Pitch Black IPA - Widmer Brothers Brewing Company

Omnium

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle > Pint Glass
A - Pours completely black, nice 1 finger head, khaki colored, minimal lacing.
S - Mild hop aroma, darker malts and some smokey grass scents as well.
T - Extremely balanced, nice roasty malts with a good floral hop quality.
M - Medium feel, not too heavy or sticky from the malt, just right.
O - This is what I'd recommend to people when wanting to try a black IPA, this is a very solid brew that is sessionable when you want the darker side of malts and roasted flavor with a good hop balance.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 22:48:27 | More by Omnium

Samuel906

California

3.36/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Never been the biggest fan of Widmer, but I couldn't say no to the name; sounded like a new take on my favorite style, so I thought I'd give it a go. Certainly the darkest IPA I've seen in a long time, but not "pitch black" like you would expect of an Imperial Stout. Instead it was a thinner, very very dark red, more similar to a porter, with a thin white head. Aroma is fairly benign: mild hops, light pine and some cocoa. Smokey flavor up front, leaves some chocolate and coffee on the palate. There are definitely some hops there, but the malts take a much bigger part of the stage. Mouthfeel was crisp, watery compared to a stout or a porter, heavy carbonation.

Interesting brew. Sort of joins the worlds of IPAs and Stouts/Porters. I don't really know if it was a bridge that needed to be built though. Usually when I drink an IPA I'm not in it for the maltyness, and when I drink a stout, I'm not there for hops. A good beer, but a good beer with no home.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 04:44:34 | More by Samuel906

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Into a nonic pint glass:

A: jet black colored body had a nice tan half finger head appeared for thirty seconds and slowly settled into the body. No carbonation was seen rising because the body was too dark. Tan foamy lacing was left around the sides of the glass.

S: hops and pine up front with just a bit of citrus in the background. Some roasted coffee tones came out as the beer warmed.

T: roasted coffee up front with the hops and pine taking more of a secondary role. Some smokiness came out in the taste as well.

M: medium with a good creaminess to it, adequate carbonation

O: Glad I had this winter`s batch, as I had last year`s pretty late, nothing changed, this is a superb black ale that I would definitely have again.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 15:13:26 | More by kangarooAdam59

Noxious26

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

22 oz brown bomber with pry off cap poured in a miscellaneous large glass at our rental condo in Turtle Bay, North Shore, Oahu. Purchased at Whole Foods in the Kahala Mall, but cheaper at the Sunset Beach Foodland on the North Shore.

Pitch Black is a great name as it's absolutely opaque. Obsidian black with a big foamy brown head over 1 inch on the pour and a solid 1/16th that sticks around with gobs of lacing.

Aroma is pretty muted. Faint roasted malts and undiscernable hops. Maybe a little floral.

Flavour profile morphs throughout. Roasted malts at the start, floral and citrus hops in the middle and burnt malt and dark roast coffee in the finish. Not extremely complex, but just enough to keep it interesting without muddling things.

Full bodied and rich with mild carbonation and a long finish.

This is quickly becoming one of my favourite styles. Not the best example I've had, but a solid offering and a welcome surprise on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 06:42:38 | More by Noxious26

mountdew1

New Hampshire

3.65/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured into an oversized wine glass. Color was a mostly opaque black with a thick 1 finger light brown head. A fair bit of cling on the sides. Aroma was a roasted grain, with a bit of brown sugar in the back. Bits of lactose alternated with a bitter smell. Flavor was roasted grain with a bit of burnt lactose. As time went on, the burnt got a bit stronger. Felt good in the mouth, coated very well without being overly sticky. Overall not bad, but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 23:47:57 | More by mountdew1

StJamesGate

New York

3.56/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cherry black with a puffy, pitted tan head that surprisingly sticks around.
Orange oil, brown sugar syrup, ash, leather and licorice sticks on the nose.
Cola, licorice sweets, a roasty bite and then mild orange rind and pine sap hops.
Thin, crisp, a bit of cling.

Alchemy hops are seemingly a blend of Warrior and Millenium.

Watery and not hopped enough for a CDA. Plays almost like a hoppy schwarzbier. Heard Widmer was the best of the CBA; this is a disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 21:51:16 | More by StJamesGate

tectactoe

Michigan

3.63/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Pours black as the name suggests, some brown hints along the top and very edges; tan head settles to a thin layer, medium lacing down the glass. Aroma starts off sticky, heavy, and dank with heavy hop oils and resinous layers unfolding left and right. The taste follows right through, overtaken by a solid hop profile; dank, oily, resinous. Slightly peppery, very faint citrus flavors, wet grapefruit rinds. Overall the hops are mostly wet and spicy. The backbone of this beer is very malty and it does a nice job of toning down the hops. Slight roasted character in the background; leaves a bready aftertaste which is very reminiscent of dry rye bread. Medium body, medium-high carbonation, just a touch of stickiness on the palate.

Not a bad beer at all. Black IPA's always surprise me, even though I know what to expect. It's like that purple colored Ketchup. Tastes like ketchup, but it just looks weird. Nice hop profile and a good balance with the roasted malts. Definitely a better brew than I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 16:54:43 | More by tectactoe

Chris_Cali_2o9

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

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Sam Adams cup

A- Near black mahogany body, 1" khaki head

S- very nice floral aroma with nutty roasted malt making their presence known, i also smell clay, which i have been getting hints of in some brews lately. I guess i can call it earthy?

T- Dark chocolate and floral sweet hops, the bitterness of the 2 go well together. Hints of alcohol twang and heat show up at the end

M- Medium body, good carbonation

O- I was going to give this an average score as i jotted down the review on paper, but as i began typing it up, the beer warmed, and i found myself liking it more and more. This is the 4th and final bottle out of the 4 pack, the 1st was such a disappointment that i drain poored it, the 2nd was ok, the 3rd good, and the 4th ended up being pretty damn tasty. I'm glad i caught it at the perfect temp and decided not to review it until now. Time to got turn the thermostat down on my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 00:13:26 | More by Chris_Cali_2o9

Murrhey

Montana

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured on-tap in a mug at the Goat Hill Tavern in Costa Mesa, Calif.

A- Finger width head. Thick lacing and decently long lasting retention. Black color.

S- Roast malts and barley but still some hoppiness.

T- Very hoppy with an added bitterness from the roast barley. Dark tastes!

M- Lighter body and good carbonation. Nice feel.

O- Pretty good, combines styles well.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2012 01:13:40 | More by Murrhey

BhamBeerLover

4.23/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Not much of a malt profile for a "pitch" black IPA. Would've expected some roasted notes or at least something in the darker category. For a fan of the dark cascadians this beer left me wanting on that subject. Otherwise this beer was good and I would drink again but cannot say I would choose it over some of the other options out there. I look forward to more brews coming out of the Widmer brothers operation.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 03:19:49 | More by BhamBeerLover

McD0uche

California

3.33/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A: Pours a very dark black/brown color that lets little to no light in. The head is barely noticeable and quickly subsides into a few frothy bubbles. Lacing is nonexistent. Nothing extraordinary here.

S: A complex mix of malts, hops, grapefruit, chocolate, and cherries. Not overpowering or lasting, but enjoyable and appealing.

T: Grapefruit, tangy, malts, a hint of chocolate. A bit too sweet for my liking, but overall good.

M: Tart. Feels a little acidic on the tongue. Oily finish. Definitely not the best feeling on the palate.

O: Well, this wasn't too bad, but I wasn't impressed with it either. The mouthfeel sort of killed it for me. There are probably better black IPAs out there. No memorable qualities come to mind for this beer and I doubt I'll remember it for too long. 3/5

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 17:53:13 | More by McD0uche

Bitterbill

Wyoming

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

$9 something for a 4 pack. Better than paying half that for 1 bottle at the Old Chicago.

It's a pitch black pour with a small tannish head of foam. Not much lacing.

A very good smell here. I get grapefruit from the hops, roasted malt and some malt sweetness, done in a very balanced way. I came in not expecting much but the aromas of Pitch Black are darned good.

The taste is just as good. All 3 flavours are there and are just as balanced as what I got from the smell. A very nice roasty/hoppy finish that makes me want to open another bottle. From Widmer? Really? That's a new experience for me.

Nothing wrong with the mouthfeel either...medium bodied with the right amount of carbonation.

I was very pleasantly surprised at how well this beer turned out. Especially as it was not at what I'd call a bargain for a 4 pack. Kudos to the brewer!

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 18:04:16 | More by Bitterbill

scvance

South Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a pitch black color (no surprises there) with a small creamy tan head. Looks to me like a porter. Smells of caramel and roasted sweetness. Slight herbal and citrus aroma. Taste is great, there's the dark roast qualities of the darker malts along with a nice bitterness with a crisp finish. Slight citrus character in the taste as well. Medium carbonation, with a medium body, this beer goes down easily.

This is a very good beer, I just don't think it has quite enough hop character in it to truly be an IPA. I think it tastes more like a strong porter with slightly more hops in it than normal. Still, good nonetheless and it will stay on my list of beers I'd like to have again.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 22:43:34 | More by scvance

NicoDuval

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A- Like the name says, pitch black, poured into a mug with about 3 cm of creamy foam. Looks great.

S- Light malt and caramel. Not nearly as much I had anticipated.

T- Lightly malted at first, then a little bitter hops. An interesting aftertaste of dark chocolate and burnt caramel once the hops fades. A few minutes after a drink, I get a bad pill taste for about 10 seconds.

F- Smooth with a slight bite at the end.

O- Back and forth on this one, one sip is ehh, but then the next is pretty good, then there is that bad pill taste. In general, probably won't be trying this one again.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 00:20:58 | More by NicoDuval

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.63/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a shaker pint glass. Pours a very dark brown appearing black in the glass, with a half finger light tan head with decent retention. Aroma was piney hops with light toasted malt. Flavor follows, with light pine and citrus hops and toasted malt, light singed coffee. A fairly understated black ale, but maybe I've been spoiled by black IPAs. Light to medium bodied. A satisfactory black ale, but nothing really stands out about it.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 02:57:50 | More by LiquidAmber

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

4.03/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Very dark brown to black in color with a light tan head.

Smell is piney hops with some malt character. Alcohol presence too but not unpleasantly present.

Taste is sweet malt up front. Pine hoppiness with mild bitterness.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied. Very smooth.

Overall this was better than expected. Better than other black IPAs I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 23:54:33 | More by TrappistJohnMD

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.78/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap in a pint glass

Appearance – Served a deep drown beer with a one-half finger white head. The head had great retention, but eventually faded to give decent lacing..

Smell – The aroma is heaviest of hop. A nice dose of citrus and pine are mixed with aromas of roasted malt and a light chocolate smell.

Taste – The taste begins with a nice blend of roast and hop. A chocolate and roasted malt flavor mixed with some citrus and pine notes. As the flavor advances to the middle the roasted flavors get stronger while the hop remains the same. At the same time a light char flavor comes to the tongue as well, complementing the roasted flavors well. The roast and char flavors, at the end, begin to lose ground to some sweeter flavors as well as more hop. Some semi-sweet coffee and citrus grapefruit hop flavor combine with the rest to nicely round out the taste.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the medium side with the carbonation the same.

Overall – A pretty decent dark IPA. It has a good hop and roast flavors. While not the best out there, as it’s transitions and complementation of the roast, sweet and hop flavors are not always smooth, it does have decent individual flavors..

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2012 22:33:52 | More by Darkmagus82

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This brew was served from the tap at The Half Pint Pub in Rochester, NY. It arrived in a Pabst Blue Ribbon pint glass, and showed a deep brown coloring throughout. It held a half finger tall tannish head, showing okay retention without any noticeable lacing. No sediment was noted, and carbonation appeared average. The aroma gave citric hops, caramel and light coffee malts to balance with some sweetness, and light steel and yeast. Our first impression was that the malts are nicely deep, with big bready yeast and metals on the back. As we sipped, biting grain of coffee malts, yeast, syrupy sugars, fresh juicy and grassy hops, and citric rind to bitter started things off. The middle showed adjuncty bite to the peak, with more bread, yeast, and burnt caramel. We finished with full on char mixing with a big hoppy balance of citrus and nectary peach fruitiness. It was much more sweet than bitter, at least at the end. The aftertaste showed booze, charred coffee beans, peppery alcohol, and grassy aromatic hops. The body was medium, and the carbonation was medium to high, prickling down the hard palate. The tongue was coated in hop oil slickness before a drying bite of finishing booziness cooled the mouth. The abv was appropriate, and the beer drank decently.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the hop freshness through the taste. The nose, however, was comparatively weak. Following in the taste, we wished there was a better balance throughout, as we felt the malts were underdeveloped, and the hops were left without any real good match.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2012 16:52:26 | More by TheBrewo

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle was poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: The beer poured a one finger head that has reduced to a puffy mocha colored layer. It is pitch black color with no clarity. Nice lacing on the glass as the beer was drank.

Smell: roasted and chocolate malts, citrus notes, and burnt notes too. Interesting.

Taste: citrus up front, mocha, raosted and burnt notes in the rear. Some lingering bitterness in there too.

Mouthfeel: medium carbonation, a bit watery, light to medium bodied, and a bit smooth too.

Overall: I like certain things about this beer, but it seemed a bit light and watery on the palate. I have enjoyed more of this when on draft, but will still drink in a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 01:30:59 | More by Flounder57

mralphabet

Virginia

3.38/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz beer poured into pint glass

A: Poured an opaque black with a good 2 fingers worth of head that settles to a nice think layer. Wonderful lacing from start to finish. Great looking beer..

S: Wow, hops right out of the gate.... followed by some burnt malt and a touch of vanilla.... Smells great !!

T: OK taste is a little opposite of the smell.... I'm getting a smokey burnt malt right up front with a strong grapefruit bitter hops at the finish. Aftertaste is a little bitter for my taste.

M: Mid bodied with pretty low carbonation.... Hops are pretty oily.

O: OK, let me say I'm not a big hop head.... and this beer is not over the top hoppy but a little on the sticky hoppy side. A good representative for a Black IPA. If you like black IPA give this one a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 23:09:55 | More by mralphabet

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Real nice nose on this one. Has that fruity tone to it you'd expect from the style. Flavor is pretty good, though it doesn't really live up to the fragrance at all. Pretty easy to drink, but not really bringing a mass of complexity. Just hits ya in the mouth, and it's good. Just not overly memorable.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 02:27:31 | More by RblWthACoz

Kooz

New York

3.85/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap and served in a snifter, the beer is, as the name aptly states, pitch black with a light tan head that has some staying power. Looks appetizing.

Smells faintly burnt with some stronger hops notes, but not overpowering. Nice.

Tastes bitter but not overly so, and slightly smoky with a hint of sweetness at the final finish. It's fairly complex, with notes rising above others at different point in the sipping process. It's got a nice flavor; not overly hoppy--perfect amount of hop taste, in my opinion.

Full-bodied with explosions of flavor when swished. It's crisp and refreshing (even though you don't expect it from looks alone).

Overall it's very nice--I' happily order this again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2012 19:03:38 | More by Kooz

soulgrowl

United Kingdom (England)

4.2/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Looks a bit like cola. Almost opaque brown with a thin head, sandy white in color. Nice to see a blac IPA that looks more like an IPA as opposed to a stout that happens to be hoppy. The aroma is like chocolate covered hops; rich ganache with a hint of coffee, citrus, honey, and lavender. A touch of dark raisiny fruit is there as well, making this a nice balancing act between the malts and the hops. A nice sprightly carbonation keeps this pretty easy to drink in spite of its rich flavours, as does an overall dryness. The general impression is one of balance; there are some good juicy citric-tropical hop flavours here, but they share the stage with the chocolatey, kind of licoricey flavours of the malts. This isn't a beer that has me totally engrossed in its nuance, but it is a damn tasty sipper and a great example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 06:39:40 | More by soulgrowl

SykDoc

Wisconsin

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

Poured from the bottle into a pint glass. It pours almost black and forms a 1/2 inche tan head that slowly reduces leaving a nice lacing.

The aroma is a solid hit of pine and citrus with roasted maltiness coming through. Just a bit light.

The taste is a good blend of the pine/citrus hops with a solid coffee/roasted malt bitter sweetness.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a slightly lacking carbonation. It is fairly smooth and a minimal dryness lingering.

Overall, this is a good beer. It's an easy beer to sit and drink while not ruining the palate and providing solid flavors.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 01:46:10 | More by SykDoc

alexgash

Connecticut

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

12 oz. bottle. Brewed on Apr 10, 2012.

Very dark ruby brown. Seems clear. Finger of thick, dense, creamy, dirty sandy brown head. Nose of roasted coffee, dark fruits, and a little smoke. Oh, and a nice contingent of hops: minty, piny, and herbal.

Roasted, charred bitterness up front. Coffee and dark chocolate malts settle in, with a meaty, smoky edge. Slightly fruity. Herbal, piny, minty hops complement the malt nicely. A little spicy. A little drier in the finish, with lingering charred malts. Medium body with a slightly creamy feel. A nice black IPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 01:03:30 | More by alexgash