Beer geeks: Is it me or is "Black IPA" a stupid name for a beer style?

[T_i_B]

I'm currently sat drinking Buxton Imperial Black IPA. It's a real humdinger of a beer but I'm afraid I have an issue with the term used to describe this sort of dark but heavily hopped beer.

Black IPA is a confused, contradictory, daft term. If a beer is black then it cannot be an India Pale Ale. Either a beer is black or it's pale in colour. There needs to be a new name for this beer style ASAP, especially given the rising popularity of it.

If you are wondering what sort of beer I am talking about there is a list at the link below. I haven't had any US ones myself though.

http://www.ratebeer.com/beerstyles/black-ipa/114/

[Ikonoklast]

1. "Black" also helps describe the taste.

Heavier, hoppier than a "light" IPA.

[T_i_B]

2. Dunno about hoppier then an equivalent regular IPA

Equivalent 7.5% pale IPA's can be more hoppy IMHO. The difference with a black one is that you've got the dark malt interplaying with the hops. Sometimes it can be a horrendous mess but when it's done very well it can be spectacular, and happily the one I'm drinking is the best black IPA I've ever had!

One thing I am particular about however is how this style of beer is served on cask. In the North of England it is normal to have a plastic nozzle called a sparkler on the end of the pump to give a thick head to the beer. This ruins Black IPA in my opinion as it takes away too much of the hoppiness. Therefore I always ask for the sparkler to be taken off when I order a black IPA.

[arbusto_baboso]

17. Another note about the flavor profile of "Black IPA" is...

that a typical example will have an aniseed finish. Haven't explored the chemistry yet of why this is so, but most of them do.

[pokerfan]

3. It's a gimmick

http://beervana.blogspot.com/2009/01/on-black-ipas.html

[Brother Buzz]

4. India Pale Ale always connoted hops

Color was never in the equation in my mind, just the hops. Black IPA would imply a dark color in my mind.

[T_i_B]

6. The clue is in the name

India PALE ale.

Pale ale that originally was more heavily hopped so as to withstand the long voyage from Britain to India back in the days when Britain ruled over India.

[Brother Buzz]

11. The clue to the name is what it is made from

Pale ale is made from pale malt. Pale malt is roasted at a low temperature to produce the ideal enzymes to convert carbohydrates to sugar, not for color. Pale malt is pretty much the staple for most barley sandwiches for that simple economic reason.

[T_i_B]

13. Most BIPA's are made with Weyermann Carafa Spezial No.1

A dehusked dark malt. Some breweries have tried making black IPA's with different malt but I'm afraid that the BIPA's I've had where they have used different malt have not been very good!

[Brother Buzz]

23. Weyermann Carafa Spezial No.1 has no enzymes

It's added to the pale malt for color and flavor. Perhaps they should try using patent malt; in small quantities, patent malt darkens beer without imparting much flavor.

[MattBaggins]

5. It's a stout

There is also the problem in calling it a "black" beer rather than dark. A black beer is already a type of lager which is of course, kind of the opposite of an ale.

[arbusto_baboso]

16. No. Not even close. Schwarzbier is a SPECIFIC kind of black beer, and is a lager.

Not all "black beers" are lagers. That's is absolutely, categroically untrue.

[Paladin]

7. Drink A Few More Bottles And Don't Worry About It. (n/t)

[T_i_B]

10. I brought the last bottle in the off-licence

Maybe I should go back to see if they have any more.

I've also had the Buxton Imperial Black IPA on cask before and that was even better then the bottle!

[benld74]

8. ANY IPA and I DO NOT play well together,,,,

[Initech]

9. Black lagers and IPAs are amazing.

[kwassa]

12. I think they are the only two types of beer I like.

[T_i_B]

14. One big difference to note here...

...is that unike Black IPA, Black Lager is not a contradictory term. Lager does not have to be pale, it doesn't have to be cold & fizzy either (there's one or two cask lagers made by UK brewers that are really good).

[Rambis]

31. Herold Pivovar black lager heaven in a bottle

[arbusto_baboso]

15. No, it's a stupid style name. I've been lobbying for....

India Black Ale, India Brown Ale or India Dark Ale. Thoser names have some historicity and still give a good description of what to expect from the beer.

American Dark Ale is a nebulously vague name, and Cascadian Dark Ale is ridiculous, either as a geographical connotation (sorry Northwesterners, it wasn't invented in your neck of the woods, whatever you have been told), or as a technical description, as not all of them contain Cascade hops.

We'll see if the other BJCP judges are swayed by my arguments or not.

[T_i_B]

18. How about "Black Hop Ale"?

It has it's weakness's but it's a better term then Black IPA in my opinion.

Also, "Red Hop Ale" is a good term to describe beers such as Brewdog 5AM Saint and Brodies Hackney Red IPA that are red in colour and use plenty of hops.

[arbusto_baboso]

22. Well, it's better than Black IPA, to be sure.

But it still lacks a little something, from my point of view.

[Moondog]

20. Well stated.

[killbotfactory]

19. I'll protect your beer while you alert the proper authorities.

[T_i_B]

21. The proper authorities?

I think the Campaign for Real Ale are already aware. A Black IPA (Thornbridge Raven, which may even have got as far as being exported to the US) won beer of the festival at my local CAMRA beer festival

What's worse is that I've already mentioned this on another DU thread in the UK forum!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1088411

[deucemagnet]

24. I vote stupid.

IPA is a style of beer developed during the British colonial period that not only could withstand the voyage from England to India, but actually benefited from the conditions of the voyage. Making it dark and malty and calling it IPA is sticking a thumb in the eye of beer brewing history.

Not that there's anything wrong with dark and hoppy beers. Stone Brewery's Levitation Ale, Arrogant Bastard Ale, and Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale are deliciously dark and hoppy (as well as ingeniously named), but Stone Brewery is smart enough not to call them IPAs.

[T_i_B]

28. But then there's the Brewdog/Stone collaboration "Bashah"

That was a (very good) Black IPA and was marketed as a Black IPA.

http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article/132

Don't get me started on Brewdog though. Some of their beer is world class but their penchant for publicity stunts, not to mention the extortionate prices of their draught beers do make them rather tiresome.

[deucemagnet]

29. Thanks, I wasn't aware of that beer.

Stone puts out some pretty pricey stuff as well. I saw a six-pack of Oaked Arrogant Bastard with a price tag of about $17! I was tempted, but I couldn't justify the price. I'm still curious as to how AB Ale would taste after being aged in a bourbon barrel, though.

[T_i_B]

32. Speaking of Brewdog / US brewery collaborations & stupid ideas...

Brewdog are going to be doing "no hop IPA's" in collaboration with Flying Dog

http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article/international-arms-race-flying-dog-v-brewdog

I'm sorry, but "no hop IPA" as a concept is an even stupider idea then Black IPA. I've recently discovered the joys of drinking Cantillion Lambic beer and I think I'll stick to that over Brewdog's gimmicks if I want beer with funny ingredients in.

[Robb]

25. An absurdly serious topic.

I predict a pretty ugly discussion.

[JVS]

26. It should be Imperial Dark Ale

[T_i_B]

33. Haven't we already got Imperial Stout?

[OriginalGeek]

27. The thing is

I know what to expect from an IPA. I know what to expect from stouts and porters and black beers.

The first (and so far only) Black IPA I tried (Magic Hat - it's in their current sampler 12 pack) was almost exactly what I was expecting when I read the name.

So I would say that it was aptly named as it described to me what I got.


And I have to say I loved it. And now I've seen a lot of names in this thread to look for next time I'm in Total Wine and Spirits.


So even if we never come to an accord on what BIPA should be called, at least I got some stuff to try. And THAT is why I love this thread.

[KamaAina]

30. As long as the bottles don't have little hoodies on them