Black Canon Black IPA

Tasted Monday night at RIBCo. Unfortunately nothing new was on tap for their half price pint night, but nevertheless they had several new bottles. I've had Heavy Seas Loose Cannon before and I thought it was fantastic, so I wanted to see what their other beer was like.

Appearance: Black with brown around the edges. No head except for a thin foam ring around the edge of the glass. Could be clear but dark color and poor room lighting made visibility difficult.
Aroma: Fruity and tropical with a grapefruit zestiness. At the forefront there is a mild roastiness, though the sweetness predominantly falls to a caramel base malt responded to by a complex hoppy flavor.
Taste: Bitter, but lacking the color-flavor component one would expect from a beer of this stature. Not much of a roasted malt character or even chocolate for that matter. I think this beer is just to play with the senses but is really just a basic IPA. Fantastically fruity from the tropical and zesty hop additions. Some ethanol at the end that parallels the alpha acids. as well as some leafy and grassy flavors in the aftertaste. Gradually some roasty flavors emerge as the beer warms. Subtle hints of citrus fruit.
Mouthfeel: Higher carbonation. Dry feel at the finish. Light to medium bodied and not especially sticky or chalky from the malt.
Overall Impression: Not as much roastiness as both I or Neil expected. I did however like the beer for being a good drinkable IPA that still maintains its complexity aside for the play on color variation..


89/100