Thursday, January 12, 2012

Day 187: Hop Strike Black IPA



Name: Hop Strike Black IPA
Brewer: Tommyknocker Brewery (Idaho Springs, CO)
Classification: American Black Ale
Alcohol: 6.5%

Thoughts: I have had to search multiple times on various Tommyknocker beers and their webiste to make sure this is the right beer. They seem to change label art and descriptions quite often. Some consistency would make my job easier because the beer is what I'm after not the bottle art. Although there are some cool bottles. That being said let's review this beer. The appearance was a pretty dark brown/black, almost opaque, with a small head and spotty lacing. The smell had roasted malts with a good hop presence and some earthy rye. The taste is better than the smell. Roasty flavors come through first, with some coffee, toffee and chocolate finishing second, and a nice pungent rye aspect up next. The finish has a good degree of hoppiness and a warming sensation to boot. This is a n interesting beer, but not one I would choose often. It is a little challenging and would require someone who really likes Black Ales to fully enjoy.

Rating: 83/100


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