Hoppin' Frog - Hop Heathen

I love beer trades!  Today's beer I would normally never have had access to were it not for a trade catalyzed by "teh interwebz."  The new trading partner responsible for this brew, Eric (http://itsmedoublee.wordpress.com/ ), assures me that this brew, Hoppin' Frog Hop Heathen (Imperial Black Ale) came right off of the bottling line and I'm not one to sit around and let the hops fade away.  So let's pour!

Aroma 9/12

The aroma is not as strong as I would have hoped for considering that this brew utilizes some ingredients that are quite easily accessible to olfaction.  Pine is readily present as is a grapefruit citrus, but otherwise fairly clean as far as hops go with the exception of a distant, peppery, spice note.  As this beer warms the malts take over and they do a fine job.  The dark roast is first and initially seems somewhat mild (relative for the style) until the cocoa aroma blends with it and brings a bit of toffee along for the ride.  The three together are an excellent harmony.  Granted, I'm on the tail end of a cold, so my sniffer might not be 100%, but I can still breathe rather well through my nose, so I assume everything is in working order.  Boy!  Do those cocoa and toffee scents really ratchet things up as the beer warms!  Even the ABV shows up to play!  Spectacular.  I only wish it was a more powerful smell, because what they have here they should be proud of.

Appearance 3/3

All things appear to be black as night in this IBA, but when held to a window, the bottom of my glass revealed a nice coffee brown hue and even a ruby glint or two!  Unexpected and welcome!  The head is just over a finger high and the same creamy texture and tan shade you might find on top of a Guinness (ok, so initially it's more soapy).  It leaves a little lacing on the way down and maintains a higher than average retention.

Flavor 19/20

You're given a brief warning shot of cocoa and toffee before being flooded with burnt, roasted malts and a resinous hop.  It's a great combination that is bitter and means business, even if it is eventually cut with a lactose.  In any case, they settle down a bit and allow other flavors to play their part.  The resinous hops also show a piney note and the toffee comes in to sweeten the lot.  The reprise of the toffee is gently brought in, as well as an occasional, very authentic grain note, like toasted whole wheat bread (you know, the good kind with the nuts in it).  As it is held in the mouth the charred, bitter malts are primary, but now bring a strong, peppery spice with them that settles all over the surface of the tongue.  The finish enjoys the strongest collaboration of the brew as the pepper, charred notes, prickly alcohol warmth, and hop bitter all come together at just the right time and the result is fantastic!  All those flavors even allow for a bit of the hops' grapefruit to peek out and truly showcase the complexity of this beer.  Can't say enough about this beer's finish!  The aftertaste is bitter and in a way that is more char and less hops.  It doesn't linger long though and I attribute that to the other hops characteristics present in this beer.  Please ensure that you only drink (or serve) this beer lightly chilled.  Even as this bottle warms, the beer as a whole becomes so much sweeter as the toffee and lactose sugars become increasingly bold.

Mouthfeel 5/5

I'd say that the carbonation is dead on for this brew, even down to the end of the bottle.  I also enjoy a lot of the tactile sensations that the beer gives: the eventual warmth, the peppery prickle, and the moderate-full body.  Nothing is distracting and the things that are distinct go well together and contribute to the overall experience.

Overall Impression 9/10

The beer starts out as a solid IBA, but as it warms it truly sets itself apart as the sweetness of the contributing flavors rises to the level of the primaries and creates a more balanced, delicious beer that is both dark and hoppy.  I've had some IBAs before, but this one seems to stand alone.  It has slightly less sweetness that some of the super-agressive IPAs have (120 Minute, etc), an equal alcohol presence, much less hop profile, but replaces the majority of that hop profile with dark, roasted malty goodness.  Excellent technical qualities (appearance & mouthfeel) only add to the experience.

Total 45/50

While IBAs might not be my favorite style on the planet, it would be impossible to deny that this is a damn tasty beer.  Now is this beer all hops?  Despite the name, no.  Rather, they are presented in a fashion that most are not accustomed to (including myself).  Allow me to explain:  most hop-laden beers are several groves worth of citrus, a pine tree or two, some grass, and a healthy dose of resin.  This brew focuses instead on the hop spiciness and a lesser amount on the resinous quality.  In fact, I get more of the dark malts than I do the hops.  That said, hop heads might be a bit disappointed if they are looking for nothing but hops.  However, those open to tasty experiences regardless of the label's description will be pleased nonetheless.

Stevens Point Brewing Co. - 2012 Black Ale

As you may have noticed, I have been a bit out of commission since St. Patrick's Day.  While it certainly felt like the end of the world, I indeed recovered and decided to get cracking on some new brew reviews.  I decided to take on the "end of the world" theme and review Point's - 2012 Black Ale.  Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only

Aroma 6/12
The aroma is rather light for something claiming to be a black ale.  Instead of robust bitters and über-dark roast there is a dark roast present (though not nearly dark enough) with a hint of chocolate.  Perhaps even a smoky scent peeking its head out, but only ever so faintly.  But sweetness in a black ale?  It is a bit troubling and I carried on to other areas of the beer hoping for more hints.

Appearance 2/3
When they said black ale, they were not kidding!  This thing is opaque!  It is pitch black and you can barely catch a brown from the edges even when held to light.  Very nice.  The head is a dark tan that cannot maintain retention long enough for me to even take a few snapshots and take a sip.  It leaves only a small collar and no lace.  I wish I could tell you its consistency, but it had vanished.  It keeps its points for its color and clarity (or lack thereof).

Picture is my own.

Flavor 12/20

This beer definitely has flavor, but it is not true to style.  It should be considered a robust porter before it is considered a "black" anything.  Perhaps the marketing folks are getting a bit out of hand?  I have had other great beers from Point, but this particular brew misses the mark.  The first sensation is sweet; the aroma did not mislead.  While the chocolate I detected in the aroma was a mix of sweetness and roasted malt, the flavor lacks chocolate.  Instead, there is a caramel that is made darker by the roasted malt.  Hops are not individually detectable, but do make their presence noticed with a slightly bitter finish and their contribution to the coffee afters.

Mouthfeel 3/5

There were some conflicting sensations here.  However, the mouthfeel is one of the more noticeable attributes of this beer.  Before noting any flavors whatsoever, I noted at least two different mouthfeel sensations.  The first was that this beer is smooth.  I almost confused it for a creaminess, but the body was not heavy enough for that.  This is a light bodied beer (again, not true to style) but tries to cover that up with a technique that could come in handy with some other styles of beer.  That technique was the carbonation.  The carbonation in this beer was almost that of nitrogen and not carbonation at all.  It was a very light, thin carbonation that made this beer feel "creamier" than its body actually was.  A neat trick and I would not mind seeing it again.

Overall Impression 5/10

This is not a bad beer.  It is simply not to style.  This is a porter masquerading in a black ale's bottle.  It is dominated by sweetness with very little in the way of bitter.  The appearance was fantastic!  I have had imperials that were not this black.  Overall, I'd say this beer takes some of the finer points of a stout (thin carbonation, color) and a porter (sweetness, lighter body) and mashes them together quite pleasantly.

Total 29/50
This ranking puts this beer in the very top of the "Good" category as that it "misses the mark on style and/or has minor flaws."  There were no flaws I could detect.  All I can say is that this beer was sweet and that is not what one expects from a black ale.  It was a dark sweet from the get-go in both aroma and flavor and while it would be pretty darn good as a robust porter, it is not a black ale.  In fact, as a porter or brown ale, this beer would rank significantly higher.  If someone was looking to get into the "super dark" beers, I would recommend this as an introduction to the style or a transition beer from something lighter.  After all, there are few things as nice as introducing friends to new beer experiences - or exbeeriences.  Oo!  Consider that trademarked.