New Holland Black Hatter Black I.P.A. IPA brewed with black malts which add dark, roasted flavors. Dry-hopped Centennial finish. Pairings: aged cheddars, arugula in vinaigrette, portabello stir-fry.
Damn, I had that for dinner last night!
This hatter is cool customer, a Dapper Dan, with a dark fedora, looking the bad guy. He's Dangerous Dan McFoo, orneriest dude west of the Pecos. Or, at least, it looks like him…
Okay, let's open it up.
solid black, huge head, light cocoa-tan head, loads of lace. Looking good.
fragrant, floral, and piney hop aromatics, …not much beyond.
Taste: Grassy hops dominate the palate from the start. It's big up front and then takes a back seat. Dark malts are there, not as roasty as promised/hinted at on the label, but they definitely provide a dry finish to the affair. Some chocolate going on, some coffee. Medium-bodied, fully-flavored, not as rich or full as I'd like, but…but, I don't know what to expect from a beer like this, like these hybrids. The hops don't continue after the initial sip, and the malt component makes me think it's a new and different beer than it started out as.
I'm not loving this one. It doesn't stand out, the hops and malt don't blend, they stand apart, and it makes no sense. In the end it feels more like a hoppy porter than a black IPA. Maybe I don't really know what's wrong; more than anything else it comes off lifeless and unremarkable.
Is it old, is that it? There's no way to tell.
No comments:
Post a Comment