Review 54: New Holland Black Hatter

Review 54

6/6/12

New Holland Black Hatter: 5.56% abv

Doesn't take a whole lot of education to guess what this one is. That's right: today's countdown to Hatter day is a black IPA. So what does the Black Hatter have to offer that grandpa White Hatter and the old classic do not. That's what we're here to answer, and to start, the picture reveals that extreme creepiness is a start. 

But onto the tasting notes. On the nose, one gets a bombardment of flavors, including apple, grape, pine, oak, orange, grapefruit, slight vanilla, whipping cream, minteral earthiness, with floral notes and a wet dewy grass smell as well. 

The taste doesn't fail to be equally as complex as the smell, with cream and vanilla on the arrival, malty notes, sweet and tangy citrus notes of lemon, lime and orange, and slight grapefruit. The finish closes the beer of with a nice long presence, being malty and having plenty of wheat and hops, as well as floral notes, vanilla, rye, lime, slight coffee, and a hint of nuttiness. This beer is complex in nature and well crafted, but not as balanced as desired, with more prominent citrus notes than anything. Still a very enjoyable beer. 

Score: 9.0/10



Review 60: Heavy Seas Black Cannon

Review 60

6/4/12

Heavy Seas Black Cannon: 7.25% abv

We haven't done a whole lot of black IPAs in our time, so we wanted to do another one. And who wouldn't want to drink a beer with a name as cool as this one. There's not a whole lot of background to this beer, but it's high alcoholic content encourages us that flavor is soon to arrive. To the tasting notes. 

On the nose, we find a very stout like smell, with chocolate, coffee, molasses, caramel, butterscotch, vanilla, and malt, but proceeds with some slight floral character, maple wood and peanut. This is a creamy smelling nose, and if you weren't being meticulous, you'd call it a stout. The taste, however...nope, like a stout. Instantly notable is the coffee, caramel, vanilla, molasses, chocolate, with unique tasting of orange and slight smokiness, ending with some butterscotch. The finish is sugary, with tobacco, peanut butter, apple, slight bitterness, smokiness and a medium-long length. 

This stout...IPA...IPS?...is actually rather unique, and with a variety of flavors to offer, it puts a unique spin on the stout character. But to call it an IPA is kind of silly. Unlike the Black Hatter by New Holland, it doesn't remind you that you're drinking an IPA. So because it's an IPA and we're rating it as an IPA, it doesn't hit the mark. But if you like stouts, this might be the right wrong beer for you. 

Score: 8.0/10