Catawba Valley Blackwater Uber Pale Ale

Brewed by Catawba Valley Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Glen Alpine, North Carolina USA

Date: 09/21/2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Barley’s, NC

solid black, fine tan head, thick spidery lace, roasted and dark chocolate aroma with citrus hops, rich malt flavor, lots of roasted character, plenty of citrus hops to balance, rich chocolate comes out with some sweetness, lasting bitter finish, a great hoppy imperial porter
-------- /> Date: 01/20/2008
Mode: draft
Words: Barley’s NC

still as hoppy as ever but the hops are more earthy than citrus, the roasted and hops go together really well,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: ***+/4

Tap at Barley’s in Asheville on 2/3/08: Pours a mostly opaque with dark mahogany hues and a full-lacing tan head. Aroma of sweet earthy dark caramel and some milk chocolate notes. Body starts with good sweet dark caramel maltiness and big fresh resiny piny hops toward a crisp, slightly warming bittersweet finish. A good strong hoppy dark beer.

on tap @Barleys Taproom-pours a rich light brown head that laces and dark brown color. Aroma is dark malt-chocolate, earthy. Taste is dark malt-chocolate/licorice/roasty, earthy. Interesting Schwarz PA.

It’s Black. It’s a black pale ale. Well actually my notes indicate "dark reddish brown", but let’s just call it black. The aroma is a touch of coffee and a touch of spicy, and it doesn’t really hint at the hop flavor to come. Just a touch of coffe flavor at first, then an aggressive hop bite. Very tasty.

Appearance: Dark brown body topped by a small, beige head. Smell: Mixture of dark malts and pine needles with a touch of booze. Taste: Dark malts, a bit of roastiness meets a strong pine hop flavor and moderate bitterness. Small hint of unsweetened chocolate present, but it gets lost amidst the bitterness. Dry, lingering finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: There sure are alot of hoppy black beers running loose these days.

A damn black our with an almost white creamy head. The hops on the nosre just knock everything else in the head. By crackies the hops in this unit are overwhelming. A true hop head delight. This beer is the most bitte that I’ve ever put to my lips. A choco flavor is there as well. Some coffee. Mouthfeel is good smooth and silky. Carbonation tries to take off but stays in check. Excellent offering.

Draught at Barley’s in Asheville. Pours ultra-black with mahogany edges and a thin tan head. The aroma is surprisingly piney with interesting coffee and chocolate hints, and a good dose of earth and citrus. The flavor is charred wood and dark coffee at first, then some piney hops. A sweet chocolate and caramel backbone coats the mouth as the hops just keep getting more intense. The finish very dry and piney, and the aftertaste lingers forever. This is a truly interesting beer, and full of pleasantly aggressive hops. Good, good stuff.

Draught. Pours quite dark, almost pure black with a small tan head. The nose is malty with hops as a close second. I pick up strong grapefruit with soy sauce, wood, cherry, caramel, earth, chocolate, and more. Hm, mouthfeel is fairly viscous with a drying finish. Grapefruit highlights notes of raspberry, chocolate, earth, and toffee. This is one of those U.S. styled beers that is packed full of malt and hops which battle each other to make themselves known, which is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s a drinkable beer all in all.