IBA - Lakefront Brewery, Inc.

TheSSG

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a HUGE, dense, stiff head that laces like it's going out of style. Big, bright, assertive aromas of grapefruit and citrus hops. Black. Surprisingly, the deep, toasted malt starts the show as the hop bitterness ramps up and takes over, bringing in notes of pine. Peaks at a medium-high bitterness (god do I love Wisconsin IPA's! All the hop, none of the bitterness!) as the hops become somewhat citrus-like. The finish is a nice lingering of toasted malt and pine hops (maybe a touch of citrus still in there).

Man, this is a great brew. My favorite Black IPA to date. Smooth, hoppy, bursting with flavor, but not overwhelming.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 03:34:34 | More by TheSSG

Suds

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black, and topped with a medium-sized tan head. The beer is enticing, and the smell is of slightly roasted grain, some malt, and medium-strength herbal hops. The taste is more intense than the aroma. Powerful, balanced, and dark. The beer has a great roasted, dark malt flavor, backed by hop flavor and bitterness, both are proportional, and the result is excellent. The body is full and creamy. This is a very enjoyable brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 19:44:07 | More by Suds

jimmah120

Minnesota

3.66/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

big bottle, review from notes

almost black red-brown with pillowy khaki head. smell is great: cascade hops, earth pine, roasted undertones. taste is hoppy and roasted, but flat tasting. bitter chocolate, earthy hops, toasted savory bread.

giving this the benefit of the doubt slightly, because I've had it before and it was much better.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 11:01:14 | More by jimmah120

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a nice dark ruby red, thumb of mocha head with solid retention and sporadic lacing.

S - Scent is dominated by nice citrus hops, earthy pine, and a hint of espresso.

T - Much like the nose with the citrus hop notes and earthy pine dominating, the burnt toast and espresso malts come through on the finish, and bitter hops linger.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and pretty dry on the finish.

O - A black IPA that definitely leans more on the hoppy side, but still manages to bring along some black ale malts. A solid brew that I'm glad I picked up, and one that certainly will not disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 03:46:16 | More by andrenaline

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - clear and very dark brown, very tall mocha head retained extremely well, plenty of random lacing
S - piney and slightly boozy with some nuttiness
T - nutty malt is quickly matched by pine and pepper hop flavours, faint booziness
M - medium body and carbonation, good dose of hoppy heat and bitterness, drys through the finish
O - definitely please with this, the dominant flavors of piney hops and nutty malt are contrasting yet well balanced, props to andrenaline for sending this out

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 01:27:46 | More by joemcgrath27

chinchill

South Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle served in a Sam Adams lager glass. Label provides simple indicators for brewed on date, but no marking is found.

Pours near near black in color; clear with ruby-orange highlights under light. Durable tan foam leaves exceptional lacing.

M: Very smooth, medium body.

S&T: Result is exactly as planned, or as I would hope: This is a well-crafted IPA with a carefully calibrated addition of dark roasted malts. Plenty of hoppiness remains, especially in the aroma, as well a good dose of dark roasted malts. Particularly fine and long-lasting finish and aftertaste, as the malts and hops mingle together in a very well proportioned mix.

O: one of the best black IPAs I've had. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 23:14:00 | More by chinchill

brystmar

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

No freshness date on the bottle.

Dark brown body, tan head, good retention & lacing. Nose is faint. Oddly lactic aroma, though I really like it. Disappointing that everything here isn't stronger.

Big, creamy body delivers fresh hops and roasty malts to my palate. Hints of that lactic note again. Surprisingly easy to drink given its viscosity. Nutty, buttery, delicious.

Would happily add this to my regular rotation.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 01:08:21 | More by brystmar

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is a nice and easy to drink black ale. The hop tones are there and stay pretty smooth. It's not all up in your face. Could have a few less wrinkles in the profile, but no matter. This is a nice drinker. Always happy to try something by Lakefront.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 17:44:38 | More by RblWthACoz

Lawl3ss

Texas

3.8/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Chilled 22 oz. bomber poured into a shaker pint. No notches on the label, so I'm not sure how old it is.

Look- Deep brown, no trace of the deep red hue common in black ales, four fingers off off-white head that sticks to the sides of the glass and leaves speckled lacing. Falls to a lumpy cap that looks like a partially melted frozen cappuccino drink.

Smell- Surprisingly citrusy, dry aroma, light biscuit. Cocoa and vague woodiness. Very nice, clean, simple but extremely appealing.

Taste- Follows the nose- starts nutty, woody, mild citric-esque bite towards the middle, almost guava-like. Finishes with dark roast and a touch of black pepper. Light burnt/toasted woody flavor builds over time as the beer warms.

Mouthfeel- Medium body, moderate carbonation. Fairly crisp, clean, and much drier than expected. Easy drinking.

Overall- A pleasantly light and crisp ale, more balanced than expected. Stays away from the treacly sweetness many dark American ales suffer from. Well balanced, and each element has its turn to shine. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 02:25:48 | More by Lawl3ss

TSJ4000

Iowa

4.73/5  rDev +23.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I poured the Lakefront IBA into a wine glass because that was all that was available to me at the time. The result was a new-found love. The manilla colored head poured perfectly and the glass allowed for a wonderful bouquet to emit from the glass. Lakefront's IBA is no hop bomb but a delicious balance of subtle hops and approachable black malt. At 6.5% it is still sessionable enough to consume on a hot hot day. At the same time it leaves a hoppy resin on the back of the palate. Will buy again. Cheers Lakefront.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 22:33:26 | More by TSJ4000

beer2day

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Dark brown pour, with a decent amount of light getting through. 2-fingers lighter than expected head, but a full finger still left midway through the glass.

Nose is less hoppy than hoped for. Molasses and caramel are there, with faint citrus hops underneath. Dried cherries and apricot coming through, too.

Taste is a bit disappointing. Again, missing out on the aggressive hop profile I was expecting. Getting coffee grounds, a light whiff of hops, and a bit of roast malt and chocolate. Not bad, but not what I was looking for.

Feel is about right for the style. Not too rich and balances well with the flavors.

Overall, probably not one I'd get again.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 01:22:14 | More by beer2day

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours brilliantly clear very dark brown with a mahogany glow when held to a light and a sticky, thick off-white head. The aroma is highly hoppy -- mainly citrus, pine, and floral. The flavor is much like the aroma, strong hop flavor--pine and citrus zest with solid hop bitterness. The malt presence is detectable, mainly bittersweet and very subtle roast, but certainly is second fiddle to the hops. The mouthfeel is quite smooth and the beer finishes with lingering nutty malt and citrusy/piny hop flavor, especially as it warms. The carbonation and body are both moderate. Overall a solid offering, could there be tweaks to make it incredible, like a tad more body, sure, but I won't complain!

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 02:17:09 | More by WoodBrew

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.73/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Not bad. Poured at a good temperature with a decent tan head that lasts a little whie and good lace. Color is perhaps clear to slightly hazy depending on the width of the glass and a dark garnet. Aroma is hop, malt, dark ripe fruit, roast. Flavor's somewhat like nose where I pick up those qualities, but also a whole set of complementary characteristics as well - a bit smoke, fairly dry, good carbonic tang, earth. Body is odd but good and carbonation is spot on. Finishis is like flavor, a little long and astringent.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 05:24:59 | More by drpimento

BadgerBeer

4.43/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got this in a Bomber at Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee.

Really wish they sold this beer in 6 packs, I absolutely love their take on the IBA. This beer hit the spot, I will definitely be on the lookout for more of this beer. They are definitely one of the leaders of the pack in this style in my book.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 03:37:54 | More by BadgerBeer

LittleDon

Texas

4.23/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black with some visible light passing through. Small head, but decent lacing. Aroma is a combination of piney hops and licorice. Decent amount of carbonation gives it a lively mouthfeel. Flavor is a good balance between the spicy/citrusy hops and the molasses tinged sweetness. Nice bittersweet finish.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 23:34:42 | More by LittleDon

sirdrinkwell

Florida

3.53/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Poured into pint glass, this brew is a deep and rich looking mahogany/coffee color with a healthy amount of butter hued head. After fading it left quite a bit of lacing around the glass.

S-The nose is a malted hop combo as to be expected, with a toffee citrus feel. Somewhat muted, but pleasant.

T-The aroma is a good indicator of what is to follow, as this drinks as a pleasant mashup of mild malted toffee and muted citrus hops. A slight bit of peppery middle as the two main characters meet.

M-Light-leaning medium body, decent balance.

O-Very drinkable and refreshing. For the style, I take it almost as a Lite beer in as nice a way as possible.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 03:29:41 | More by sirdrinkwell

Durtdiggler

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber bottle poured into snifter glass.

Dark, rich black with creamy 3 finger head. Alot of lacing and retention. I am a sucker for dark beer with thick, creamy brown head that wants to stand out.

Smell is mellow mix of the hops and roast grains, neither stand out to over power each other. Very subtle espresso like, trying to be unoffensive. The aroma is well blended but a bit muted.

Taste is very well balanced, the flavors come together extremely well between the coffee, citrus overtones. It finishes very clean, limited hop bitter after taste.

Mouth feel is the lighter side of medium, soft water, smooth.

It could have gone farther, which might mean more ABV. Feels like they were trying to make sure the combined beer style would go together very well. This beer is very easy to drink given the profile and flavor. They did a great job with this one. Definitely worth trying but don't expect an aggressive approach. The more I got through the bomber, the more I started to enjoy it and the flavors and aroma started to show. LFB is in my back yard and reasonably priced, will be having some more.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 00:20:17 | More by Durtdiggler

hopfacebrew

Colorado

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

Picked up a bomber of this as it was on sale at Argonaut in Denver and it's my favorite style - why not?

A - The beer was poured from the bomber to a pint glass. It pours a very deep mahogany/brown color, it isn't black, but it's dark and opaque. Reddish brown on the edges. A nice 2 finger cream colored head with decent retention and nice lacing.

S - A faint trace of the citrus and earthy hops, but its not all that strong. A bit of malty sweetness. I could use more nose.

T - Similar to the nose the flavor isn't overpowering and seems a bit subdued. It certainly isn't bad just not powerful. It starts with a mild bitterness and sweet malty character along with a bit of hop resin: floral, citrus, pine, grass. I wish it had more hop character. The beer finishes clean and crisp.

M - Medium bodied with good carbonation.

D - Good drinkability.

Overall, this beer didn't knock my socks off but was enjoyable. As there is no freshness date I wonder if more hop character would be prevalent if fresh? I'd buy it again though for sure.

Note: This review was a re-post from my former account, jmkratt, which was hacked and I lost all my reviews...sorry for the redundancy.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 03-12-2011 19:34:22

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 14:10:12 | More by hopfacebrew

avalon07

South Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a dark brown color and a cloudy consistency. There was a big, creamy, off white, long-lasting head. Great lacing.

S: A very muted aroma of hops, coffee, and some malt.

T: Tasted of coffee, a little chocolate, hops, and a bit of malt in the finish. Not quite as assertive as some other ABAs, but a pretty solid, likeable flavor nonetheless.

M: A highly-carbonated beer with a silky finish. Medium-bodied.

O: A bit uneven in spots, but still worth a look. Drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 14:08:41 | More by avalon07

shand

Florida

4.38/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a Sam Adams perfect pint.

Hoping this will keep up the streak of Lakefront's 22oz bottles being far better than their core lineup (minus the IPA and Fixed Gear, which they just [deservedly] started putting in sixers). Pours a nice deep brown color with two fingers of off-white head. Aroma is full of citrus hops, with a bit of roasted malts in the back. The taste is very good, it's got a very strong hop presence that separates this from the "hoppy porters" of the world, with some highly roasted malts and coffee providing a bitter supporting role. The mouthfeel is very IPA-like, with just a bit more body than the average one would have, and the drinkability is very good. Another great one from Lakefront. If they keep putting out great new beers, they are going to go places in the craft world.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 02:55:41 | More by shand

JRdaSconnie

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

S: bottle shared with my wife and friends Neil & Jen. Bottle courtesy of Neil. Bomber pulled out of fridge and allowed to warm 30 min. Served in Jack Daniels sipping glass.

A: jet black, high SRM. Thick tan head, short lasting.

S: Cascade hops, roast malt. Piney, mild citrus.

T: very similar to smell. Prominent bitterness and flavor from U.S. hops with roast malt bitterness/pleasant astringency. Definitely hop forward brew but well balanced with roasted malt backbone.

M: just right amount of carbonation. Adds to bitterness but not annoyingly fizzy. Nice medium body helps to make roasted malts more robust.

O: very nice beer. Good example of the black bitter beer, whatever you want to name it. Tasted in series with my homebrewed BIPA and this is the beer I'd like mine to be.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 12:38:07 | More by JRdaSconnie

ChimRichels

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Incredibly foamy head leaves a metric shit-load of chunky lacing all the way down. Body is black. Pure darkness.

S - Smells of earth and intense citrus hop resin. The aromatics really mask any of the malt from coming through at all in the nose.

T - The roasted malts really come through, and the hops are holding their own as well. Lots of big,intense flavors. Dry on the finish. I think the hops win the aroma battle, but the charred malts dominate the flavor.

M - Slick and creamy. Very much full-bodied.

O - A really good black IPA, and an exquisitely balanced one at that.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 00:18:10 | More by ChimRichels

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev 0%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #55 (August 2011):

Perhaps the fastest-growing beer style to date, the American Black Ale. Lakefront did not play around—black as black, with a killer lacing. Slight roast in the nose with a thick blanket of soft hop resin and faint ripe fruit. Minty and tobacco aroma. Moderate-sized body, more than enough smoothness to go around. Smacks of hops, but with a smat- tering of roasted grain and ripe fruit, this beer is more complex than just darkness and hops. The hops do, however, provide a pretty intense trail for the taste buds to follow. Minty hop finish with some lingering roastiness. The brewer definitely has a firm grasp on this style.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 13:24:17 | More by BeerAdvocate

pBRale

Iowa

4.43/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From tasting notes 10-27-11
Poured into a warbled mug.

Appearance: Darkest of dark brown with deep amber highlights and a light cocoa head that settles fairly slowly and has a small bit of head retention that leaves a thick web of lacing.

Smell: Wonderful hops--grapefruit, massive floral notes, nice fruity esters, and a faint crystal malt backbone.

Taste: Lots of the aforementioned hop aromas come into the initial taste, along with a toasty malt backbone. Then, a robust coffee flavor comes in and lingers beautifully. The aftertaste is bitter and coffee-like.

Mouthfeel: Medium to medium-full body, with carbonation that is on the lower side of medium, with a smooth, bitter coffee finish.

Overall: A very solid beer. Wonderful balance of floral hops and coffee grounds. I didn't think those two flavors would be compatible, but Lakefront Brewery seems to have mastered it. A unique and Outstanding beer!

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 18:56:09 | More by pBRale

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: not exactly sure what a black ipa is supposed to look, but this is sure black and attractive. Impressive fat head, that recedes after a few minutes leaving soap sud like lacing.
Smell: Bright, fruity and floral. Nice.
Taste: The start is much like the nose with a slightly bitter, in the right amount, finish. Nicely done.
Have to admit I was ready to jump on the oxymoron bandwagon. Didn't think I was gonna like this but I do I do.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 00:00:04 | More by cindyjeffsmith