Hop In The Dark Cascadian Dark Ale - Deschutes Brewery

Treebs

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle served in a Deschutes tulip. . Big thanks to Matt (mfavoino) for sending this my way. Best by date of 9-21-2012.

A: Pours a dark black color with a huge layer of tan foam forming on the pour. The head has amazing retention and leaves some nice sticky webbings of lace.

S: Bursts of citrus, bitter pine and roasted malts all mingle together. Slight hints of chocolate mix with a nice malty sweetness as well.

T: More bitter roasted malts with the hops peaking up mid palate. Citrus zest, some orange peel and slight green pine. The finish is clean, but then some sweet chocolate notes and slight roasted malts creep back up on the very back end.

M: Medium bodied with a nice medium-high carbonation. The finish is nice and roasty.

O: Great beer. We're heading down towards the "best by date" so I'm not sure if the hops would have been more vibrant a few months ago. I might have liked it a tad more then. Either way I wouldn't hesitate to have this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 21:47:56 | More by Treebs

match1112

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

a: as close to pitch black as it could be. an inch of thick creamy sandstone colored head slowly settles in to a creamy frothe cap that stays until the last drop. as close to a solid coating of lacing as you could get is left behind.

s: roasted bready malts. some pine and citrus mix together in a perfect blend of hops.

t: roasted malts at first with a juicy citrus center and a dry pine needlefinish.

m: full, rich and creamy. carbonation is absolutely perfect. dry roasted bitter finish. a little oily.

o: too good to be true. really like this beer and would not be upset to have to drink more than one.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 01:29:26 | More by match1112

One2Remeber

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pitch black, tan leather head. Lacey, sticky legs.

S: Smoky, roasted malts, clean h2o, pure.

T: Tangerine, citrus, pine hops. Smoky, chalky malts. Yeast presence is clean and strong

M: Dry, soft, medium carbonation.

O: Best of both worlds. Dry roastiness of a stout with up front, delicious hops. Rare to drink Deschutes and extremely satisfied.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 18:18:05 | More by One2Remeber

AllHailBeercules

Missouri

4.18/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a chilled pint glass

Appearance--Dark. Almost stout dark, but not at all murky. Some reddish brown highlights. Good head, light tan, hangs around for a while but dies after a few sips. Didn't notice till halfway through my second glass, but it laces pretty well too.

Smell--Roasty malt, a tiny bit of pine, and a background of bready sweetness. Doesn't really lead into the taste, unless you like understatement.

Taste--Still roasty, but not nearly as much as the look and smell made me think. Huge malt backbone, but not the weightiness of burnt or coffee flavors, it all trends up and the bitter is more like chocolate. And that cocoa bitterness blends right into the hops. Not the strong, separate hop profile I'm used to, but that's the strength, everything goes in exactly the same direction. That hint of pine in the nose comes through a little more toward the end, then blurs into a soft fading sweetness.

Mouth--Contrasting the stout/porter look and smell, this is way more thin than I figured. Not in a bad way though, I just keep needing reminders that this isn't going to be a porter. Carbonation is pretty smooth, not prickly. Not bad, not different, just great.

Overall--This beer is almost too balanced to be memorable. Everything works so well together and toward the same goal, and I have to remember that this isn't an IPA or a porter, but those conflicting signals make it its own class. I've had this style a few times (Cascadian Dark Ale is apparently the name they're pushing for black IPA, I love it) and this is a prototype for the group. Not as stunning as Mountain Standard was to me the first time, but as solid as Deschutes always does.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 03:16:46 | More by AllHailBeercules

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I love all things Deschutes, but this seems to be falling short a bit. It carries the required black ale character, but it isn't blowing me away; or even keeping it interesting really. It's kind of a mundane brew that isn't really memorable. Unfortunately.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 16:50:23 | More by RblWthACoz

superspak

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, best before 8/31/2012. Pours pitch black color with a very nice 2 finger dense tan head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice thick cap that lasts. Some good soapy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of huge grapefruit, orange rind, roasted malt, pine, dark chocolate, floral, and herbal spiciness. Fantastic aromas with great strength and balance. Taste of big grapefruit, orange rind, dark chocolate, roasted malt, light char, pine, floral, and light herbal spiciness. Good amount of roasty and herbal bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, roasted malt, light char, pine, floral, and herbal on the finish for a good bit. Fantastic balance of hop flavors with dark roasted flavors; absolutely zero cloying bitterness, extremely clean and balanced finish makes you want another sip. Medium carbonation and body; with a very nice creamy and fairly sticky mouthfeel. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming noticed after the finish. Very smooth and easy to sip on. Overall this is an absolutely fantastic Black IPA. So balanced and clean; very smooth to sip on. Wow, just so outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 05:41:08 | More by superspak

ThePaleRider

California

4.38/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Very dark with a two finger head. Head sticks around for a while. Couldn't see any light through this ale, very pretty. I'm amazed at the amount of head stuck to the side of the glass, exactly what I want to see from suck a dark beer.

S - The scent of roasted malts. Almost reminds me of a porter. A little hop aroma, but very heavy on the roasted, smoked scent.

T - Starts like a dark lager and then the hops kick in. Very complex and perfectly balanced. I'm a big fan of the black IPA's, but this beer is in a league of its own. Hops, malts, smoke, what more can I say.

M - I can't detect any carbonation. Drinks like a lager, but the taste is so much more. Very smooth with the malts really sticking to the palette.

O - Super great beer with a mass appeal. As usual, Deschutes packs a great punch with a beer I could drink every day.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 04:34:27 | More by ThePaleRider

cradke

Texas

3.93/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Dark dark brown. Initially a very big head which settles down but is very frothy. Looks like a nice cappachino.

Smell: Nice pine nose that's pretty tame.

Taste: Pleasant hop taste with a very present malt backbone. Roasted malts and grains paired with bitter hops are the lasting aftertaste. A very interesting and pleasant combination. Even some bitter dark chocolate in there.

Mouthfeel: As the pour would suggest, there's quite a bit of carbonation but the beer is a bit thin and not very viscous.

Overall: This beer is pretty good but just missing on great. The nose is nice but not very strong, and the taste is very nice but the aftertaste is a bit to bitter and the feel is carbonated but too light and thin. I think if they did one more iteration on this, it could be really great.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 03:26:21 | More by cradke

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.73/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a brandy snifter. Best by 21 Septemeber 2012. Batch 1209. 6.9%. 70IBU.

A: A finger of creamy-thick off-white head. Black and opaque as any stout. Heavy lacing.

S: Roasted malt is prevalent, with pleasant hoppy overtones. Still, nothing special.

T: Hm. Solid, but uncompelling. This is basically a moderately nice IPA with roasted malt thrown in. Which is...interesting, but not a hugely exciting combination. Or perhaps the execution is what's off. Anyway, the flavour starts with splash of grapefruit, followed by robust hop bitterness, then quickly replaced by a nutty/chalky bitterness that lingers long after the beer is gone. The excellent, porterish aftertaste is my favourite part of the beer.

M: A touch thin considering the malt base whose bitterness can sometimes make it feel lightly metallic.

O: Worthwhile and pretty good. I'd recommend one, but I probably wouldn't jump at the chance to buy another.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 03:55:29 | More by AgentMunky

vic21234

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber poured into a snifter. Purchased from an online retailer, not available here in Illinois.

A- Pours very cola-like, dark brownish-black with a small amount of light toward the top and bottom of the glass. A finger's worth of an off-white head sticks around for awhile.

S- Not too much going on in the smell for me. Up front I get some slight citrusy hop notes make way to some roasty malts but neither are very dominant.

T- The taste of roasty malts hits first and lingers. Some hop notes are out back but not much. An overall bitterness from the hops is at the backend of each sip.

M- Medium-bodied, roasty, nicely carbonated.

While not a huge fan of the black ale/ black IPA genre, I thought this was an overall decent beer. Nice to have a Deschutes beer since it's not available around here.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 00:49:03 | More by vic21234

vickersspitfire

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours out a very black color, you can’t even see the reddish hues in the outer edges and you can’t see the carbonation, but it certainly looks like there’s plenty. The head is thick , dark tan and very soft, bubby and looks just like heaven should. I got a two finger thick head and it just won’t leave your side! It’s got a rather thin aroma, some roasted malts, mild dark fruits, very sweet overall, raisins, figs and prunes all come through. Pouring more into it, the beer cuts right through the head like an all too tight pair of jeans on an all to fat ass…it leave an mark to say the least. Its rather light and crisp on the tip of your tongue, and rather light bodied, but as it travels towards the back of your mouth it feels more like a medium bodied beer and then slightly heavier as it hits the back of your throat. The roasted malts re strong, the fig and raisin come through pretty well too. Its slightly bitter overall and the hops are well hidden until you get to the aftertaste…then it sort of kicks you in the tongue. Overall I really like this beer, I would categorize this beer's badassedness right up there with a Remington 870 Police Magnum with a 14 inch barrel. A damn good beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 01:37:25 | More by vickersspitfire

msf1cnc

4.48/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This beer was a pleasant surprise. Takes the best qualities of a porter and IPA, and puts them together in a wonderful, complex beer. Strong hops on the nose, but not over powering. However, given the hop aroma, the hop flavor is somewhat muted. This gives way to the porter characteristics, notes of toast and bitter chocolate are up front, with some citrus from the hops... Which almost take a back seat to the porter characteristics.

By and large a great beer, with the looks of a classic porter.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 04:17:36 | More by msf1cnc

TheRealBigC

Nevada

4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another pleasant surprise from Deshutes! Looks like a porter, smells like an IPA, tastes like both. I'd say it's closer to an IPA, but the dark malts are noticeably different than, say, their Inversion IPA. It's a winning combo, even if it isn't one you'll reach for every time. Good thing it's a special release beer so it's nice to see it turn up when it does.

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2012 00:52:47 | More by TheRealBigC

TheCondor

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Paired with a Pun Roll with roasted duck, fresh greens, and rolled in lettuce with a sweet sauce to dip in. Poured into a Deschutes Brewery snifter

Appearance - Pours jet black with a thick tan head that has some retainability. Leaves good lacing on the sides of the glass as well. An impressive looking beer that could pass for a porter or stout in appearance.

Smell - And here is where the beer starts to display more IPA character and less porter/stout character. There are certainly some dark roasted notes and malts, but the piney hops make their presence known in a big way, as well as some breadiness.

Taste - Following the nose, but with even more hop assertiveness. Big pines, earthy breads, and the dark roasted chocolatey flavors combine like an episode of Captain Planet, swirling around on the palate and complementing each other remarkably well.

Mouthfeel - Finishes clean and smooth, with a more porter like aftertaste of chocolate and roasted malts. A little watery for a porter, but good for a CDA or Black IPA

Overall - Absolutely a brew worth your time. Buy it, try it, it is very unique. I certainly will. And if you don't like it, send it my way, because I'll drink it anytime.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2012 02:13:55 | More by TheCondor

cvm4

Mississippi

3.98/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Poured dark cola or rootbeer, tan-ish head.

S - Pine, roasted malts and maple syrup. Guess it hasn't warmed up enough yet.

T - Slight pine hops, malts shine through a lot and a dark chocolate finish. Very good!

M - Medium body/carbonation, dry finish.

O - Hit the nail on the head! Well put together beer here.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 23:15:26 | More by cvm4

largadeer

California

3.75/5  rDev -9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Appropriately black-ish body with a dense tan head that retains nicely.

Smell: A ton of green, sappy pine on the nose along with a touch of mint. Plenty of dark malt, too, largely dry and ashy. There's a hint of caramel, but sweetness is reigned-in on the whole.

Palate: Pine alongside orange-like citrus. There's plenty of roastiness, a hint of dark chocolate and a big resinous kick in the finish. Acidic and slightly ashy. Carbonation feels too high at first, but it settles out quickly. This is hugely flavorful and quite bitter, perhaps a bit too sharp for its own good. The mouthfeel is light and dry, a touch thin toward the finish.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 01:10:38 | More by largadeer

Lawl3ss

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Lightly chilled 22 oz. bomber into a stemless 12 oz. tulip. Best by date 9.21.12.

Look- Ruby brown with two fingers of toasted coconut head. Excellent retention, plenty of thick legs and lace.

Smell- Fresh pine sap, coriander, cinnamon rolls, maple syrup, dark roast. Swirling brings out a powdery scent and a hint of alcohol.

Taste- First taste comes off as one-dimensional and somewhat plain, but revisiting as it warms reveals a number of fairly subtle flavors. Star anise and spiced Turkish coffee come to mind. piney hop presence. Vaguely lemony flavor (lemon seeds, actually) asserts itself halfway through the glass. Aftertaste is of espresso and campfire biscuits. Mineral character builds as the glass empties.

Mouthfeel- Smooth, clean, extremely easy drinking. Wish it was a bit more substantial, however- almost watery. Half of a bomber was fine, I wouldn't mind having the whole thing to myself.

Overall- Mixed feelings here; it's good, but feels like it fell just shy of being great. Decently priced, definitely worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 01:45:07 | More by Lawl3ss

julian89

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My buddy Scudder and myself split a fairly large order from Deschutes, Goose Island, and Surley. Excellent beer tasting.

From bottle to typical drinking glass (alas not pint glass today)

Appearance: Pours a thick (molasses like) dark body. A nice 1" cream tan head with a fairly good retention. Excellent lacing. A very good looking dark beer.

Smell: First noted a semi strong earthy piney hops smell. Rich dark noted hops throughout. A very subtle semi dark chocolate finish.

Taste: It has a fresh crisp taste and feel. The balance is very intriguing. I taste a strong amount of dark chocolate malt. The high lovibond grains give it a toasty breadiness and and the piney hops round out great.

Mouthfeel: A great carbonation but a little watery for my taste. It's light to medium bodied but any dark stout/porter/ or ale should at least have a medium body feel to get above a 4 in my book. The only real down side to this beer.

Drinkability: I thoroughly enjoy this beer. It is a great dark beer, could use a little more thickness on the mouth feel.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 03:52:20 | More by julian89

stampfler07

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours a dark brown with tons of thick brown head that takes quite a while to settle down, leaving good lacing

S- Strong juniper aroma, some sweet and kind of tangy malt aromas as well

T- Pine hop flavor, strong bitterness in the middle and finish, roasted dark malt complexion comes pit at the finish, good balance even for the strong hop

M- Moderate carbonation and body, slightly dry

O- One of my favorite styles and very well done, great balance but each component of the flavor is strong on its own as well. I grab a bomber every time I see it, highly recommended

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 02:30:53 | More by stampfler07

DCon

Missouri

4.2/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bought a 22oz bottle of this from The Beer Shoppe in Yakima, WA for $6.20. Poured from the Dark Green/Black labeled bottle w/ a stake portraying "Hope in the Dark" on it into a 12oz Shaker Glass. Has BEST BY: 06/08/12 on the side of the label.

Aroma- The aroma is very strong with an Imperial IPA aroma. Tons of hops and strength and only a minimal amount of roast/malt. Terrific!

Appearance- Pours a 2 finger head that has fantastic head retention. Has a very opaque colored body that is the deepest brown color. Leaves thick lacing behind.

Flavor- Has a strong hop presence from beginning to end and only slight roastiness. The finish has a medium bitterness level and is dry.

Mouthfeel- Medium-Full Bodied, Light Carbonation, Creamy, Sweet, and finishes with well balanced malts and hops together.

Overall Impression- And the winner of this years Black IPA goes to... Deschutes! A fantastic example of the style and hope to go back to this one on draft or even bottle again. Once again, I haven't seen this one hit the MO market yet, so had to go to it.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 22:00:00 | More by DCon

smakawhat

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass. Good till August 31st 2012.

Out of the bottle comes a big dark brown nearly black walnut body, providing a big four finger tan head, settlng down nicely and very slowly.

A very subdued nose, light malts and hint of milk chocolate, small pine hop it seems, but very closed.

Taste and palate really seems mellow. A soft bodied palate, almost creamy and chewy, with a mild roast density, and this mushy fruit hop angle. Finish hits with chewy orange and citrus on the finish, with a good controlled bitter. Bitter zest of orange oil comes through in the palate, whaffing nicely.

A real interesting take, with a mellow hop profile for this style. Nothing better from Deschutes as always, I dig it.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 01:18:35 | More by smakawhat

Atlas1

Texas

3.95/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a barrel pint glass, Hop in the Dark is a really dark ale. Solid black throughout with some mahogany on the edges when held up to light. Thick, one-finger light brown head with staying power. A very good looking beer.

The nose is lightly hoppy with notes of coffee, cocoa, and dark fruit. It's a nice aroma that masks its complexity with a subtle delivery. The taste follows suit, with a noticeable dark cherry flavor intertwined with a dry, baker's chocolate flavor. A hoppy, coffee bitterness finishes it off. The mouthfeel is creamy and textured.

This is a fine beer. I'm not sure I'll drink much more of this during the hot Texas summer months, but I can see revisiting this in the fall or winter many times over. A tasty, serviceable here, like I've become accustomed to from Deschutes.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 23:07:06 | More by Atlas1

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip glass from a 22oz bottle.

Excited to try this one.

Pours a nice dark dark brown nearly black with some light amber edges. Nice tall 1 inch head that is a light tan and has some great retention. Quite sticky as well and very dense.

Starts off with very grassy and herbal Pacific NW smelling hops. Herbal and also quite piney. Slight roasty notes can be perceived but the hop resin is a bit more dominant.

Flavor starts off with some grassy and herbal hop notes. Piney and grassy with some slight citrus notes. There is some nice roast to the malt portion but it is not that intense. I was expecting something more like Stones 15th. It is not as intense but still very good. The slightly burnt malt notes strike a balance with the hop notes that balance the brew out. As the beer warms the roasted malt takes a more prominent role while still being balanced.

Pretty good brew. I was excited to try it and it didn't disappoint. Yumy hop notes with a nice grassy notes balanced by some good burnt malt notes.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 02:43:02 | More by JoEBoBpr

pants678

California

2.45/5  rDev -40.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours porter/stout black with a beige foam. Looks right up my alley.

I can smell the crisp, earthy cascade hops but not much else.

Not quite a Black IPA but not that far away either. Floral, clove notes stand out and they put the mild chocolate well in the background. In the end I can't imagine I'd go back, either you have a craving for one or the other. Big plus for not being muddled.

Smooth texture from the black malt. Not particularly sharp, sculpted more like a porter in regard to carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 02:18:49 | More by pants678

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.05/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from the 2012 release. Thanks for sending this to me, Chris, especially after drinking the bottles you grabbed me the past two releases!

A very dark brown with a light brown head with excellent retention and nice lacing, this is a nice looking CDA/ABA/BIPA. Highlights are reddish brown. As for the nose? I really don't see how this isn't an excellent hoppy porter/stout. Moderately roasty with a robust hop aroma (pine and citrus), this has less caramel and more roast than most CDAs. That said, there is *some* caramel, a little bit of cocoa and perfumey hops to round out the nose. Excellent.

The palate opens with a blend of moderate bitterness and a low-level but sharp grainy bitterness, mildly acidic as well. Pine, grapefruit and a little bit of orange are all noticeable in the hop bitterness. The grainy bitterness does mask some of the hop flavor, and the light unsweetened cocoa character does enhance the sense that this really is a hoppy porter. The mid-palate is just a touch watery. Light in body with a moderate, creamy carbonation, this beer finishes with an aggressive pine bitterness, a little bit of roast and some citrus. Excellent stuff, this.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 00:22:14 | More by DefenCorps