Great Lakes Brewery Apocalypse Later Imperial Black IPA Black IPA at 10% ABV (Via trade, 473 ml, canning date 2-Apr-2015)
Pours clear brown with two fat fingers of pillowy light tan head, good retention and excellent lacing. (4/5) Nose is light citrus, pine resin, grassy, moderate dark malt and mild coffee. (7/10) Taste is moderate sweet, immediate strong bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, dry bitter and warming finish. (4/5)
Whattya mean, “Imperial Black IPA” isn’t a BJCP style? (Nor, I guess, is Black IPA, at least not formally, yet.) Bit of a beast – huge bitterness and big (but not overwhelming) booziness battle it out on the tongue, along with a little onion aftertaste. Interesting, if not perfectly balanced – a bit of an odd duck. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
