Toxic Sludge Black IPA - Blue Point Brewing Company

Burkbom23

Connecticut

3.78/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Dark brown color, i want to call it rootbeer looking, but its actually lighter than that. You can see through it and there are a ton of red hughes coming through it. About a 1 finger light tan rocky, frothy head on top. Lots of laving being left on the glass. This really is a cool looking beer. Aroma is grain, toasted barley, dark fruits, raisens, and some toasted bread. Same flavors on the palatte that I got in the nose. Bitter finish, and dry. Good Balance, leaning a little to the side of malty. Creamy medium/full mouthfeel. Litte bit of bite from the carbonation. They say it is a "Black IPA" but it doesnt feel anything like an IPA to me. Think that is just some creative marketing. It is a little too sweet for my taste to drink more than one of these. Still a pretty good brew non the less.

Serving type: can

05-19-2013 02:43:43 | More by Burkbom23

Mister_Falcon

Pennsylvania

4.59/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured a ruby-brown color into a pint glass with a three-quarter inch head. I smell hops! Wonderfully balanced hop to malt character. Roasted malt flavor, bitterness of some hops, tons of carbonation. Feels very crisp on the tongue and goes down easy like a coke on a hot summer day. This is a delicious beer.

Serving type: can

04-15-2013 00:55:34 | More by Mister_Falcon

MadScientist

New York

3.65/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

A: A very dark brown with good clarity. The thick head is made of long lasting, light tan rocky bubbles that leave a sticky lacing on he glass.

S: A medium citrus hops aroma with a moderately-strong grassy note from dry hopping. There are medium-low malt aromas of sweetness and chocolate. A strong alcohol character brings a bit of floral note towards the back.

T: The bitterness dominates with a medium-strong hops bitterness and a a fairly strong citrus hops flavor. There is a bit of the malt sweetness coming through with a low chocolate and coffee note. The balance is very bitter, overly so with out enough malt to support it. The finish is off-dry and the aftertaste is all citrus hops and long, lingering bitterness.

M: A somewhat creamy, medium bodied beer with a moderately strong level of carbonation. A light bit of harsh prickle on the palate and some warmth in the back of throat.

O: This is an unbalanced beer with a harsh bitterness, but it drinks better when not too cold. It does have a lot of hops with some dark grain character but it just come together more so because of too much C hops. That being said I'd still try this beer if I found it on tap.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 00:12:29 | More by MadScientist

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.64/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Thanks to korguy123 for this can. Poured in to tulip.

A - Poured very dark amber; opaque in the middle. One finger of bubbly dirty white head.

S - Coffee and roast are the dominant aromas with some sweet chocolate and piney hop notes also present.

T - Bitter coffee and roast up front with a huge piney hop presence. Some sweet cocoa and brown sugar notes help balance out the bitterness.

M - Medium body with some sticky hop oils present. Light carbonation.

Serving type: can

03-21-2013 02:03:17 | More by TheSevenDuffs

wedge

North Carolina

2.69/5  rDev -28.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a dark chestnut with a large, slowly deflating head of dense foam. Vaguely hoppy aromas backed by some chocolaty roasted malt. The hops are primarily of the floral, grassy, leafy variety...the more it warms, the more bittersweet, dark chocolate takes over. Tastes of grassy, dried fruit, earthiness, cocoa, and molasses. The malt seems thinner here and there's not enough hop flavor to justify the bitterness. The cryptic code on the bottom of the can isn't a clear date, so I have no idea how fresh this is. There's something sort of amateur homebrew-ish about this that's pretty disappointing.

Serving type: can

03-21-2013 00:59:26 | More by wedge

mountdew1

New Hampshire

3.54/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a large wine glass. Color was a very dark reddish brown, that was almost black. It was fairly translucent, with a thick foamy dirty white head. Head left solid lacings on the sides of the glass. Aroma was malty, with a bit of sour hops, finishing up as a tad of floral sweet. Flavor was a watery grain, with a small touch of hoppy bite in the end. Came through watery in the mouth, didn't coat much at all. Overall not bad, but didn't stand out. Was a bit lacking in the flavor

Serving type: can

03-18-2013 22:31:53 | More by mountdew1

shand

Florida

3.98/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Toxic Sludge is a fantastic looking black IPA, it pours out brown with high clarity and a large mocha head. The aroma is richly malty with a solid dose of citrus and pine hops. The taste is rather balanced, with a nice roastiness that reminds me of an Irish Dry Stout. There's also a substantial amount of hops that balance everything out. The strong pine flavors are very well integrated. The mouthfeel is fairly highly carbonated and medium bodied, and the drinkability is fantastic. Overall, Toxic Sludge is one of the better balanced Black IPAs I've had. It's very tasty without relying on the hops overpowering the dark malts.

Serving type: can

03-15-2013 20:56:08 | More by shand

Ego

New Jersey

3.35/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

eyes....
black ? sludge ? maybe the toxic moniker will come through because the rest is just not a good description...
dark brown with some ruby hues, pretty clean looking in terms of clarity, a good amount of head rises up, around the 2 finger range and you know what? it decided to stay around without even a proper invite (rude bastard)...
good lacing and nice uniform microbubbles make a nice night cap for the top of this beer...
so the look is sort of give and take.

nose...
hoppy. in the more herbally-honey variety, almost some dry stout tones in there also, not much else for me to expound on

taste etc...
the carbonation seems a bit much, this drinks pretty smooth, there is some hop character, some malt presence, a hint of chocolate.. and that is pretty much it, mostly hints of this or that, nothing memorable is going on
the hops have a decent bite, and there is some warming from the ABV

verdict?
this beer is OK, not bad in any sense but nothing special. some nice hop punch and good ABV kick but it just seems to be missing an all around mission.

Serving type: can

03-10-2013 05:03:37 | More by Ego

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I poured this beer into a glass, it has a black colored body with a small mocha colored head that takes it time to lay down. The aroma has a hop aroma but not to strong. The taste a bitter hop flavor with some chocolate malt coming through. I also get a metal taste also. The mouth feel is smooth and overall this is a good beer, it doesn't impress me to much, I think the metal taste does it.

Serving type: can

03-08-2013 02:58:01 | More by chefhatt

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.13/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Pours a completely clear, cherrywood hue. The head stands thin with a contrastingly bright color. The cap leaves a flak jacket of lacing.

S-The malt is clearly the winner here. Yes, behind the dark fruits and roast, there is some mild tea-like hoppiness (maybe some candied citrus hops too). But I have to concentrate to really decipher the hop's language here. The hops are far too silent. This really reminds me of an ESB; I would guess it to be said style is I were tasting blind.

T-A lot of metal. Is it the can? It tastes like the can! Something is a miss here. Tea-like hops and some candied citrus hops again. Behind the metal, I still get the flavor of a darkly malted ESB. The hops lend substantial bitterness but they don't really donate any truly intriguing or gratifying flavors. The malt is molasses-dipped pumpernickel bread and a mist of dark fruit.

M-There is some back-end heat. Softer bubbles. The body isn't huge. The bitterness really creeps up on you.

O/D-Even before the metallic flavor, I was not enamored with this beer. The hops are bitter with no finesse; like a 7 foot basketball player without any touch on the ball. The label art on the can is supremely memorable.

Serving type: can

03-03-2013 03:14:31 | More by VelvetExtract

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Odd but neat looking can reminds me more of an energy drink than a beer. Pours a solid dark brown color with ruby highlights and a huge creamy tan head that persists forever leaving lots of stickiness to the glass. Smells slightly ashy with a hint of wet cardboard on top of light chocolate and earthy floral hops. The nose is kind of disappointing for a black IPA really. The flavor is a bit better with a solid malty chocolate mixed with an earthy spicy hop flavor. Firm but pleasant hop bitterness rounds out a caramel butterscotch malt sweetness quite well. Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet creamy mouthfeel. Decent beer that I could drink, but middle of the road and honestly not worth purchasing again.

Serving type: can

03-01-2013 00:19:49 | More by johnnnniee

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Glad they canned this since before it was 11 dollars a bottle! Picked up the single for $2.69 at halftime beverage.com

A - Very impressive full inch of mocha colored head atop of a very dark brown colored ale. Not pitch black "like sludge" but still a very dark IPA.
S - Smells rather balanced I get more roasty malts and chocolate than bittering hops which is a nice change. Citrus hops and peels also.
T - A pretty balanced level of roasty malts to piney resin taste. Some smoke and ash highlight, yet for some reason I expected more hops even though it was good as is. Has a great drying aspect and I do love balance more so it's a win.
M - Mouthfeel is kind of on the thin side which is strange for a black IPA. Still it goes down easy.
Overall with cleaver design (cool looking can) and a balanced taste it makes for a very above average Black IPA.

Serving type: can

02-23-2013 01:57:23 | More by DrDemento456

mnrider

Connecticut

3.8/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

1 Pint can. No freshness date.

A: Pours a deep black with a large frothy off white head. Above average retention
and lacing.

S: Fruity, bitter hops, toasted malts, and some nice notes of cocoa.

T/M: Bitter cocoa, bitter hops, dark fruits, roasted malts. Sweetness comes in then
back to some more hop bitterness. Goes down smooth with noticeable carbonation.
Feels a little dry in the finish.

O: The taste is somewhat of a let down, although I am still fairly new to the style. The
feel is really good which makes for some easy drinkability. Tastes good enough that I
would buy again if the price was right.

Cheers!!

Serving type: can

02-21-2013 22:12:17 | More by mnrider

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.61/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

16 oz can, no date.

almost black, very dark brown with ruby highlights in the corners. nice off-white head, good lacing and retention. hoppy earthy aroma, a bit grassy, spicy. slight mild roasty flavor in the taste, a bit of bitterness and hop finish. medium body, medium to higher carbonation. overall - okay, but far from the best Black IPA I've had.

Serving type: can

02-21-2013 05:18:36 | More by jmdrpi

jucifer1818

Florida

4.18/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: more of a dark amber than a black, Still its appears to be quite nice

s: sweet carmel is present, but its smell is dominated by a massive presence of grapefruity/resiny American hops. I for one love american hops
4.5/5

t: their is a Subtle breadyness to this brew, however, it is dominated by American hops. Not enough to drive away a malthead like me, as it works well with its residual sweetness. for a beer being called "a dark IPA" this is little to no dark flavors (except for a small bit or caramel)
4.25/5

M: Resiny and abrasive from the hops, with some grainyness in the body
3.5/5

Overall: This sludge is anything but. This can may make this beer look like Malt liqour, but looks are deceiving: this is a solid example of an American IPA, with a slight dark twist.
My only regret is that it doesn't go far enough with that dark twist, and if it did, I might had given it more points.

but as it stands this beer is solid. I highly recommend it.

Serving type: can

02-20-2013 04:49:23 | More by jucifer1818

brentk56

North Carolina

3.71/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Arrives with the fudge brown liquid being capped by an inch of tan foam; leaves some patchy lace around the pint glass

Smell: Roasty and sweet malts, with piney hops in the back

Taste: Roasty malts dominate the front end, with sweeter caramel and chocolate building in the middle; after the swallow, the piney hops build though there is a metallic edge in the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Although the hop bill grew on me half way through, this is just a middling example of the style

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2013 21:32:08 | More by brentk56

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a deep brown with 3 fingers of head which caused very resinous lacing through the entire glass. smell of grassy hops with lots of dark roast notes, coffee and chocolate. the flavor is really more of a hoppy stout.. earthy bitterness with lots of dark roasted flavor, black coffee, and dark cocoa nibs. medium body on the watery side, medium carbonation.

i was a little bit let down by this one, was expecting lots more hop flavor from it. it does have a cool can design at least, though i think any graphic designer would disagree of their font selections, lol.

Serving type: can

02-19-2013 05:20:51 | More by facundoCNB

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a clear but opaque extremely dark amber in color with some garnet red highlights and moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a three finger tall dense foamy light tan head that slowly reduces and condenses to a very large patch (covering the majority of the surface of the beer) of thick film, a very thin film covering the remainder of the surface of the beer, and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of dark roasted malts with stronger aromas of citrus/grapefruit and pine hops.

T: Light to moderate flavors of roasted malts with a touch of molasses sweetness. That is followed by a moderate to strong amount of citrus/grapefruit and pine hop flavors. Light to moderate bitterness that fades quickly.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly dry, especially in the finish.

O: This beer is very easy to drink with a pleasant flavor and aroma - there is a hop presence but it is not overly aggressive.

Serving type: can

02-06-2013 23:58:58 | More by dbrauneis

superspak

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 11/15/2012. Pours crystal clear dark reddish brown color with a 2-3 finger fairly dense light tan head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of grapefruit, orange zest, roasted malt, cocoa, light char, floral, grass, light pine, toast, and brown bread. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity; much weaker than I expected for the style. Taste of grapefruit, orange zest, cocoa, roasted malt, pine, toast, brown bread, light char, floral, and piney spiciness. Good amount of pine bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, roasted malt, chocolate, pine, brown bread, light char, and piney spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Nice complexity of flavors with a nice malt/hop balance; and zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and sticky mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a nice Black IPA offering. Good complexity and balance of flavors, and very smooth to drink. This was not as robust as I expected for the style, but it was still a pleasantly enjoyable offering.

Serving type: can

02-06-2013 05:28:52 | More by superspak

dogfishandi

New York

3.88/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

16 oz. can at fridge temp poured into a snifter. No freshness info.

Pours out what looks like a black color, but when held up to some light, it's actually a really dark ruby red color. A huge billowy off white, to light tan colored head that left a nice foamy cap taller than the rim of the glass off the pour. Really nice tight retention. Sticky lace covers al most every inch of exposed glass.

Piney, fruity, slightly woody hops, some dry citrus, with some grain husk.

A nice even taste. Piney hops mingle with caramel grains. Finishes with a dry citrus bitterness. Some fruitiness somewhere in there. Easy but enjoyable.

Medium in body. Carbonation is about right for the style. A nice bitterness that lingers with just a hint of sweetness.

Pretty solid and drinkable black IPA. One of the more well made beers I've had from blue point.

Serving type: can

01-16-2013 23:30:28 | More by dogfishandi

merc7186

New York

3.66/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

16oz can into a pint glass (a tight fit)

A: Dark Brown/Reddish Hue, Passes Mild Light, Off White Head, Some Lacing

S: Mildly Roasted Chocolate Malts

T: Piney, Roasted Chocolate Malts

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Bitter, Mildly Sticky

Overall, I didnt have high expectations for this beer but it actually isnt bad, not over bearing on the malts or the hops, nice balance.

Serving type: can

01-14-2013 01:40:51 | More by merc7186

Amalak

New York

4.24/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A. It is basically black in color. It has a nice foamy head that leaves a good deal of lacing behind.

S. There's a nice malt and hop scent to it.

T/M. It has a beautiful blend of hops and malt. There's a mild nutty chocolate taste to it, with a nice hoppy bite. Some carbonation

O. I would have to do an official tasting, but this might just be the best black IPA that I've ever had. Well balanced and flavorful, not overbearing.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 19:39:19 | More by Amalak

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.81/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A beige sticky head sits atop this really really dark auburn chestnut brown brew. A nice glow when held to light too.
A pleasing aroma greets you with a pleasent hop and malt attack. Nicely balance with neither beating out each other for favor.
Alas, the flavor is a letdown. Nothing greets you to pull you in. You can taste hops balancing out a slight roasted malt bill but neither one has any get up and go.
Finishs dry and bitter. This might not be the best buy it's easy drinking smooth and has all the characteristics of a fine BIPA being hoppy witha a tad of roast thrown in.

Serving type: can

01-13-2013 16:16:40 | More by micromaniac129

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Toxic Sludge in a CAN?!? It says that it comes from New York, but I wonder if it wasn't by way of New Jersey ... Maybe next, they'll find a way to put it in a 55-gallon drum which could then be forklifted onto the bar and served via graack vity so that it would still count as a CAN.

From the CAN: "Caution Extremely Fresh"; "Product of USA"; "Small Batch" [but in a big pint CAN].

The Crack released a noxious green cloud and I had to evacuate the house while Fire & Rescue did their thing. The inverted Glug revealed a highly suspicious viscous liquid and I had to wait for it to settle before proceeding. I had a dense finger of light-brown foam that seemed destined not to go away until I deployed my flame thrower and burned it off. Color was a deep ruby-red with NE-quality clarity, enabling me to see all manner of mutant creatures swimmin around in it. I began to wonder - if Minhas products have turned me into a Cyberman in the past, what effect was Toxic Sludge going to have on me? There was only one way to find out and so I charged ahead, taking my first sip of the day. Mouthfeel was medium and I could feel the creatures tugging on my tongue as they tried to get purchase, but to no avail. They slid right down my gullet and into my stomach where my mutant stomach acid instantly dissolved them. My Minhas-mutated bodily systems were too much for Toxic Sludge! I had a feeling that such might be the case, but now, I am sure of it. I laugh in the face of The Toxic Avenger! Bring on Godzilla! I liked how the minty hops really held their own on the nose. One of my principal complaints about the style is that it seems to negate the best of both worlds with the malt overtaking the hops and the hops dumbing down the malt. Not so here. This was quite drinkable and I got plenty enough hoppy bitterness to keep me happy. The dark roasted malt added a charcoal bitterness that enhanced, rather than overwhelmed, the hops. The finish was quite dry and if I had to drink a Black/Cascadian IPA, this is the one that I would prefer. Remember, kids, get it in the CAN!

Serving type: can

01-12-2013 18:29:01 | More by woodychandler

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

16oz canned November 15, 2012. Served at around 45F.

Pours dark brown to black in the glass with red highlights, surprisingly light-colored head for a dark brew, off-white to a very light beige, 3 fingers, very rocky/foamy, lasts forever.

Aroma is kind of mild, lemony citrus, pine, caramel, bread, light roasted malt. As it warms up, it gets better, better strength, more roasted malt notes.

Flavor is pine and citrus hops, lemony, mild roasted malts, mild chocolate & coffee, mild sweetness, good bitterness, mild alcohol. THEN it warms up and gets a lot better. Citrus, pine, dark, rich roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, caramel.

Mouthfeel is light-medium bodied, good to sharp carbonation.

A hoppy Guinness? Light in body and light in the roasted malt flavor. Gets a LOT better as it warms up, Good to Very Good Black IPA. Not the greatest out there (Sublimely, Dubhe, etc), but in the ballpark of something like 21st Amendment’s Back in Black.

Serving type: can

01-09-2013 23:45:54 | More by elgiacomo