Illusion - Moor Beer Company

danieelol

Australia

3.53/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours black with good head and lacing.

Nose presents a berryish hop character. Milky profile, malty notes bordering on a brown ale.

Taste is reminiscent of the nose.

Definitely in the harrowing Australian Black IPA-style.

Mouthfeel is decent.

Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 12:44:45 | More by danieelol

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

660ml bottle, 4.7% ABV. Neat to see this Western NA style making it over to the old countries. And I rather prefer this brewer's designation of 'Black Ale'. Simple.

This beer pours a solid black, with low cola highlights, and three fingers of rising, broadly puffy, foamy tan head, which leaves some random swaths of thin cloudburst lace around the glass as it fizzles out.

It smells of roasted caramel malt, chalky medium cocoa, a bit of sour milk, subtle bitter black fruit, and musty, ashy grassy hops. The taste is a whole league more bitter and sassy from the onset - toasted, slightly charred bready malt, a touch of caramel/toffee, tangy orchard fruit - nectarines and orange pith, mostly - gritty dark chocolate, a hint of day-old coffee, and further piney, slightly spicy hops.

The carbonation is fairly active and even frothy at times, the body an adequate medium weight, and generally smooth, a tiny fruity pithiness sort of wriggling its way in. It finishes off-dry, the roasted malt still giving off a somewhat balanced sweetness in the face of the fruity, ashy hops.

A perfectly pleasant black ale, with a nod to, as opposed to a rubber necking towards, the big hoppy charred spectacles from the Pacific NW. Assertive, yes, but in a genuinely moderated sense, so much so that this British bomber just seemed to disappear into the approaching night - poof!

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 02:12:52 | More by biboergosum

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.43/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours black with ruby highlights and a small head.
Nose shows lots of roasted malt with some chocolate notes alongside some softer piny and spicy hops.
Pretty aggressively roasty flavours too, more spicy and piny hops as well.
Could use more carbonation.
Could use more malt to balance the roasted grains and hops.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2012 01:30:01 | More by CrazyDavros

jrfehon33

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

While visiting my brother in Bristol, UK I tried this beer at a local pub. It doesn't surprise me, as an American, that this beer is described as an American black IPA. It must have citra hops in it because the smell is very reminiscent of an American IPA, especially those from southern California, with a very citrusy aroma. You can also smell the roasted malt. The flavor is much like the smell with roasted malt dominating and a nice after taste of citrus and sweetness. Also, having it on cask made the mouthfeel really nice and smooth. Im not sure how far away from the UK you can get this beer but if you're a fan of black IPAs this is one you should try to find!

Serving type: cask

04-09-2012 20:26:09 | More by jrfehon33

seanyfo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.53/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pint served by handpump at Greyfriars in Edinburgh.

Described as an American Imperial Black Ale brewed to a session strength.

A- Black body with no light perception. 3finger head that has excellent retention and lacing.

S- Tinned peaches! It hits me in the face! Its a very fresh fruity smell with a light sweetness. Light milk chocolate note lingering.

T- Light toasted malts, the sweet peachy fruitiness comes through to balance this and the finish is long and semi dry with a lingering hop bitterness.

M- Low carbonation and a light/medium body.

D- A very tasty ale. Never had this style and obviously not brewed to the stereotypical American style/ABV. Very tasty and a wonderful aroma. Hopefully they will get the chance to brew this regularly if the ingredients become more readily available.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 21:17:52 | More by seanyfo