this pretty much is as far as I am concerned. Low on sweetness, with a lingering bitter breadiness. Medium finish, medium to high carbonation. It's not a bad beer but in my opinion the hop flavor needs to go beyond the medium spiciness.

3.5, 3.5, 3.5, 3.5, 3.5

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 07:57:42 | More by tewaris

BasterdInABasket

Wisconsin

4.38/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle DOB: 321/12 (exactly one month old), poured into ST Imperial glass
A- Body is murky dark brown, has a nice thick cream colored head, excellent lacing, some retention
S- Crisp smell of piney hops, roasted malts, chocolate, small citrus burst as well in background, overall not overpowering but very good aroma
T- Similar to smell- Dominated by piney hops and roasted malts. Grapefruit, orange, with chocolate. Hoppy bitterness is balanced by roasted malts and taste lingers on long after finish
M- Medium mouthfeel, creamy, oily and well-balanced. Extremely drinkable.
O- I love a beer like this that finds that perfect malty/bitter and citrus/pine balance. On paper flavors would seem to clash but this one is extremely drinkable and delicious. Year-round fresh Black Top makes me happy.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 06:45:17 | More by BasterdInABasket

kojevergas

California

3.68/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a Bell's pilsner glass in me sister's gaff in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Reviewed live. Bottle courtesy of crewfan16 in our last trade. Thanks again, buddy! Expectations are high.

Served straight from the refrigerator. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a very dark ruby-black; nontransparent and opaque. Head is two fingers of khaki cream featuring good thickness and retention. The label's description of the body colour as "jet black" is downright wrong. Lacing is decent. Retains for a good four minutes; I won't be waiting because I can't wait to taste it. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Caramel malt, pleasant floral hops, hints of well executed hoppy pine notes, some orange citrus, and chocolate when I really really look for it. Can't say I detect molasses. A very fresh and pleasant moderate strength aroma.

T: A pleasant balance of citrus, pine, and dominant floral hops. Hints of chocolate and brief emergences of dark malts. No molasses. Marvelously balanced. Hints of yeasty spice and the illusion of fruit from the hop esters. Quite tasty and subtle. Brewed with the understanding that IPA brewing is not a game of dicksizing IBUs and hop content. I'm impressed. Still, it does come off a bit simple, if only from its seemingly effortless construction. I quite like it.

Mf: Smooth, slightly creamy, silky, and wet. Good thickness and carbonation. Suits the flavours nicely. Some delicacy is involved.

Dr: Drinkable and enjoyable, especially for the style. Another solid brew from New Glarus, a brewery that is really meeting my high expectations so far. I remain impressed. I've had few better beers in the style. The marriage of mouthfeel to flavour is particularly impressive here. Every IPA fan should try this. The silky texture was a highlight. That said, its simplicity does hold it back.

B

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 20:12:37 | More by kojevergas

mdfb79

New York

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From 11/03/12 notes. Picked up a bottle of this at the brewery and opened the next day in my hotel room. 12 oz. bottle.

a - Pours a very dark brown, almost black color, with one inch of off white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of pine hops, roasted malts, light citrus hops, toasted malts, and light chocolate. Very nice roasty/pine mix, I like the nose a lot.

t - Tastes of pine hops, roasted malts, light coffee, light citrus. Again, the pine hops and roasted malts dominate and are great.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. No bitterness, and quite easy to drink.

o - Overall a really nice Black IPA; loads of pine and roasted malts which work really well together. If you're a fan of this style, I'd definitely recommend checking it out. Would like to have it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 18:56:19 | More by mdfb79

dfillius

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint glass.
A: Aggressive pour yields 1 finger of tight mocha head with fair retention. Head recedes to a fizzy ring. Better retention please. Dark brown liquid, holding to light reveals deep crimson beauty.
S: Head carries lots of citrus, tropical fruit and pine hop aromatics. After head recedes, some chocolate becomes more pronounced, but others remain.
T: Sweet up front with modest American citrus hopping. This balances nicely with chocolate and what seems to be some lactose. Some warmth and alcohol in the finish detract.
M: Bright at first, smooth and creamy middle, dry finish. Nice diversity!
O: Quite nice. Not as hoppy as I like my CDAs, but thankfully the roast has not subbed in for the hops. Like a Bitter is to an IPA. Just a nice hoppy, easy drinking beer. I'd love another and would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 17:37:16 | More by dfillius

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This poured out as a very deep brown color, a decent looking tan colored head on top. The retention settles leaving a thin film over top of the beer and a scattered lacing. The smell of the beer is aromatic, it's got a nice piney hop aroma blended with the roasted earthy malts and chocolate in there too. The taste is really balanced, it's got a hoppy flavor upfront with a chocolatey roasted aftertaste. It's not nearly as hoppy as some of the Black IPA's out there. The mouthfeel is smooth, it's rich and slightly creamy. The carbonation is really nice also. Overall this is a very good beer, high drinkability with a lot of flavor. Enjoyable for sure!

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 23:24:49 | More by Knapp85

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Received as an extra in a trade. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - Poured a nice deep, dark brown almost black hue with a good one finger light khaki head that faded to leave a nice quarter inch blanket with minimal side lacing.

S - Lots of chocolate malts here with light roast and even lighter pine. There was ALOT of hop in the bottle, but it seems to have vanished upon pouring.

T - More of those roasted (light) malts and slight chocolate. There is almost a spruce quality (like someone else mentioned). I dont get much in the way of bitter hops. Then again, I dont get much in the way of hops period.

M - Mouthfeel is quite nice, good carbonation.

O - Overall this was an interesting black IPA. I would like abit more IPA aspects though in this beer. The notes that are there though are quite tasty.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 21:09:31 | More by rudzud

BeardedBoffin

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a dark black color with a few centimeters of tan foam that quickly receded. The aroma is pure hops with pine and citrus pummeling the senses. This continues on the palate. The dark malt does try to break through with some smooth dark burnt flavors but it never quite makes it to the stage. The piny hop resin and citrus and floral hops plow through front to back. A nice tasting brew with a heavy hops presence.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 01:40:13 | More by BeardedBoffin

ferrari29

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer poured from bottle into a Nonic shaped pint glass

A - Beer pours with a rocky dark creme colored head; foam is about one and a half fingers in size; good amount of lacing formed and the head held pretty well; body is dark dark brown, almost black; no visible carbonation

S - Licorice; dark roasted malt nose; some graham cracker; cinnamon; dark fruit; some pine; chocolate

T - Beer has a pretty good dark roasted, slightly burnt, malt taste; dark fruit taste, like fig, very light though; sightly hoppy; very light lingering bitter aftertaste; cocoa and chocolate

M - Light effervescent feel on the tongue; body is pretty thin for a stout; leaves behind some nice licorice flavor; some leftover bitterness

D - Very good stout (says on the label), even though it is considered to be an American Black Ale; dark roasted flavors come on strong at the beginning and disappear pretty quickly, leaving behind a pleasant reminder of the good beer you just had

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 02:28:59 | More by ferrari29

RedBaron

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Oh, boy. A winner.

Appearance: Very dark, but a bloody red if held up to the light. Good carbonation.
Smell: roasty, piney, sooty. All good. It's as though the Palos Forest Preserve was on fire.
Taste: Hints of citrus, licorice, chocolate...gosh, what have they done?! So good.
Mouthfeel: Defies solid description. Just a wonderful beer with super complexiities. I will say that enjoy the roasted bitterness in the middle with a dry, but NOT bitter, finish.
Overall: Wish I had some more of this stuff!

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 02:19:09 | More by RedBaron

Butzen

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sweet chocolate and roasted notes playing off of minty hop aromas. As an added bonus, there are hints of pine and grass and some faint citrus and peach woven in as well. This is a delicious, big, clean, outdoorsy nose that brings to mind a green and ancient fairy-tale forest. (Of course I've been in a fairy-tale forest. Moving on.)

Black Top is surprisingly bitter for having such a sweet smell, but the bitterness fades in due time into a rich, roasted, flavorful finish. Dark-chocolate-covered oranges, chocolate cake and spruce tips pop up in the interim. There doesn't seem to be much bitterness (and no astringency) from the roasted malts (just from the hops), and the smooth, creamy mouthfeel is just plain friendly. This beer is really, really drinkable, which is a shame, because it doesn't give one as long to ponder the fetching dark-brown-almost-black color and accompanying mottled tan-and-white head.

Dan Carey has done exemplary work of marrying big, dank hops and rich, roasted malts here. I would drink trunk-loads of this beer if New Glarus was available in Colorado (perhaps a blessing in disguise that it's not?).

Read the full review at http://vittlesandbrews.blogspot.com/2012/08/new-glarus-black-top.html

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 17:27:30 | More by Butzen

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: dark brown in color, 1 inch head, clear, high carbonation

Smell: piney hops and roasted malt

Taste: expresso, roasted malt, and piney hops

Mouthfeel: light bodied, medium-high carbonation, slightly bitter

Overall: A good not great black IPA. I do like the piney hops. I would not turn this one down, but there are others in the style I would go to first.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 13:40:53 | More by tigg924

exx

3.3/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

The appearance is nice and dark, with good red tints (that turn to beautiful wood-browns as you go through it), nice dark IPA. Head is decent, doesn't stay around long but leaves a very nice lacing.

Smells of citrus, on the grapefruit side of things, but most interestingly is a slight floral smell alongside the pine hints. Really interesting, I like it a lot, goes well with the charred malts--did I mention those?

The taste is piney, but the citrusy smells give way here to the strong malt flavors. This is where the IPA stops and the dark comes in. Not much bitterness, almost seems sweet at the pull. There's a lot of blank taste coming through this--watery.

The beer feels odd in the mouth. Not crisp, not creamy, not slick. Lots of carbonation that leads to more of a stomach-feel than mouth-feel. Doesn't work for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 04:13:34 | More by exx

HopHead84

California

4/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

8/15/2012

Thanks! Cracked this to celebrate the 15th of August. In keeping with tradition, I poured it into my Woodshop 7 snifter.

A: Very dark in color with an inch of beige foam that lingers for half a minute

S: Perfumy floral aromatics with resinous pine. Citrus is pronounced, redolent of tangerine, peach, and orange. There's a dash of dark malt. Nice aroma.

T: Light roasted malt presence with a whisper of chocolate but only a little of sweetness. There's a smooth moderate bitterness with ample pine resin, orange, and grapefruit. Nice citrus flavor. Dry hop forward finish.

M: Medium body with upper medium carbonation.

Overall: A nice dark IPA from New Glarus. The malt provides color but not too much flavor.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 04:15:25 | More by HopHead84

Reinbeck11

Iowa

1.25/5  rDev -69.7%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

App: Normal dark beer appearence with a decent head.

Smell: Bitter to the nose, thought it a recycle plastic smell.

Taste: Name of the Beer says it all, tar and asphalt.

Mouth: Just not my cup of tea.

Do not like this beer. I would drink it over most IPA's but I really disliked this one.

My brother would tell you otherwise, but lets just say he got to finish the six pack.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 20:15:46 | More by Reinbeck11

gford217

Georgia

4.13/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Justin for this one.

Pours dark mahogany with some copper hints around the edges under a big creamy beige head that leaves nice lacing.

Aroma is fantastic. Tons of citrus - oranges, pineapples and white grapefruit, not to mention some pine hints. The black roasted malts are subtle but noticeable.

Taste doesn't quite bring the citrus like the aroma with the initial taste having some oranges but there are equal parts chocolate malts and roasted notes. Finish is lightly bitter.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with strong carbonation.

Another excellent brew from New Glarus, a very balanced hoppy black ale in a style where subtlety and balance are not often appreciated.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 02:42:00 | More by gford217

pstutzman

Washington

4.13/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A. Dark, almost opaque with a lingering tan head.

S. Almost entirely hops. Strong citrus.

T. Dominant hop bitterness, with the slightest hint of dark malt - bordering on a regular IPA. Quite tasty.

M. Medium body.

O. A very good beer. Personally, I'd prefer just the slightest bit more dark malt presence and a hint more hop flavor.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 01:03:11 | More by pstutzman

garymuchow

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Nice pine, citrus and a little spice on the hop dominant aroma. There is a base of dark malt in the background. Nicely done.
More of a dark brown with garnet highlights and quite clear. Tan head that's smallish but with good stamina.
Oh goodness that's a nice drink. Well blended flavors with bright hop flavors and solidifying malt base. But hops are the story. I would venture to guess there is a couple of varieties involved displaying pine, citrus a shot of hop oil that in the end has a relatively short finish and a soft bitterness.
Just shy of a moderate body, but the lighter body really shows in the drinkability. Smooth drink marked a tad by an enhanced carbonation of sharp bubbles.
This amazed me less as I went through it, but it's a fine drink and enjoyable drink, overall.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 02:21:13 | More by garymuchow

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.

4.5 A: Black color. Two fingers of frothy tan head. Retention is good and glass covering lacing is left.

4.0 S: Herbal and earthy hoppiness. Dry roastiness almost like a schwarzbier with a balancing caramel sweetness. Molasses and brown sugar to round things out.

4.0 T: Easily one of the better black IPAs out there. I think the fact that it isn't super citrusy is why this is so. Moderate roastiness. Caramel and molasses. Herbal and earthy hoppiness. Quite good.

4.0 M: Lighter medium to medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Crisp and reasonably creamy.

4.0 D: Solid all around, this is not something I usually say about a black ipa.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 17:50:07 | More by DavoleBomb

WesM63

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Tulip

A: Pours a dark brown, almost black with a small 1finger head. Minor retention and some lacing.

S: Smells of pine/resin, malts and some roasted malts. I also get a hint of some nuttyness, although it could just be the malts.

T: Hop foward. Pine/resin, some spice followed by roasted malts. A little bit of alcohol on the end.

M: Light to medium body with medium carbonation. Rich and creamy up front but watery on the end.

O: Overall, a decent Black Ale. Plenty of hops and roasted malts but falls on it's face towards the end of the taste. Way to watery which almost drowns out the flavors for me.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 02:13:49 | More by WesM63

Jfriz25

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance- Very dark, almost black with some amber hints near the edges where light is creeping in.

Smell- Hop forward with citrus and pine. Reminds me of two hearted a little.

Taste- I get the same citrus as in the nose but there is a nice roasty burnt flavor. I would have expected more bitterness given the amount of hop flavor but it stays in check.

Mouthfeel- Nice medium body, doesn't stand out in a good or bad way.

Overall- This is probably my new favorite New Glarus and black IPA in general.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 20:04:49 | More by Jfriz25

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into my Darkness snifter.

Backlit Black Top is reddish-brown mahogany with some clumpy brownish white head and some fat bubbles along the rim.

Smells gummy...bubble gum and citrus along with some pine and a dusting of cocoa powder. There's an underlying chocolate cake as well.

Dry chocolate, bark, hop bitterness, some pine, and a lingering faint citrus rind. This batch around feels less hop centric, which I find a bummer.

Mouthfeel is light and drying while the carbonation veers towards the high end.

Well, New Glarus continues to make solid, if sometimes unspectacular, beers. I love having them accessible, affordable, and never a bad bottle or qc issue. Having said that, this batch isn't quite as vibrant as last year's.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 03:05:59 | More by BarrytheBear

Keffa

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of InebriatedJoker. Thanks Mike.

Live review, bottle poured into my 16oz snifter.

A: Pours pitch black, 1.5 finger tan head that settles to a thin skim and ring. Lacing holds on everywhere, albeit a little patchy. Good start.

S: Oh yeah, this is my kind of black IPA. Citrus, resin, and pine are right up front, with a light roast and molasses note behind that. Really, REALLY nice. I can't wait to get into this one.

T: Follows the nose, and is really solid. Maybe a bit more roast and a wee bit of alcohol shows up in the aftertaste, but not enough to hurt the experience.

M: Creamy, well carbonated, coating, and finishes bitter although a bit abrupt.

O: Very solid black IPA. One of the better ones I've had, and probably the easiest drinking one that I've had. Definitely worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 03:02:12 | More by Keffa