Beer of the Weekend #582: Blindfold Black IPA

The beer of the weekend, and the whole reason I bought the “4-Way IPA” box, is Blindfold Black IPA, brewed by the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company of Chico, California.


Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. “PKGD 01/21/14” is printed on the back label. (The beers in this 12-pack seem to be getting older and older…)

Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is non-opaque black. Two fingers of dense, billowy, tan-colored head dissipated unevenly and very slowly, leaving the sides of the glass slathered in lacing.

Smell: A delicious medley of malt and citrus. The malts, though, are much more prominent. Toasted and a little roasted malt, caramel, toffee, grapefruit, and orange. There is also a little pine. Mmm…

Taste: Heavenly creamy — almost like an oatmeal stout — with a lot of dark malts tinged with hop bitterness and citrus. Roasted and toasted malts, caramel, toffee, orange, grapefruit, mango, and a little pine. The hops leave a lasting bitterness.

Drinkability: Oh, this is good stuff. Dark, roasty, and creamy with lots of zest and bitterness. It’s just a little taste of heaven…

Fun facts about BBIPA:

-Style: Black IPA.

-Price: Included in a $15.99 12-pack from the New Pioneer Food Co-op in Iowa City.

-Alcohol content: 6.8 percent ABV.

-Food pairings: For cuisine, Sierra Nevada recommends, “Smoked chicken, Roasted Lamb, Blackened flatiron steak.” For cheese, the brewery recommends, “ Roquefort, Gruyere, Parmigiano Reggiano.”

-IBU: 70.


The Quiet Man’s grade: A.

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