Black Betty Black IPA

700 posts!  Holy blog! The eye-catching labels on the 330mL bottles of Black Betty Black IPA drew me in like a moth to a flame. They feature imbibing skeletons deep in conversation superimposed over a cool purple and black background and featuring golden logos of Beavertown Brewery. Beavertown operates out of London, England. According to its website, this punchy, 7.4% alcohol black India pale tips the scales at a portly 75 IBUs. It's a swampy, extremely dark brown ale that pours with a cowl of tan head and also a few yeasty floaties.

Black Betty packages a bitter, evergreen hops aroma in with some pungent black licorice notes. Ditto in the aggressive flavour--piney hops and licorice chops. Amply astringent, this beer will likely appeal to hops heads, but be anathema to beer drinkers who limit their tippling to pale lagers. It's very flavourful, but doesn't taste particularly boozy. The licorice gives this black I.P.A. an interesting, assertive flavour, that I suspect would pair well with a sharp cheese. All in, an enjoyable and unapologetic ale that'll help make your fridge the envy of your neighbourhood.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.