Three Needs Blackwatch

Woody nose, dark brown. Dark toasted grain, tobacco and charcoal notes. Bitter burnt wood end with hops too. Intense flavor. Stands on its own--as a beer or a meal! Points for originality and for pushing the limit.

Draught pint at the brewpub, mid-May 2007. What is it with these dark IPAs? The next new thing in beer is making with the funny colors? Anyway, this poured totally black (duh), translucent with a smallish head and a bit of lacing....dry, herbal aroma, faint hoppiness, woody....body is very, very dry and harsh at first, the malts only show up when it’s warmed for 10 minutes or so, and a light fruity/citric sweetness enters the picture....remains dusty overall and somewhat hard to drink, but by the end of the pint I’m not unhappy about it.