Beer Review: Burton Bridge Dark Shield

Name: Dark Shield

Brewery: Burton Bridge

ABV: 5.6%

Style: Black IPA

Location: Burton, Derbyshire 

Aroma:  Strong notes hops with citrus fruit coming through on the nose, washed down with caramel and a whisp of roasted malt and coffee notes in the background.

Colour: Dark with a thin tan coloured head. 

Flavour: A malty caramel base with hints of sweetness, a tinge of citrus fruits including lemons and oranges, offset with a bittersweet roasted malt background that has hints of dark chocolate, coffee and charcoal coming through. Medium bodied mouthfeel, its relatively high strength has a warming effect on the aftertaste.

Verdict: Almost two beers in one, mixing the hallmarks of a tradiitonal English IPA with the elements of a Porter. The distinctive flavours that made Worthington's White Shield so great are somewhat overshadowed by the agressive flavours coming through from the dark malts, though it is refreshing to see a Black IPA that isn't plundered with American hops for a change. A niceley balanced beer that celebrates the best qualities in British hops and malt. 

Rating: 8/10

The Black IPA Gold Rush - Part 2

The year 2013 proved a bountiful harvest of success for Black IPAs, early that year Bowness flocked in with Swan Black (4.6%) which the brewery noted as a deliciously Black IPA that has a start-to-finish hoppy magnificence; rich chocolate sweetness along with subtle citrus and grassy notes. This beer subsequently joined their core range where it continues to be sold in both cask and bottle. In February, Saltaire Brewery released Kala (6.2%), described as having smooth roasted character and a big American hop presence, it was showcased at the Bradford Beer Festival that month; initially available in cask and bottle on a limited basis, its ensuing popularity led it to being added to the brewery’s core range and go onto win a number of awards.[1] Meanwhile, Great Heck Brewing debuted Black Jesus (6.5%), a potent mix brewed with large quantities of premium American hops and special dehusked German roasted malt. Villabone noted it as “burnt, hoppy, fruity, it’s all there. The taste, or aftertaste is of burnt or roasted coffee, but leaving a slight metal taste. It starts light and fresh, piney, fruity, then the second journey is the dark, roasted malts, coffee part. The carbonation is slight. The aftertaste is dry, and it stays.”[2] It became of one of their best-selling products, winning a multitude of awards including World’s Best Label at World Beer Awards 2014 and Huddesfield CAMRA Oktoberfest 2016: Silver (Strong Bitter of the Festival). Meanwhile, the Hop Studio produced Obsidian (5%), brewed with an abundance of Galaxy, Chinook, Centennial and Columbus hops, at a beer tasting event held at St. Lukes Church, Leeds that May, judges sampled both Scottish and Yorkshire beers. Hop Studio’s new Obsidian Black IPA beat Fyne Ales’ Vital Spark 69-20 votes. In July, Elland released Black Eden (4.2%), an alternative version of their pale ale Eden (4.2%), using the same hops (Cascade & Chinook) but with added Wyerman’s black malt to the brew. The following month, Real Ale Craft Beer collaborated with Sharp’s to produce Black Rock IPA (4.2%), a limited-edition release, it was initially brewed as a pale ale before dark malt was added later in the mashing process. Head brewer Simon Howe described it at the time, “this new brew, a blackened IPA, has a strident citrus and pithy bitterness in the finish, it’s dry and moreish. Black Rock IPA is full and hoppy with an alluring look. It has an intense citrus hop and sweet fruits taste which is set to thrill cask beer drinkers with the flavours of warmer climes.”[3] Sticking to the collaboration theme, on 13^th October 2013, Brewdog released 12 beers produced through collaborations with other UK breweries, three of which were Black IPAs from the likes of Arbor Ales, Fyne Ales and Buxton. On the awards front, Conqueror 1075 (7.3%) won SIBA National 2013 – Best Bottled Beer (Silver), Black Jesus (6.5%) was awarded beer of the festival in Selby, Stewart Brewing gained another gong for their Black IPA (5%) winning International Beer Challenge 2013 – Silver, for the second consecutive year, and Raven (6.6%) continued to build on its growing number of awards, winning three that year including World Beer Awards 2013 – World’s Best Black IPA, Great Taste Awards 2013 – 2 stars, and The Dublin Craft Beer Cup 2013 – Silver, respectively. As another fruitful year came to a close, Tempest Brewing Co. released the appropriately titled In the Dark We Live (7.3%), an Imperial Black IPA which the brewery described as a hybrid beer - IPA by attitude, porter by appearance, very complex hop character compliments the rich and dark malts. Featuring a dizzying flavour profile of Mosaic, Simcoe, Columbus hops blended with Golden Promise, Munich and Caraf malts, it became widely sold across Europe, including countries like Spain and Italy. As 2014 began, Brains announced a collaboration with Jonny Garrett from the Craft Beer Channel where they developed Black Mountain (5%) released through their newly launched Brains Craft Brewery.[4] Flavour and aroma were on high on the cards, Summit and Apollo hops were initially brewed, then it was dry hopped with Citra, Amarillo, Summit, Apollo and Pacifica for added flavours and aromas. It also featured a complex malt bill, including Premium Ale malt for body, along with Munich, Crystal and Extra for additional caramel and roasted flavours, rounded off with Chocolate Malt for colour. Once described as a battle between hops and malt, Simon Martin elaborated “after them nice vinous almost grapey malts with the coffee, chocolate and caramel, the hops come back into play.”[5] Later that month on the 23^rd, Mad Hatter Brewing debuted Hare of Darkness (7.4%), it was described as a hoppy winter ale and an even stronger 8% bottled version was later produced, sold in 330ml bottles.  In this instance Black IPAs are also quite versatile, as Sophie Atherton adds “Black IPA is also a year-round brew. Appropriately dark in winter months and refreshing in summer thanks to their massive hop character.”[6] Sticking to the puns, Blackjack Brew Co. released Black Maria (5.8%) in cask and bottle, named after a slang word for a police van that used to transport prisoners, appropriately in tribute to its US links, the beer was steeped in Columbus hops. Beer Manchester memorably noted it as “medium to full-bodied, the slightly spiky carbonation helps the hop flavours stay to the fore in this. There is a distinct background note of bitter roast coffee which remains throughout, daring you to have Another mouthful. But the fruitiness draws you back in.”[7] Meanwhile, Brecon upped the ante with Mind Bleach (10%), which the brewery noted as a Little Voice in the Head remover! Black as Sin, immensely aromatic and dangerously drinkable; this robust brew would become one of their most successful products, winning a slew of awards in the ensuing years. At the time, ‘Peaky Blinders’ was fast becoming one of the most popular shows on TV, Sadlers cashed in on the popularity with Peaky Blinder (4.4%). Ale Be Seeing You described it as “the first sip reminds you it's an IPA with a big hit of citrus but more orange than lemon as it's not bitter at all.  The roasted malts jump in next together with some sweet treacle and liquorice and ending on a slightly dry note.” Initially created as a one-off release, it quickly became popular with punters, which prompted the brewery to add it to its main range, incidentally it was later sold at the Black County Museum where the series was filmed. With the slew of Black IPAs appearing on the market, this prompted Roger Protz to issue a withering response “a final word on IPA: if you’re tempted, please don’t brew something called Black IPA. As the great American brewer and beer writer Garrett Oliver said on the subject: “Don’t get me started”. In other words, which part of India PALE Ale do you not understand? Black IPA is absurd and an insult to history.”[8] In response to his controversial comment, Steel City Brewing developed Protz Pleasure (5.3%), created as a wry dig directed at Protz, the bottle label and pump clip even featured a transcript of Protz comments where he labelled Black IPAs as an oxymoronic name that doesn’t exist. Later that June, Protz was more favourable towards Black IPAs when Hawkshead collaborated with supermarket retailer Booths, featuring four limited released beers sold as part of their Beer and Cider Festival which took place in its 29 stores from the 18 June – 15 July. One of these beers was Booths Black IPA (4.6%), which Protz described it as “Booths Black IPA is dark in colour but surprisingly light and refreshing on the palate, with aromas of tropical fruit and resinous pine,”[9] perhaps his opinion on Black IPAs had shifted? By this time, Black IPAs were being produced across the world, including countries like Sweden, Ireland, Spain and the Czech Republic; Brewdog bridged that gulf when they developed CapDog (9%), produced in collaboration with Swedish craft brewery CAP, initiated as part of their Development Fund 2014 to help up and coming breweries. Moreover, innovation was also on the cards, when Staggeringly Good released Extinction (5.7%) which was released in two versions, red cap for smoked and black cap with scotch bonnet chillies, if that wasn’t hot enough, in 2018 a special version brewed with Carolina Reaper chillers, making it one of the spiciest beers ever made.

 

2015 continued with the spate of releases, in March, Salopian unveiled Aphelion (5.5%) in both cask and bottle. Noted for its minimalistic bottle/ pump clip design, it was initially brewed for a Wetherspoons Beer Festival with English hops, however it wasn’t deemed hoppy enough so it was tinkered with and subsequently dry-hopped with US hops for added flavour and aromas. Described as a beautifully balanced black beer, with hints of mocha, dark fruits and ripe berries replete with piney aromas, its flavour profile confounded some, the Ormskirk Baron described it as “the weird thing about this beer, that its essentially a Porter, so its got that warming, slightly chocolaty, slightly sweet flavours and then its got this severe, really in your face hop, and very piney, which coats your tongue. Its almost like two beers in one.”[10] Meanwhile, Three Fiends Brewhouse based in Holmfirth (deep in Summer Wine country) debuted Dark Side (5.3%), the brewery described it as being brewed with a mix of American hops which, with chocolate malt, gives it a smooth chocolatey start, leading to an increasingly bitter finish; sold in both cask and bottle, it remains to this day part of their regular range. Vocation joined in the fray with Divide & Conquer (6.5%), CAMRA described it as having roast malt aroma and taste giving way to a hoppy and vinous mouthfeel, with a smooth and slightly sweet finish. Simon Martin poetically described it as slap round the chops from the hops, elaborating “that big bold rash punch in the face bitterness that you get from this beer. It’s big, its grapefruity, there’s some mango in there, and then you’ve got this big cat rasping on the curtains of the inside of your mouth of bitterness, it’s clawing at you. It’s great and that’s how I like it.”[11] If that wasn’t strong enough, Buxton came out with of their strongest beers yet, with the appropriately named Battle Horse (10.5%), meanwhile, on the more sessionable front Elgood’s released in bottle Cambridge IPA Dark/ Black (4.7%) a dark coloured variant of their established Cambridge IPA (4.7%). Unlike most Black IPAs that take influence from the US, this beer was based on a traditional English IPA recipe. Postcard Publications described it as “this beer pours almost black due to the addition of roast barley.  It has a fruity aroma and a smooth roasted tasted.  This is something of a hybrid beer, not quite a stout but more than a bitter.”[12] In June, Abbeydale unveiled their Signature series of beers that featured recipes from brewers and their pubs, one of these releases was Black Majik (6.3%) which came out in September, produced by Jonathan Stevens, it was described as a generously hopped Black IPA with upfront bitterness and chocked full of flavour. Later that same year, Greene King (one of the UK’s largest independent breweries) unveiled Black IPA (4.5%). Brewed with Simcoe and Citra hops for a lip-smacking finish, this was perhaps a sign that Black IPAs were finally hitting the mainstream. Later that November, Cardiff based brewer Mad Dog released It’s All Propaganda (5%), a Black IPA brewed with dark malts but curiously without any roast flavours, it notably featured an unusual hop combination of Kazbek from the Czech Republic, and Sorachi Ace from Japan. This unusual flavour profile confounded reviewers, Alcohol and Aphorisms described it as “the finish especially feels quite roasted stout like, sure, but the first sip is more than malt base mixed with fresh lemongrass and a kind of lemon milkshake creaminess, followed by a nice hop punch. You are always very much aware of the darker set of notes, so your tastebuds feel slightly confused as it tries to reconcile a lemon-creamy notes with bitter chocolate and hoppiness.”[13] As 2016 crept into view, change was afoot as the rush to produce Black IPAs had started to trail off. In March that year, St Peter’s launched their crafted range, a unique selection of craft ales and ciders, showcasing the skills of the brewers. One of these initial releases was Crafted Black IPA (7%), which Steve Groves, head brewer at St. Peters described it as “the Rioja of Black IPAs”, despite being heavily hopped like a traditional IPA, it had a sweeter flavour that cut through the bitterness. The Brewer’s Journal noted it as “the 7% beer offers a hint of “raisins, sultanas, sloes and damsons and has an aroma of dark chocolate with vanilla notes” according to the brewery,” this beer would go onto win a slew of awards over the next two years. On 26^th August, Staggeringly Good debuted Dawn Stealer (5.2%), heavily hopped with Amarillo, Cascade and Chinook, it also featured a mixture of Pale and Carafa Special No.3 malts. It was described as having notes of dark berries with rich noted malts. The same month, St Albans based brewery Farr Brew released Black Listed IBA (4.5%), which they initially brewed the historic pub Ye Olde Fighting Cocks based in the same town. It was brewed with three types of malt and along with a combination of British and American hops for a smoky, well-rounded and punchy flavour. This beer proved popular enough for the brewery to reissue it in both bottle and can on a regular basis. The following month, Wily Fox debuted their Black Pearl (4.9%) in cask, made with Carafa Special malt along with a mixture of American and Slovenian hops, it was notably described as a hop symphony of jet black velvety smooth, intense coffee and chocolate flavours; it quickly gained a popular following and was subsequently sold in bottle and keg; subsequently at the SIBA North West Awards 2017 it was awarded Gold (Small Pack Premium Bitters & Pale Ales). Yet by the time of its release, the clamour for Black IPAs had started to wear thin as new styles like NEIPA, Milkshake IPA and Hazy IPA were emerging into view and becoming popular. Jonny Garret puts this into perspective “New England IPA removed the classical IPAs bitterness, and offered the nostalgic, comforting flavors of childhood candy. The new style’s opaque, golden color also meant it was Instagram-ready, just as the app’s popularity was climbing.”[14] The rush of releases had all but subsided to a trickle, fulfilling Garrett Oliver’s prophecy that Black IPAs were just a passing fad. In the ever-changing commercial landscape Black IPAs were drowned out in the rush to produce paler IPAs that eschewed astringency and bitterness, instead focussed on glossy, colourful and sweet flavours, favoured by a new generation of drinkers.

 

The brief popularity of Black IPA coincided with the ‘IPA of all Colours’ movement during the early 2010’s, where a wide range of IPA’s ranging from Red IPA, DIPA, Brut IPA and Triple IPA for instance, became momentarily popular with consumers. As soon as this period of rampant innovation in craft brewing ceased, so did the appeal of Black IPA. Garrett sums up the demise of Black IPA as a buzzword for a failed trend, he adds “Black IPA is also shorthand for experimentation and passion without the influence of commercialization. It’s an embodiment of that old craft cliche: that brewers brew what they like and are just delighted when it sells. To some, the disappearance of the style could be seen as the end of that era of innocence.”[14] Yet, New Trail Brewing argues “despite this, the style has maintained a loyal following and continues to be brewed by those who appreciate the unique interplay of roasted malts and high-hop flavor.”[15] The evidence can be clear to see, over the past decade there have been a number of successful Black IPAs that have come on the scene like Kviek (6.5%) - Artefact Brewing, which gets its name from the use of Kviek yeast in the brewing process, since appearing on the scene in February 2021, it has won multiple of plaudits including two great taste awards, SIBA National 2021 – Gold (Imperial IPA), SIBA National 2022 – Bronze (Imperial IPA), SIBA East 2024 – Bronze (Speciality Keg IPA) and more recently SIBA National 2025- Gold (Speciality IPA) for instance. Likewise, Black Tiger (4.8%) following its debut in March 2023, has become popular with punters, later that same year it received Untappd Community Awards 2023 – Bronze and more recently SIBA Wales & West 2024 – Gold (Specialty IPA category). It was subsequently shortlisted for the final competition at Liverpool BeerX which took place last month. Building on their popularity, these beers have found their way into the respective brewery’s core ranges indeed there are a number of regularly brewed Black IPAs out there, including After Dark (4.8%) – Kelchner’s and Trawler’s Dread (5.4%) – Tenby Harbrwr, even more established family brewers like Hook Norton have jumped onto the bandwagon with the likes of Crafty Fox (4.8%), initially a cask only beer when it first appeared in 2018, it was sold in bottle from 2020 onwards and is now a frequent fixture on their books, described as a beer that looks like a stout, but tastes like an IPA, it features a hefty mixture of five hops and double roasted malt[16], which Simon Martin recently described “that’s a proper Black IPA, with small hints of a hoppy stout.”[17] And the likes of Elusive Brewing regularly pump out Black IPAs including Vortex (5%), Midnight Oregon Trail (5.8%), Stand Up and Be Counted (5.2%) and Alone in the Dark (5.8%) over recent years. Black IPAs have even made their way onto supermarket shelves, in May 2022, Black Sheep launched Cry Wolf (5%) which was retailed across Tesco stores, which the brewery notably described in their promotions as “a fierce bite of roasted malt fused with the gnarly, tropical bitterness of new world hops.”[18] All Hail to the Beer described it at the time as “it’s pithy bitterness with little hints of sweet pineapple, then bang, bitter roasted malt, coffee which is quite intense.”[19] Later that October Painting Shadows (5%) – Loch Lomond,  was sold in cans across the UK at Lidl superstores as part of their month long beer festival, along with several other their products including Odin’s Beard (5%) and Southern Summit (4%) respectively. And last October, Badger debuted Outland Black IPA (5%), retailed as part of the brewery’s Outland range of ‘mainstream craft’ beers produced exclusively in cans, which since launching in 2023, the Beer Guild notes “the Outland brand is now listed with four of the ‘Big 5′ multiple grocers (supermarkets) in a total of 2,200 stores.”[20] They have also gained a number of awards through this range and it has vastly increased their profits.[21] Even as recently as February, the likes of Chiltern released the wryly named Malt-easer (5%) as part of their small batch brew series, combining the punchy aromas and flavours of new world hops (Amarillo and Eureka) with complex dark roasted malts including Carafa Special, oats & roasted barley. These examples prove that Black IPAs isn’t just a preserve for craft breweries, as it finds it way further into the mainstream. Coming full circle in early 2023, Abbeydale belatedly rebranded Black Mass (6.66%) as a Black IPA, despite for years commentators have quoted it tasting like an IPA, despite not being marketed as one. This unexpected pioneer continues to be an ambassador for the Black IPA movement in the UK, recently winning gongs including SIBA Independent Beer Awards 2022 – Gold (Regional Bottle/ Can – Speciality IPA), SIBA North East Beer – Gold (Speciality IPA) in both 2023 and 2024, and more recently Champion Winter Beer of Britain 2025 – Silver (Barley Wines and Strong Ales). Despite fading from prominence a decade ago, brewers continue to brew Black IPA, Jeremy Furzy sums this up “no matter what we call it, it appears the black IPA is here to stay — and I think this should be a celebrated development. It has thrust itself onto the craft beer landscape because it offers the best characteristics of several different ales in one beer.”[22] Since they first appeared on the scene in the early 90’s, Black IPAs have showcased the very best hallmarks of the brewers’ skills and despite all the criticism and tribulations these beers have faced, they have triumphed over adversity, and continue to thrive through the hoppy darkness.

List of References

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[1] Kala (6.2%) has won a multitude of awards including International Dark Beer Competition 2017 – Championship Winner, International Brewing Awards – Gold (Dark Beer 5.8%-6.9%) and World Beer Awards 2017 – Silver.

[2] Great Heck Black Jesus 6.5%, Villabone beer and testing Blog, 17^th May 2014

[3] Sharps Black Rock IPA, Beer Menus

[4] Jonny Garrett, Brewing Our Black Mountain IPA, The Craft Beer Channel, 21^st January 2014

[5] Simon Martin, Black Mountain Black IPA By Brains Craft Brewery & The Craft Beer Channel, Real Ale Craft Beer, 23^rd January 2014

[6] Sophie Atherton, Why I love… Black IPA, A FemAle View on Beer & Pubs, 17^th July 2017

[7] Bottled Beers – July 2015 – Pt 2, Beers Manchester, 11^th July 2015

[8] Roger Protz, Beer: the future is flavour, Protz on Beer, 26^th February 2014

[9] Roger Prtoz, Craft beers head for Booths summer fest, Protz on Beer, 19^th June 2014

[10] Salopian Aphelion, The Ormskirk Baron, 2^nd June 2015

[11] Simon Martin, Vocation Brewery Divide & Conquer Black IPA | Yorkshire Craft Beer Review, Real Ale Craft Beer, 26^th January 2016

[12] Craft Beers: Enjoy Elgood's Beer, Postcard Publications

[13] Tasting Notes: Mad Dog: It’s All Propaganda, Alcohol and Aphorisms, 17^th December 2016

[14] Jonny Garrett, Darkest Before the Dawn — The Unlikely Return of Black IPA, Good Beer Hunting, 6^th April 2021

[15] What is Black IPA? New Trail Brewing

[16] Crafty Fox (4.8%) features an extensive array of ingredients, five hops are from the UK and the US are used (including Willamette, US Cascade, Mosaic, UK Chinook and Amarillo), along three types of malt (including Pale, Double Roasted Crystal and Carafa), an impressive scoresheet for a Black IPA.

[17] Simon Martin, Hook Norton Crafty Fox Black IPA Review , Hook Norton Brewery , Oxfordshire Real Ale Review, Real Ale Craft Beer, 18^th November 2024

[18] Cry Wolf: Our New Black IPA, Black Sheep Brewery, 30^th May 2022

[19] Black Sheep – Cry Wolf Review, All Hail to the Ale, 11^th September 2022

[20] Outland embraces the dark side with the launch of Black IPA, The British Guild of Beer Writers, 21^st October 2024

[21] The brewery has also sold cans of their Outland beers at various music festivals.

[22] Jermey Furzy, The Birth and Rise of the Black IPA, Medium, 15^th April 2015

The Black IPA Gold Rush - Part 1

Out of all the IPA substyles out there, Black IPA is perhaps the most maligned and least credited, a contradiction in terms and a literal oxymoron to drinkers, its very status has confounded people since it first came on the scene in the 1990’s. The BJCP designated it as beer that features the dryness, hop-forward balance and flavours of an American IPA but darker in colour, where dark malts are added to give a gentle and supportive flavour rather than give a strongly roasted and astringent note. Garrett Oliver, founder and brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery added “most use dehusked dark malts to avoid a clash between hop bitterness and the acridity that conventional roasted malts can lend to beers.”[1] Black IPA as Badger Brewery once described brings together the best of both worlds, the roasted malt notes of a porter/ stout with vibrant citrussy hoppiness of an IPA. Like most IPA substyles, with the likes of Black IPA, hops take centre stage when it comes to aroma and flavour, as Nick Carr elucidates “hop flavour will be a low-medium venturing into the high range, and can bring notes of berry, pine (resinous), tropical, stone fruit, citrus, and melon. Some fruity elements are acceptable, whether from hops or yeast, however, they are not necessary for the style.”[2]  Although breweries have been producing heavily hopped stouts and porters as far back as the 19^th century[3], the first official Black IPA was Blackwatch Black IPA (5.8%) produced in 1990 by Greg Noonan and Glenn Walter of Vermont Pub & Brewery in Burlington, Vermont, five years later Jimmy Kimmich joined the team and refined the recipe, introducing Carafa Special 3 malt into the mix, a German variety which he recently came across, a de-husked malt that gave German beers like Dark Lager and Hefeweizens their colour and breaded notes, but without overwhelming their subtle hoppy character. This proved to be a game-changer, and Kimmich became one of the early proponents of this style of beer. Jermey Furzy notes “the modern black IPA likely emerged in part due to the popularity of Dogfish Head’s Indian Brown Ale. First brewed in 1999, this beer opened the door for a hoppy ale brewed with darker malts.”[4] By 2003, Black IPAs were beginning to gather pace from breweries based in the Pacific north-west with the likes of Skull Splitter (9.2%) – Rogue Ales and Skookum Cascadian Dark (7.3%) – Phillips Brewing coming on the scene, these were later joined by the likes of Self-Righteous Black IPA (8.7%) - Stones and James (7.2%) – Hill Farmstead which were hugely influential for the emerging movement as it took hold in the US.[5] By the end of the noughties this style had become very popular especially in the west-coast, Em Saunter states “Black IPAs had a huge moment in 2010 when they became very popular, especially on the west coast of America where hops are grown. Many large breweries had commercially made black IPAs and it was in demand.”[6] At the Great American Beer Festival 2010, the Brewers Association officially recognised Black IPA as a legitimate beer style, and 53 entries appeared at the festival that year.

 

Meanwhile over on home-soil, Black Mass (6.66%) – Abbeydale which was first released in 1996, was effectively the very first Black IPA developed in the UK, despite it not being labelled at the time. Heavily hopped, with a predominant use of Cascade, along with Columbus, Galaxy and Green Bullet. This was complemented by a six-malt base, gathering notes of bitter chocolate, fruitcake, coffee and raisins making it a beast of a beer as notably described; yet at the time the notion of a heavily hopped dark ale was seen as a one-off curiosity and was quietly put aside. While the likes of Black IPAs were increasingly becoming predominant in the US during the noughties, it was largely ignored in the UK. One of the few outliers in the wilderness during this time was Black Ice (4.1%) by Titanic in 2006, a hop-forward dark ale brewed with Cascade and Herkules, with strong citrus notes from the hops cutting through the initial dry notes, a hoppy finish helps round it off along with subtle hints of chocolate. The beer was initially developed as a winter seasonal, before being bottled and sold all year round, yet at the time it was labelled as a Mild due to the lack of awareness for Black IPA at the time.  Just as its appeal was peaking in the US around 2010, Jonny Garrett notes that the increase in popularity for Black IPA in the UK was facilitated by the ascent of the craft beer movement, noting “some of the country’s early leading lights—BrewDog, The Kernel, Beavertown Brewery, Magic Rock Brewing, Buxton Brewery—all had one in their core range, or at least brewed regular Black IPA seasonals. To British breweries opening in the early 2010s, having a Black IPA was proof that you were taking this “craft” thing seriously.” [7] This new generation of brewers took interest in the buzz that was taking place across the pond, and were keen to have a slice of the pie. Soon as a result, during the early 2010’s the rate of Black IPAs produced in the UK gradually increased as brewers flocked to take advantage of this veritable gold rush of innovation. Thornbridge was an early proponent of Black IPA in the UK, launched in 2005, the brewery initially focussed on developing cask beers that utilized traditional recipes, but with a modern twist through the innovative use of hops and malts. Gradually they took influence from popular international beer styles like the emerging Black IPAs in the US, and in 2009 they released Raven (6.6%)[8], that featured a combination of American and New Zealand hops including Centennial and Nelson Sauvin, that gives its piney, fruity character, along with Sorachi Ace that adds aromas of cocoanuts and citrus fruit. Louis Gunz described it at the time “Raven is a massively hopped Black IPA. It pours black as night, has a beautiful intense aroma of pine and sweet roasted malt, citrus and blackcurrants. Flavours are a complex combination of bitter chocolate with pineapple and orange preceding a long bitter finish.”[9] Since it was first launched Raven has become hugely successful, winning a raft of awards and becoming one of Thornbridge’s most noteworthy products. The subsequent success of Raven effectively led the charge for the emergence of Black IPAs in the UK, and as the new decade dawned, Black IPA would soon take the UK brewing industry by storm.

 

2011 proved to be a fruitful year for Black IPAs, on 9^th January, Kernel launched their Black IPA (6.3%) at the Rake Bar, London; members of the London Brewery Alliance[10] were invited to the launch. Meanwhile, St. Austell developed Proper Black (6%), an alternative version of the brewery’s flagship product Proper Job (5.5%). The beer used a multitude of hops, including Brewer’s Gold, Chinook, Centennial and Cascade, Beer Today described it as “black with the faintest hint of red and a thick, foaming tan head. The aroma is piney hops, with a little chocolate malt in the background. On the palate, there’s resinous, grassy hop notes dominating an edge of cocoa and bitter coffee. A great example of the black IPA style.”[11] It would subsequently go onto becoming a popular product for the brewery, appearing in their regular range for the next several years. Likewise, the same year, Moor Beer Co. released Illusion (4.5%) a session Black IPA, Bristol Beer Factory debuted India Ink (6.5%), in May, Buxton showcased their newly released Black Rocks (5.5%) at the Stockport Beer Festival, Brodies produced Dalston Black (7%). one of the first bottled conditioned Black IPAs which Matt Curtis summed up “the malts in the beer are never overpowering and the notes of coffee I often get with this style that I would normally associate with a great stout are very muted but provide a study scaffold for the resinous, zesty flavour.”[12] Meanwhile, the newly launched Windsor & Eton brewery released Conqueror (5%), described as a rich and complex ale brewed with five different malts, along with Summit and Cascade hops, to produce and potent combination of roasted flavours balanced with a pine-hop aroma. Simon Martin from Real Ale Craft Beer proclaimed “it’s a good bittered beer, grapefruit, orange zest going on in the beer too, and then right at the end, when you’re just about to think where’s the chocolate malt, it kicks in right at the end, very subtlety.”[13] It would subsequently go on to be sold in bottle and cask as a part of their regular range, becoming one of their most popular products, and inspiring a number of spin-offs.[14] As the year came to an end, Brewsters joined the fray with Cruella (4.8%), sold as part of the brewery’s Wicked Women range of limited release beers; described as a dramatic beer, it was developed in tribute to the foremost villain of 101 Dalmatians. In December, Magic Rock released Magic 8 Ball (7%) that fused speciality malts with new world hops to create a tropical punchbowl of flavours and aromas, it was subsequently sold in cask, keg and bottles. As 2012 dawned, Stewart Brewing produced Black IPA (5%), initially developed for a beer challenge the beer soon became widely popular, even winning Silver at the 2012 International Beer Challenge, which prompted the brewery to put it on regular release, the following month Kent Brewery introduced their first Black IPA Engima (5.5%). Meanwhile, in March, Brewdog debuted their Libertine Black Ale (7.2%), which was marketed as a voluptuous beast of a beer noted for its hop flavours and complex malt profile, whilst Buxton released Imperial Black (7.5%), one of the first Imperial Black IPAs, it was described on its labels as a game changing beer with abundant fresh hop aromas of zesty citrus pulp and forest fruits, complemented by a roasted malt base. And Otley went in for the pun with Oxymoron (5.5%), noted for using German Carafa malt and 5 different hops, with dry hopping for added flavour. Boak and Bailey were left perplexed, noting at the time, “we detected an alluring hint of smokiness and a clanging grapefruit acid note. Much as we enjoyed it, we’re not sure the effect was deliberate, or that it is really an IPA in any meaningful sense.”[15] Later that year, Salopian produced their first Black IPA, Vertigo (7.2%) bottled conditioned in 330ml bottles it was described as full bodied with chocolaty orange notes and aromas reminiscent of green hops,  moreover Conwy planted the flag for Wales with Riptide (4.6%), brewed with US hops including Columbus, Cascade and Mosaic, it was effectively a tribute to the hoppy aromas of the American IPA, this beer was later retailed in cask and bottle as part of their regular range, becoming one of the most widely sold Black IPAs in Wales.  North of the border, Fyne Ales debuted Sanda Black (5.5%), named after the Sanda lighthouse, located off the southern tip of the Mull of Kintyre in southwestern Scotland. It was developed as a cask special, as part of their IPA project exploring malt and hop combinations on different styles of hop-forward beers. It was brewed with Citra and Nelson Sauvin hops, along with five types of malt, including Maris Otter, Wheat, Crystal Malt, Carafa Special 3 and Black Malt; the Ormskirk Baron described it as having “bold flavours with aromas of passion fruit and gooseberry burst onto your taste buds before being balanced by roasted chocolate smoothness.”[16] Meanwhile, the recently launched Beavertown Brewery hopped onto the Black IPA bandwagon with Black Betty (7.3%), developed as a homage to penny Sweet Shops, reminiscent of black jacks and fruit salads, the brewery described it as having “tropical fruit flavours offset with liquorice and chocolatey malts, not for the faint hearted.”[17] It gathered a mixed response, Boak and Bailey noted “complex and interesting, then, and exhibiting a distinctive brewery character. It won’t be to everyone’s taste, but beers that aren’t to everyone’s taste are what we’d like to see more of,”[15] while Patrick O’ Connor was more favourable “Black Betty is a mouth filling full-bodied brew. This beer is loaded with a wide range of flavours; dark chocolate, caramel and roasted malt leading into some tropical flavours. All topped off with loads of malt.”[18] In the space of two years, a number of breweries across the UK produced a multitude of Black IPAs, this sudden growth in popularity was due to the craft beer boom, where consumers favoured more artisanal produced products over mass-market brands. Yet, the very thing that facilitated it success would soon prove its undoing. 

 List of Refernces 

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[1] Garrett Oliver, The Oxford Companion to Beer definition of dark ale, Craft Beer & Brewing

[2] Nick Carr, Black IPA: The Oxymoron in the Bitter World of Beer, Kegerator, 13^th March 2018

[3] Ron Pattison has uncovered some fascinating early examples of hop-forward stouts, in 1921, Barclay Perkins released Irish Stout (4.3%) that used Goldings and dry hopped Cluster hops, likewise with their Imperial Stout (5.4%) released the same year. Later in 1928, their Export Stout (7.4%) used additional dry hopping in the brew.

[4] Jermey Furzy, The Birth and Rise of the Black IPA, Medium, 15^th April 2015

[5] Around this time, it became hotly debated whether to label this style Black IPA or Cascadian Dark Ale, Nick Carr adds “Cascadian is a reference to the heavy use of hops from the Northwest region in the style. It is also in this region where many of the early examples were brewed.” CDA’s tend to be brewed with the likes of Amarillo, Centennial, Chinook and Cascade hops which are sourced from these regions, and feature notable hop-forward characteristics and a lower emphasis on roasted malt flavours, yet others have argued there is effectively little difference in flavour between Black IPA or Cascadian Dark Ale, and they have effectively cohabited each other.

[6] Em Saunter, Beer Style Guide: Get to Know Black IPA with Em Sauter, The Alcohol Professor, 25^th April 2023

[7] Jonny Garrett, Darkest Before the Dawn — The Unlikely Return of Black IPA, Good Beer Hunting, 6^th April 2021

[8] Later renamed Wild Raven.

[9] Louis Gunz, Raven Black IPA, Louis Gunz Beer Inc.

[10] Founder and head brewer of Kernel, Evan O’Riordan was also a member of the London Brewery Alliance.

[11] Beer Today: St. Austell Brewery

[12] Matt Curtis, Tasting Notes - Brodie's Dalston Black IPA, Tasting Ales, 26^th February 2012

[13] Simon Martin, Windsor And Eton Conqueror Black IPA By Windsor and Eton Brewery | Craft Beer Review, Real Ale Craft Beer, 24^th April 2011

[14] Alternative versions have also been released, including the extra strength Conqueror 1075 (7.3%) and rare versions including Irish Conqueror (5.8%) brewed with Irish Whiskey added to the cask, double dry-hopped Conqueror (5%), Ginger Conqueror (5%), and the festival special Caribbean Conqueror (5.8%) brewed with Rum added to the cask, brewed especially for the Hope Extreme beer festival in 2012.

[15] Jessica Boak, Ray Bailay, Tasting: Black Ales and IPAs, Boak and Bailey, 3^rd July 2014

[16] Looking forward to baron rating these EBBC13 ales, The Ormskirk Baron, 27^th April 2013

[17] They're Back: 8 Ball, Smog Rocket & Black Betty, Beavertown Brewery

[18] Patrick O’Connor, Bevvy of the Week: Beavertown – Black Betty, The Life of Stuff, 11^th March 2017 

Seasonal Halloween Beers

As the days draw close to Halloween, or historically known as All Hallows Eve, breweries up and down the country batten down the hatches and fire up their cauldrons as they prepare their annual mystical brews to ward off the evil spirits. In more common sense terms, it’s been a well-known fact that a number of breweries over the years have created seasonal beers in order to cash in on the Halloween season.  When we think of beers that have links to the supernatural, nightmare and other tropes of the horror genre, immediately the likes of Ghost Ship (4.5% - Adnams) and Trooper (4.7% - Robinson’s) come to mind, yet this a lazy assumption, since these examples are sold all year round, and are frequently retailed in many supermarkets and shops. There are a number of beers of this nature that fit into this bracket, like well-known regional examples like Exmoor Beast (6.6%), Pendle Witches Brew (5.1% - Moorhouse’s), Grim Reaper (6% - Keltek) and Hamster of Doom (5.8% - Ridgeway) for instance, they may be mistaken for Halloween themed beers yet these examples don’t count as these are brewed and sold throughout the year. To truly inhabit the title of a genuine Halloween beers, these releases are generally only sold during a limited period during the Autumn months. Little is known about these elusive ales as they are generally regional specific (sold in a limited area), sold primarily in cask only and on the whole haven’t seen nationwide coverage, particularly in the festival circuit. Yet in the dark nooks of the country’s floorboards lie a treasure trove of intriguing examples that celebrate the spookiest season of the year. 

Most breweries tend to stick to conventional subject matters like witches, werewolves, ghosts or even the humble pumpkin when it comes to naming their beers, witchcraft seems to top the list with examples like Hop Pot (3.8% - A.J.’s Ales), a wry title that is reflected in the pump clip which features an amusing pump clip featuring three witches boiling hops in a cauldron; Broomstick (4.2% - Evans, Evans) once described as a spookily dark amber beer; Hubble Bubble (4.4% - Charnwood) that echoes the iconic scene in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, 3 Witches (4.4% - Oakham) which was first brewed in 2005, the pump clip features three staff members from the time appearing as witches peering over a steaming cauldron; and Witch’s Brew (4.3% - Grainstore) which the brewery’s marketing department labelled as "a magically hopped beer, whose secret combination is known by few. Ghoulishly golden brown with a mysteriously pronounced aroma designed to bewitch the most hardened of drinker keeping away deadly spirits! Ghosts are also another popular subject matter with the likes of Phantasm (4.5% - Acorn) a suitably eerie Pale Ale brewed with New Zealand hops that was notably once sold of House of Commons bar in October 2018; or White Lady (4% - Lincoln Green) whose name is inspired by the ghostly apparition that is usually in seen in rural areas and is often associated with tragedy, such as murder, suicide and betrayal; even brewing giants like Greene King have cashed in on the act with their noteworthy Halloween staple Gangly Ghoul (4.2% - Greene King) that has been haunting pubs for over a decade. Werewolves also frequent the pump clips like Complete Howler (4.3% - Nethergate), a beverage seemingly inspired by ancient brewing traditions combined with modern innovations to create a timeless brew, Ravening Wolf (5.9% - Wantsum), whose nickname was given to Odo, Earl of Kent and half-brother of William the Conqueror, who was tried for defrauding the crown and Howler (4.2% - Wolf), which the brewery describe as a terrifyingly flavoursome golden ale, one of a wolf themed beers produced by the company.  Pumpkins are another popular draw for breweries, a notable example is Farmer's Jack O' Lantern (4.5% - Bradfield) a light hopped bitter that has been doing the rounds on a annual basis since 2010, and has since become available in mini-kegs and more recently in 330ml bottles.

Sometimes breweries stray away from these common themes and come up with intriguing names like Neewolah (4% - Salopian) which is basically Halloween spelt backwards, Harry Porter (5.2% - Milestone) a cynical take on the name of the main character from the series of popular children’s books and films; Strange Brew (4.1% - Twickenham Ales), a dark golden ale made with five different hops that intially resulted from the wrong malt going into the brew, Cornish Scream (4.3% - Skinners) once described as the original Cornish beer of Halloween, meanwhile the likes of Merlin's Ale (4.2% - Broughton) takes it's name from the claim that the legendary wizard lived in the Caledonian Forest and was buried in Broughton; Tormit Heed (4.9% - Firebrick) is inspired by the old Geordie slang for Turnip (pronounced Tormit) and until the late 18th century, Turnip Heads were used a jack o' lanterns before Pumpkins were widley adopted; whilst Frightfully Pale (4.3% - Rudgate) goes against the grain by presenting an exceptionally pale beer and Witch Hunt (4.2% - Bishop Nick) which strays away from witchcraft and instead memorialises the imprisonment and execution of Bishop of London, Nicholas Ridley who was burnt at the stake in 1555 for charges of heresy, whom happens to be the ancestor of the brewery’s current owner Nelion Ridley; whilst others tend to echo the spirit of the season like Treacle Treat (4.2% - Wadworth), a dark ale flavoured with treacle that conjures up childhood memories of walking down dark neighbourhood streets on the prowl for handfuls of sweets. Pumpkin spiced ales have increasingly become a popular draw since they were imported from the US, though breweries in the UK initially tended to stray away from their transatlantic cousins and combined elements of this style with local brewing traditions. Pumpkinhead (4.2% - Bridgehouse) is a notable early example first released in 2011, a copper coloured beer with an even bitter-sweet flavour profile and a dash of pumpkin; Warlock (4% - Dorset Brewing Co.) which first appeared in 2014, a traditional best bitter brewed with fresh pumpkin in the mix, latterly in 2016, New River Brewery marked their 50^th brew with the release of Pumped Up! (4.2% - New River), a golden ale flavoured with pumpkin, spices and subtle hop flavourings. Although a vast number of these Halloween themed seasonal beers have appeared in beer festivals throughout the UK, only a small proportion have been met with success. In 2013, Gothic Stout (5.2% - Enville) won a couple of plaudits including 1^st place at the Stoke-on-Trent Beer Festival and West Midlands Beer of the Year, Complete Howler (4.3% - Nethergate) was awarded gold medal at the Norwich beer festival in 2016, Hocus Pocus (4.6% - Loddon) won Silver in the Dark Bottle Beers category at the SIBA Beer Competition 2012, Gold (Bottled and Canned Dark Beers) at SIBA Midlands 2018, Gold (Old Ale and Strong Mild) – Gold in the Champion Winter Beer of Britain 2020; and more recently Stonedead (6.66% - Lymestone) won the Platinum Service Award from Best of British Beer. Perhaps the most high profile example is Black Cat (3.8% - Moorhouse’s), a legendary black mild which has been met with much praise since it first clawed its way onto the scene, it has won a number of awards over the years, including Champion Beer of Britain – Bronze (1998), Champion Beer of Britain – Gold (2000), Champion Beer of Britain (Mild) – Gold (1998 & 2000), Champion Beer of Britain (Mild) – Bronze (2002),  International  Brewing Industry Awards – Gold (2004), Gold (2011), Bronze (2013) to name but a few, proving that even Halloween themed beers can top the charts.

 

Over time most of these breweries tend to only have released one Halloween themed beer on a seasonal basis, though occasionally some have multiple examples in their books like A.J.’s Ales whom boast the likes of Hop Pot (3.8%) and The Devil Made Me Do It (5.2%), Salopian whom seasonally showcase the likes of Neewollah (4%) and Voodoo (4.5%) in their yearly schedules, or Milestone who feature such examples like Harry Porter (5.2%) and Wicked Witch (4.5%) in their books. Moreover, the Brentwood Brewing Co. have a history of producing Halloween themed seasonal beers such as Devil’s Dyke (4.8%), Haunted Holmes (4.4%), and their current release Spooky Moon (3.8%). Occasionally, breweries have produced alternative versions of their iconic brews, building on the success of their Gothic Stout (5.2%), they have also produced Ginger Gothic (5.2%), Cherry Gothic (5.2%) and a rare Summer only version called Summer Stout (5.2%) in 2016, all using the same base recipe. Meanwhile, Leatherbritches have developed a higher strength release of their Scary Hairy (5.9%) with a 7.2% export version, and Loddon have produced Hocus Pocus – Spiced (4.6%) an alternate version of their flagship old ale Hocus Pocus (4.6%) with the addition of cinnamon, clove and orange peel, which debuted in 2019. Yet Moorhouse’s has to claim the title for the most revisions of an existing beer, in this case  their flagship release Black Cat (3.8%) which includes the like Black Cat Reserve (4.6%) brewed with Junga hops, Blacker Cat (4.1%), a strong version also called Black Cat Reserve (7%), and a rare bottle only release (5%) to name but a few. Although many of these Halloween beers are uniquely produced, some rather cunningly are rebrands of established well known-beers, marketed as seasonal limited edition releases where in fact they are not. Obvious examples like Old Spooky Hen (4.8% - Moorland) are clear to see, whilst more opaque instances like Skull Attack (4.2% - Brains) is just a rebrand of the brewery’s flagship beer S.A. (4.2%), and Scary Mary (3.5% - Ilkley) similarly is a Halloween version of the brewery’s most notable product Mary Jane (3.5%). Sometimes brewers utilize existing core-range beers as the basis for their seasonal Halloween releases, such as Halloween Scream (4.7% - Kent), a special version of their flagship release Lemon Scream (4.7%) which debuted in 2021, it turns the original recipe on its head by turning it into a Black IPA with the addition of chocolate malt into the mix, or Fruit Bat (5.5% - Green Jack), first released in 2008, a strong bitter based on the brewery’s earlier release Gone Fishing (5.5%), but with the addition of plums to give off a sweeter and fruity flavour. The latter example is intriguing to note, as despite the fact it’s generally sold only around the Autumn months, the brewery offers to brew and sell it to consumers throughout the year on request. There are other examples of this hybrid approach, Ravening Wolf (5.9% - Wantsum) is available in bottle and mini-keg throughout the year despite it being only seasonally available on cask during October/ November, the same goes for the likes of Hocus Pocus (4.6% - Loddon) and Scary Hairy (5.9% - Leatherbritches) which are sold in bottle all year round, despite only being sold in cask around the Halloween period.

 

The variety of seasonal Halloween beer that are produced by breweries based all over the country are an intriguing bunch, whilst many feature original recipes, some are basically straightforward rebranding’s of core-range beers but with a different pump clip and name, though occasionally breweries push the boat out and develop new beers based on existing and established releases and thrown in some added ingredients to jazz things up like Fruit Bat (5.5% - Green Jack) or Halloween Scream (4.7% - Kent), for example. A large number of these seasonal releases tend to revolve around styles like Bitter, Best or ESB for instance and there’s nothing spooky about that. Yet there is a growing number that have increasingly diversified in there styles, from Black IPA’s, Porter, Old Ale, Blonde Ale, Stout and even Mild. There has been steady increase in the number of Pumpkin spiced ales, and even Red Ales are gaining proliferation, beers like Wicked Witch (4.5% - Milestone), Hubble Bubble (4.4% - Charnwood), Grim Reaper (5.5% - Wantsum), Blood Moon (4.3% - Derby Brewing), Poltergeist (4.2% - Elgood’s) and most recently Witch Hare (4.5% - Moon Gazer) are brewed in this manner and are suitably the colour of blood, which perfectly suits the spirit of the season. The success of these ‘established’ seasonal releases has not only led to a slew of awards for these beers, but building on their popularity, breweries have since released many of these beers in bottle conditioned or mini-keg form, with some examples going onto being sold all year round, due to their longer shelf life than cask. The production of seasonal Halloween beers goes back to at least the 1990’s, whilst many greats over the years have vanished into oblivion, others have remained, indeed established stalwarts like 3 Witches (4.4% - Oakham), Black Cat (3.8% - Moorhouse’s), Voodoo (4.5% - Salopian) and Fruit Bat (5.5% - Green Jack) have returned to the hand-pumps on a seasonal basis for over 15 years, and a number of breweries mentioned have brought back these seasonal Halloween themed releases on an annual basis more or less since they were first released. Moreover, the development of new and upcoming seasonal beers continues apace with examples like Hellfire (4.3% - Tring), Newsome Nightmare (4.3% - Great Newsome), Fallen Angel, Black & Chrome (5% - Church End), Bloodhound (4.4% - Nethergate/ Greene King) and Reaper’s Wish (4.3% - Oakham) being released this month. This evidently shows that clamour for new Halloween themed beers has not flayed away and will continue to creep around pubs for years to come.