Black IPA: A growing dark art

More and more brewers are getting excited about black IPA, “and not without reason,” said Evan S. Benn in Esquire.com. Also known as India black ale or American black ale, the beer is “pitch-black,” like a stout, but “bracingly hoppy,” like an IPA. There’s a good chance you’ll find one brewed near you. Here, though, are a few standouts.

Stone Escondidian Imperial Black IPA

Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, Calif.

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This brewery put black IPA on the map four years ago. For Stone’s 15th birthday, it’s offering a special ale whose hops impart “juicy-tart gooseberry notes.”

Hop in the Dark

Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Ore.

Citrusy, floral hops make this pitch-black beer “smell like sunshine.”

Hoppy Feet

Clown Shoes, Ipswich, Mass.

Roasted malts add “chocolaty, nutty undertones” to this brew