BEER REVIEW: 380

BREWER: Brazenor’s Brews, Buckinghamshire, England

STYLE: Black IPA

ABV: 5.8%

VESSEL: 440ml tin

DATE OF POST: 17th January 2024

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

While not a showstopper, this Black IPA delivers a decent and enjoyable drinking experience. With a bit more refinement in its flavour profile, it could rise above its current rank. If you’re a fan of bold, bitter brews with a hint of stout character, this beer is defo worth a try.

The aroma immediately evokes stout-like qualities, with rich notes of chocolate and coffee complemented by a faint undertone of burnt oats. It’s a warm and inviting nose, delivering a pleasant first impression.

The bitterness dominates the palate, but as it develops, subtle coffee and chocolate notes emerge, adding some welcome complexity. Unfortunately, the finish leans too acrid, overshadowing the beer’s initial subtleties. A touch more balance—perhaps a creamier or less aggressive hop profile—could elevate its flavour to the next level.  But this is the price paid for being a black IPA as opposed to a porter or stout.

Good but not great.  I would definitely revisit but it’s not top of my list.

Sammy’s Rating: 70%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Ah, the ol’ Black IPA, for me, probably the most curious of beer styles. A stout like IPA. Again, for me, stout and  IPA are not really styles that sit particularly close to one another nor ones you would really want to put together. So it’s amazing really that black IPA as a style even made it to the ideas table, let alone the tank and then the gullet. But it did, and although it’s not the most common type of beer out there, it is making somewhat of a resurgence. Why? Well, because if done well a black IPA can be nothing short of spectacular.

Over the years of sampling some, though not that many, BIPAs I’ve come to realise that I prefer them if they are slightly leaning more towards the stout side of life. Braz’s BIPA sits bang in the middle of the two however. Stoutlike upfront with a more hoppy bitter IPA hit nearer the end. Now as a beer reviewer this is good, as this Bucks brewer has absolutely nailed the style! But just as Jymi the consumer (in both meanings of the word) it is just a bit too bitter and IPA like at the end detracting from the chocolate notes that lead.

As mentioned, the style has been nailed here and this is without doubt a good beer with early meandering tones of chocolate and coffee developing into a hoppy finish with a slight bitter coffee note in the aftertaste.

Putting personal preference aside I think this brew probably would have chalked up a few more marks.

But either way, it’s still a good beer.

Jymi’s Rating: 73%

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 71.5%

MOB review next weekend: PRIME TIME SESSION IPA by THE INNOVATIVE BREWING CO.

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

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