Black IPA: A growing dark art
Beer lovers are catching on to the flavors of black ale.
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.”
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Hoppy Feet
Clown Shoes, Ipswich, Mass.
Roasted malts add “chocolaty, nutty undertones” to this brew
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