Our beer of the week is from Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery. Hop in the Dark Cascadian Dark Ale:
Can an IPA be black? Semantics aside, this noir version has subtle coffee undertones born of a blend of oats with dark, Munich and crystal malts. What emerges is something deeper, less orthodox, and all its own. After 22 trial runs in our Bend and Portland pubs, we got it right.
22oz brown bomber bottle sells for $4.99. Label is all about the night with various shades of black and gray, a haunting moon rising in the background, and a signpost in the foreground with the name in blood red lettering.
STYLE: American black ale ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 6.5%
COLOR (0-2): Dark black. 2
AROMA (0-2):Strong citrusy hops. 2
HEAD (0-2): Tan color, decent volume, and good lacing. 2
TASTE (0-5): Well balanced combination of sharp hop flavors of citrus and pine with roasted malt with nuts and cocoa. The flavors really play off each other nicely. The alcohol is mostly hidden and the beer has a medium body. The mouthfeel is on the thicker, smoother side. Despite having a lot of punch taste wise, it’s still pretty drinkable. 4
AFTERTASTE (0-2): Flavors linger pleasantly, especially the pine. 2
OVERALL (0-6): Hop in the Dark is a delicious mix of bitter hops and roasted malts. It’s got a ton of flavor, yet remains drinkable and approachable. At five bucks for a bomber it’s also a lot of bang for your buck. 5
TOTAL SCORE (0-19): 17
