Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR
http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/
Deschutes Brewery Hop in the Dark at a Glance
Style: Cascadian Dark Ale
Appearance: Darth Vader Black
Aroma: Pacific Northwest hops and lots of them
Taste: Big roasted malts
Verdict: A worthy example of a challenging new style
Everything about my initial experience confused me. Hop in the Dark looks like a porter. It is black-coffee dark in color with a lovely tan head. Hop in the Dark also smells like a port...wait, no it doesn't. It smells like a big American Double IPA. What the hell is going on?
Tasting the beer cleared nothing up. My tongue was as confused as my nose. The first sip presented big, complex flavors that went from hops to bitter roasted malts to hops again, the bitterness of the hops lasting longer than the bitterness of the roasted malts.The tongue twister that Hop in the Dark put my mouth through gave me the respite I needed to admire the look of the beer again: the head lingered nicely and left ample lacing on the sides of the glass.
Almost no one will like Hop in the Dark. It is definitely not a beginner's beer. You would have to be a fan of both porters and double IPAs to even have a shot with this dark alchemy. Furthermore, you would have to enjoy them mixed together. I opened this beer after drinking a Stone Arrogant Bastard and it still kicked my ass. For the adventurous though, I highly recommend a dance with Hop in the Dark. Your bravery will be rewarded with big, unexpected flavors.
-Ryan
Style: Cascadian Dark Ale/Black IPA
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 70
Availability: Western US and Northern America (BC). I got my sample from Total Wine & Spirits
