Tasting: India Black Ale

A pretty bad picture. It is very black though and that is a baby sling instruction manual underneath it.

This beer smelled awesome going into the keg. The first few pour..I can't say that I felt the same. I just wasn't feeling it. Did I not use enough Crystal Malt? Should I have used some Chocolate Malt? I really wanted to avoid both when brewing. I had expectations. Maybe it was the Centennial Hops? I used a lot of Simcoe and Columbus and Cascade, but maybe I used too much Centennial.

I love this beer. 

It took a good week of mellowing out and carbing up, but pour after pour I love the beer. I was pretty stoked to be using my new keezer build too. It made the whole experience an adventure. It was the first beer poured on it. Guests came by and with my low expectations and their refined IPA palates, I worried. There was nothing but smiles though. Maybe it was because my child was just born and that was the main reason they were there. Who knows. But I will brew this beer again. That is what it comes down to these days. For years I was not a fan of my IPAs and Pale Ales. I have written extensively dumbing down my hoppy beer skills. But since January I brew at least one IPA and Pale Ale a month.

As days went by the beer got darker. Blacker. I thought for sure it was going to be a "Very Dark Hoppy Beer." But yes, my sight on brewing an India Black Ale was clear. I beautiful white head sits nicely through the first few sips before a web of foam stays on the side of the glass. The beer itself is quite dry. There are not a lot of Crystal Malts and the body is pretty thin, but the hops and color play with senses and leave you smelling and tasting the dankness.