Dark Side Black IPA

A generous 7% number from Toronto’s Granite Brewery, Dark Side Black IPA is sold in noir 473mL cans. The beer is handsome and dark with a plume of creamy head.

Dark Side has a cracking aroma that balances pine and roasted malt. The flavour parades from bitter to sweet; initial evergreen gives way to roasted malt and a touch of licorice.

I love a good black IPA, and Granite’s version delivers satisfying suds. Good strength and a nice flavour make this a solid offering.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

BBB

 BBB is a Torontonian Imperial Black IPA with lactose. Apparently, BBB stands for Brian’s Big Black Beer, though the can rightly notes that there are actually four Bs. It’s a 7.5% Cascadian dark ale (though I think calling it “imperial” is a stretch at that percentage). Brewed by Great Lakes Brewery, BBB is sold in 473mL cans. It’s a near-black beer that pours with an extremely durable and pleasantly fluffy tan head.

BBB has aromatics that combine roasted malt and evergreen bitterness. The flavour kicks off with some mocha sweetness, but pivots to a robustly bitter finish accented with pine and espresso. The use of lactose gives the beer a very creamy texture, which is a bit of an odd contrast to the bitter flavours.

This is an unusual offering—very flavourful, with decent strength and a curious texture.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Dark Prince Black IPA

Cooking up some din for the Bitter Wife and myself, listening to a podcast, we found ourselves with 12 minutes to spare, so I decided I had enough time to review Dark Prince Black IPA. This 6% Cascadian dark ale, made by the team at Manantler Craft Brewing Co., is literally the main reason that I decided on a beer mail order from this Bowmanville establishment—I love a black IPA and the art on the 500mL bottle is dark as hell. Had to have it.

Dark Prince has a dark colour, ruby highlights, and a sudsy cream head. It packs evergreen aromatics, floral bitterness, a whiff of spice, and roasted malts into a busy nose. The flavour is spicy and heartily piney. There are some understated sweet notes and roasted malt elements, but the bitter back half is the real story of this ale.

I thought this was a damned fine ale. I’d have liked it to be stronger—7% would have  changed the game and taken it to the next level. But otherwise, the beer ticked all of my black IPA boxes. The roasted caramel introduction sets the table, but doesn’t clutter the atmosphere and hang around too long. The back end is elite. This is good beer.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.