Heavy Seas Black Cannon - Heavy Seas Beer

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - pours dark but shows reddish mahogany against a good light source. Light mocha cap is nice and thick. Good stick as well, sort of an ice cream float look on the surface.

Aroma - sharp piny notes, some roasty notes initially but they fade as this sets up to a resiny hop-owned aroma.

Taste - a brief dose of hops at first, then the roasted grain and hops make a real nice blended flavor at mid-palate. A grapefruit rind flavor on the finish, then roasted grains end the ride with a touch of citrusy sweetness. Good lengthy finish too.

Mouthfeel - decent smooth flow to the beer, crisp and fluffy in the mouth. Refreshing for such a flavorful brew.

Drinkability - an excellent brew. Dry hopping would put this over the top. Probably my favorite 'hybrid' style. Good tasty beer for anytime.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 03:59:38 | More by brewdlyhooked13

NuclearRich

Connecticut

3.4/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass after a long day of brewing a double batch of saison.

A: Pitch black. Oil with creme on top. The edge of the glass, when held up to light, has the slightest deep ruby tint. A medium/dark tan head sits on top of this abyss, remaining as a nice collar with just a tiny smattering of lacing.

S: Chocolate malt, but without any bitterness. Creamy chocolatey malt is all I smell. Delicious but surprising, I raised my eyebrows in delight, even though I expected a more hoppy aroma.

T: Roasty, a light chocolate bitterness, definitely much more malty than an IPA should be, but I'll give it a pass since the style (blackened) is still evolving and it certainly suits the color and smell. Ever so slightly medicinal.

M: Oily with a moderate carbonation. The worst part, as that really mild off taste is the part that lingers

O: Not terrible, but not a dark IPA that should be a go-to. The aroma is quite nice, but it just doesnt follow through.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 00:33:07 | More by NuclearRich

Fleeflam

2.35/5  rDev -38.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

Does not have an average IPA taste. More of a Porter to me. Goes down smooth with not a huge after taste, but definitely coats the tongue. It is a good beer but just not what I expected. I would drink two of these in one sitting and would buy it again. A must try for a beer fan.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 01:19:06 | More by Fleeflam

flagmantho

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: rich, dark amber-brown hue nearing black in its darkness. Ruby highlights pass through when held up to the light. Head is a thick finger of frothy, clingy tan foam. Quite good.

Smell: chocolatey malt aroma with a big helping of earthy, vegetal hops. The burnt edges of the roasted grains along with the rawness of the hops make the aroma a little bit rough; however, this can be expected a little bit for the style. Not bad, but it could be smoother.

Taste: nice chocolatey malt with a noticeable alcohol bite. There's a bit of fruity complexity here, along with the earthy hops. Hops get more vegetal toward the end, but that's to be expected. In all, smoother and more complex than the aroma.

Mouthfeel: medium to medium-thick body with an immense silkiness. Carbonation didn't seem particularly high but it is well-integrated or something, because the creaminess and smoothness of the texture here is simply outstanding. It comes as a great surprise, and I love it.

Overall: with the complexity of the flavor and remarkable texture, this is a beer I will definitely have again if given the opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 06:16:06 | More by flagmantho

TheSupremeAJ

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle best before May 2012- I should've looked at the date before I picked this up from the Collegeville, PA Wegmans.

A- Coca-cola color with a thin creamy head.
S- Moderate hops and tangy malt- reminds me of a hoppy porter
T- Kind of clashes- not real smooth or well-blended. This is really cool in comparison to others from the Cannon series, but by itself it is nothing special.
M- Thin and coarse- funky aftertaste
O- Nothing I would go out of my way for, but in a flight with some other cannons it would make a cool tasting.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 00:44:26 | More by TheSupremeAJ

Pencible

Virginia

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

A: This poured a nearly opaque black garnet with some tan head.
S: It smelled like citrus and cocoa powder, with some roasted coffee and copper.
T: It tasted like citrus hops and chocolate malt, with some coffee and copper and grapefruit. It had a bitter aftertaste with some sweetness and alcohol.
M: It was slightly thick with some carbonation. Decent body.
D: This was a nice black IPA, but didn't have the most unique or delicious scent and taste. The body was mediocre, and the finish was a bit harsh. So it wasn't the easiest to drink. Enjoyable brew, but clearly lacked refinement and great appeal.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 19:10:09 | More by Pencible

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: black body, finger khaki head, fine lacing

S: caramel, pine, nutty, roasted malt

T: same as nose, with mild bitter finish

M: med body, smooth mouth

O: Very nice beer. I enjoy this brewery.
Would get again and recommend to others.
IPA meets a porter.

INTERESTING, WORTH TRYING!

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 17:13:18 | More by BeerLover99

mactrail

California

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Very dark and opaque with a nice beige head. Not much aroma. Pleasantly carbonated. A little dank hoppiness lurking, but otherwise a malty mouthful. Light bodied and sprightly nonetheless.

Fairly rich with a malty sweetness that is pleasing under the hops. Not actually that bitter, so it's more of a balanced ale than a hop-driven experience. The mellow malt renews itself at every sip. Some hints of burnt sugar, and a touch of dark caramel.

Overall, this one of the better Black Ales I've had. I wouldn't call it a Black IPA as styled on the label. Nor does it stray into the charred stout territory. Whatever it is, it's tops for drinkability. 12 oz bottle from Food and Friends in Philadelphia.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 05:10:22 | More by mactrail

Brenden

Ohio

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It's about as pitch-black as I've ever seen, inky and thick with no light coming through. A light brown head begins at nearly 2 fingers in height and recedes to a heavy foam that remains and drops clingy patches of lacing on the glass.
A balanced aroma offers nearly as much roast as hoppiness. A hint of cocoa nibs natural to the malts blends with citrus, and there's a ghostly twang of something leafy as well as a very gentle earthy element.
There's an unexpected sweetness to this beer, though it's of a citrusy nature and not distracting or misplaced. The toast and gentle char comes through with pine, citrus and a bit of leaf. It's balanced and it's flavorful, and an interesting take. I think it's the right profile and possibly needs a little more depth to reach the next level.
The feel is nice, a medium body with plenty of crispness to it remains semi-dry all the way.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 06:27:24 | More by Brenden

mdcrouser

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Deep brown-black, with a finger's worth of creamy tan head over the top. Leaves heavy rings behind.

In relation to other Black IPAs, the nose is muted with only a hint of woodiness coming through - some cedar and greenery.

"Clean" was the first word that came to mind. The greenery of the hops comes through at the fore, followed by a lightly charred malt, with notes of oak and a bit of alcohol.

Creamy - almost like a cream stout. A bit of pepper in the carbonation.

Highly approachable, especially if new to Black IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 03:49:31 | More by mdcrouser

jculler82

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours black with red brown edges with a nice tan head that dies rather quickly. Not much lacing.

Aroma is subdued. Some light caramel sweetness and tropical hops. Smells balanced if that makes sense, equally malty and hoppy.

Initially a lot like a milk stout in flavor with significant residual sweetness, followed by a nice roast flavor, with a firm bitter finish. Hop flavor is apparent, but is balanced nicely by the malt character.

Overall, this is a pretty nice beer, more American stout than black IPA. I'll drink more of this.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2012 17:55:47 | More by jculler82

nimrod979

Maryland

3.65/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Newer beer from the boys down the road at Heavy Seas. 12 oz bottle into a... guess what? Heavy Seas pint glass.

Appearance - Beer poured a deep deep brown with faint ruby highlights. Rather thin, half-finger beige head. Fades quickly into a ring, has a tiny bit of lacing.

Aroma - Some citrus and piney hop. Roasted malts are easily detectable but the aroma as a whole is rather weak.

Taste - Offers a bit of complexity. Roasted malts. Cocoa, toffee and caramel flavors seem to be the more dominate balance. There's a decent balance of sweet/bitter with the citrus and piney hops. Would have liked a little more hops to show through but It's still pretty good. Finishes off with some more bitter coffee and hop flavors.

Mouthfeel - Medium to full bodied. Moderate carbonation. Not the best balance of malts and hops. Definitely leans towards the malty side of things. But not a bad one to try. It's something a little different, if that's what you're looking for.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 22:40:38 | More by nimrod979

jtierney89

New Jersey

4.65/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Deep brown color, some visibility creamy one finger off white head. Awesome nose of rich roasted malt, chocolate, caramel, coffee and classic American hops. Really blends into something I've never smelled before of being earthy, fruity, yet tamed I'm loving of.

Fuller side of medium bodied, great carbonation with an awesome malt character that holds everything together. Taste is much like the nose with great complexity yet amazing drinkability. Jesus Christ this beer is good. Subtle notes of candy and licorice. Simply put this beer has amazingly blended flavors. Quite a surprise in a world of mediocre black ales. This thing really shines. I love it.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 03:23:04 | More by jtierney89

barczar

Kentucky

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

Pours a deep opaque brown with garnet highlights and a solid one finger tan head that lingers.

Aroma is dominated by sweet roast malt and chocolate, followed by bright grapefruit and slightly piney, earthy hop scent. Resin and a bit of dankness emerge. Floral hop aromas surface as it warms.

Flavor is fairly balanced initially, with roast malt competing with citrusy hop at an even keel. Chocolatey sweetness battles grapefruit and tangerine tang, eventually leading to a coffee-like, lightly bitter finish.

Body is moderately heavy, with a moderately high level of carbonation, and a slightly dry finish. Alcohol warmth is subtle, but present.

Overall, a fairly even balance of malt and hop, perhaps leaning more to the malty side. Good beer, but not a standout.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 06:49:23 | More by barczar

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.4/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours black with moderate cap of khaki froth, nice streaky lacing. Scent was nearly non existent with hints of orange blossom, lightly citrus and floral, light roast. Taste brings a little more hop character, orange, flowers and grass, dark malts faintly roasted and toasted. Dry on the palate, faintly chalky. In a style with many interpretations, this one is meek and mild.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 01:11:26 | More by rfgetz

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.55/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Being a fan of the delicious Heavy Seas' Loose Cannon, I had to try this new black IPA variant. This has recently begun popping up in stores around the area and is quite a fairly priced six pack. Date on the bottle is notched at April 2012.

Served at 48º in a Heavy Seas tulip pint glass.

(Appearance) Beer pours a thin half-finger depth deep tan head of a frothy consistency that retains average, holding firm after transitioning to a thin bubbly surface cover at the center of the glass. Lacing is clingy at the crown but doesn't hold well throughout the drink. Color is a very deep brown, not quite black as there are some spots where light gets through in medium brown shades. The beer still has a great deal of substance and looks appealing, although a lack of better head quality and size is the biggest disappointment here. 3.5

(Smell) Aromas carry some bold citrusy notes to the nose with a roasted caramel and bitter toffee notes in the background. A faint unexpected chocolate tone really brings a sweet character to the brew. Medium potency is a little short of my expectations but the complexity is fine. The aroma is well balanced with both sweet and bitter characteristics adding to the final product. The aroma is appealing and approachable overall. 4

(Taste) Flavors include a roasty pale chocolate malt with a hop bitterness overlaying a roasted caramel and mild bitter black malt bed on the finish. While the bitter finish gives this away as a Black IPA, the malt bill (and very relaxed hop addition) gives it some stout-like characteristics. The finish is a sweet and sticky semi-sweet chocolate malt. At times I think it may be a touch too sweet, or in need of balancing out with more bitter characteristics which are limited aside from the faint piney hops. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Very creamy smooth. I think there should be a touch more carbonation in the mouth to bring out the hoppy characters and bitter action in the beer, otherwise it's acting more as a stout or porter and lacking the IPA that I'm looking for. Alcohol presence is light. Body is about medium. Not a terrible pairing with the taste but it is a bit too smooth and accents the sweet characters of the malt, while overshadowing the bitter characters and hop flavor. 3

(Overall) While this doesn't top my love for Loose Cannon, it does a pretty good job of fulfilling my growing love of black IPAs. There's a ton of robust roasty and chocolate content in this beer to be found, and in a way it bridges the gap between IPAs and Stouts, which are two of my favorite styles. My biggest criticism is the lack of hop flavor and character in the taste (although bitterness was nearly there), it really came off-balance at times, sticking too much with the dark malt and chocolate. Aside from this it was a pretty good beer, and one I wouldn't mind seeking out again, if the price is right. 3.5

Heavy Seas Beer's
Black Cannon Black IPA
3.55/5.00

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 00:31:18 | More by Jadjunk

dtivp

West Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark black ,some ruby hues with a one finger dark mocha head, good retention with light lacing.

Aroma of light chocolate, malt, hints of pine and hops.

Taste of bread, chocolate, malt with a nice balanced flavor, a slight pine and hop bitter ending.

Mouth Feel was medium body, creamy smooth with slight bitter after taste,

Overall a nice enjoyable balanced beer, a very good black ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 17:31:27 | More by dtivp

Maxwell

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a reddened brown black with a thick creamy almost maple syrup colored head and a thick and runny lacing.

Smell: Malty sweet up front with a slight bitter tinge in the back of the smell. The smell is definitely soft for an IPA, though it’s black characteristics suggest a stronger malt flavoring.

Taste: Smoked malts hit you pretty fast. Wonderfully smokey with a fizzing bitter back end to the taste that is partially the smoked malts but mostly the hoppy bite expected in an IPA. It is definitely more malty than hop based, but that definitely works with this beer.

Mouthfeel: Thick and crisp on the tongue with a bubbly carbonation. This beer is clean and watery, but weighs heavier on the back of the tongue.

Overall: This is an excellent beer with wonderful smoked flavoring. While the smoked malts seem to be covering up the hops bitter bite, but it still ends with a nice IPA bite. I’d call it more of a smoked ale than an IPA but is fantastic in its uniqueness and full flavored taste. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 23:09:25 | More by Maxwell

C20Percent

Virginia

3.28/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

*Drank before the "Best By..." date - poured into the bottle*

Full Disclosure: First Black IPA I've reviewed.

A: Pours a dark , dark brown with a healthy, bubbly head of light tan foam on top. Looks clean. Some bubbles on the side of the glass. Lacing is below average. Nothing stands out here -- but it's good.

S: Parts of me are digging the aroma, which I think is a nice complexity. First impression is stout/porter all the way. It's got the roasty smell. Coffee notes hit the nose. But, you give it a swirl and you get the hoppy smell. The only thing holding it back from amazing is the hoppy part doesn't necessarily stand out as anything special, nor does the stout smell.

T: The roasted malt, coffee-caramel is the fist flavor that hits the palette. The taste doesn't sting the tongue like you get in a full-loaded IPA. It more or less just sits there. Plus, I'm waiting for the hoppy kick that I get from other Black IPAs, but it's just not there. Also, a fairly dull finish. Need a bit more here.

M: Ugh -- I want to give the feel an average rating, but the flatness is preventing me from doing so. The carbonation is fairly solid, and the beer does coat the mouth with some roastiness. The beer isn't chewy. And, I'm drinking this at a point where the beer is supposed to be fresh, but it's falling flat for me.

O: I think this is your average Black IPA. In the past these beers have stood out because of the hoppy finish, but not really getting that here. The only thing that pushes this beer above average is I think the alcohol is very well managed. The 7.5% indicates there should be some booziness, but there's none -- so Bravo there.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 01:14:22 | More by C20Percent

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 Oz bottle poured into a tulip glass

A- Pours black. A one and a half finger of a tan khaki head, pretty good retention.

S- A fresh smelling heap of hops. A nice assortment of citrus fruits and some skunkyness. A lot of reasted hops as well as a good heap of chocolate.

T- A little bitterness up front. A lot of malt notes in the middle, Very chocolatey and has a lot of roasted characteristics. A good refreshing bitterness. The hop flavor isnt strong in the taste itself but comes out nicely in the aftertaste.

M- A good sized brew but drinks very easily. A lingering roasted aftertaste. Bitterness and carbonation keeps it fresh feeling and easy to drink.

O- An great Black IPA, been wanting it for a while, just now found it. Its not the best of the style I have had but its a good one and well represents what a black IPA is.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 02:19:01 | More by TwelveOunces

Reaper16

Alabama

2.3/5  rDev -39.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

12oz. bottle served into a tulip glass

Pours a nice, even blackish color. One finger of light tan head with some decent lacing. This is a good looking beer, though there isn't much to really say about it.

The malts are the loudest speakers in the aroma, which isn't something you want to see in an IPA. Stale Maxwell House dominates, along with a healthy dose of cocoa powder. There's orange and grapefruit lupulin flavors that peek through all that porterish aroma. This smells like an interesting cup of coffee from your local, not-particularly-great, coffee experimental roaster.

The flavor of this beer is all out of whack. Nothing coheres. The purfumey orange hop flavors clash violently with the powdery dark malt flavors. The finish is like you ate a small spoonful of old coffee grounds while smelling an obnoxious candle.

Pretty average mouthfeel. The carbonation level and body are each fine. Overall, this is a weak attempt. A failure, even. Compare this to, say, Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale and the difference will be STARK. Heavy Seas Black Cannon is a beer whose flavor components just don't work together.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 21:53:53 | More by Reaper16

barleyroad

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance, dark and mysterious, lacing is nice. Smell is hoppy lager. Full bodied, nice hop with a dry finish in taste. The mouthfeel is very dry and swallows nice. Overall this is a good dark IPA. One worth of the fridge. Great with swiss cheese...

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 23:18:07 | More by barleyroad

microbrewlover

Pennsylvania

2.38/5  rDev -37.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This brew pours a dark black with reddish hues when held up to the light. There is a half finger mocha colored head. Almost no lacing; good carbonation.

The smell is of chocolate and light hops. There is also a malty/bready smell.

The taste is of chocolate, some alcohol taste comes through. Sweet malts the front end, bitter hops on the back end. Based on the ingredients I can taste, I believe this brew should taste better but fails to wow.

The mouthfeel is bready and chewy. There is also a crisp feeling due to the carbonation.

Overall this brew underwhelms. It does not appear that the mix of malt, chocolate and hops is quite right.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 23:58:26 | More by microbrewlover

mvanaskie13

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a standard pint glass, color is deep dark brown to black, some amber hues on the glass edges, head color is tan, light lacing.

Smell is pretty clean, light maltiness with some mild hop bitterness in piney type notes. Some chocolate comes through as it warms with some breadiness coming through also.

Taste is clean, not overly sweet, nice malt balance between some pale and chocolate, light biscuit comes through, no caramel. Hop bitterness comes through in the finish, notes of pine and light citrus, not overpowering but come through nicely.

Mouthfeel is prety well balanced, nice clean sweetness with a lingering bitterness, somewhat expected from an ipa - bready/biscuit flavors smooth some potential harshness from bitterness/roast malt.

Overall, very solid brew, clean flavors/tastes with a nice bitterness coming through. Would really like to try this one on tap.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 22:36:40 | More by mvanaskie13

Billolick

New York

3.9/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler filled at Yorktown (NY) beverage.

Pours near black, under a solid mocha head, that lasts nicely and leaves better then decent fine lacing.

Milk chocolate in the nose with a hint of sweet fruit.

Chocolate infused black ale, I'm not really picking up a huge hop blast here, that would yell "IPA". I get some more citric fruit, plenty of chocolate malts, moderate hoppy bitterness in the rear.

Medium bodied and on the creamier side. Nice and smooth.

Enjoyable, flavorful and nicely crafted, but a bit on the underwhelming side

Serving type: growler

04-10-2012 13:43:17 | More by Billolick