Beer – #490 – Fiasco Brewing Company – Double DeckYa

it’s come down to this a Fiasco, Disco, Double Time, and Double dipping

The Fiasco Double DeckYa Black IIPA was the pick of the beers on the takeout taps at the grog shop.

Fiasco forgo the luxury of a web page, they have the Facebook instead, so there is little or no information to be gleaned or gained from feeble searching.

They are though based in Canterbury, this is Brewed by Fiasco Brewing Company in the style that is Black IPA or they might stretch is to Imperial / Double Black IPA, and they are in Christchurch. New Zealand.

It’s a 9.2% beer, I have a litre (34 fl oz), so that would be a bottle containing about 770 calories, also then about 7.26 standard drink units in the bottle. There is no way I’ve done enough to be able to claim this as replacement calories based on my days effort.

This was the pick of the majority of the sessions at the recent Beervana in Wellington. I’m not though a big fan of black IPA’s, but this seems so popular, and the man in the store @liquorlandNM said it was very chocolate, and so what could possibly go wrong.

Aroma is of burnt malt or dark chocolate, they weren’t having me on.

You can already tell it’s black in colour. And my pouring skills are at best average, this does pour a lot better than the effort I made, rookie mistake with the angle.

The head is a really neat off chocolate mocha colour. The aroma carries and blooms in the glass. Head is really persistent and now looks like milkshake.

Gosh! This is full and rich and deep on the first sip, finish is dry at the middle and edges of the tongue.

I get a real note of burnt in this, charcoal burnt, as a subtext to the hoppiness that also comes through. It’s very pleasant.

It has such a smooth and creamy mouthfeel too, it a beer that seems to develop and unravel as you take more sups.

Brilliant lacing in the glass too. Leaves a stickiness around the mouth too, lots to dwell on and think over.

Overall then this is a lot of beer and I would be hard pressed in a blind taste to pick, dIPA, IPA, Black IPA, and might go more towards a stout. Then perhaps not as it does not have the ‘fruits’ and ‘sweets’. It would be a challenge though.

The last Black IPA I had I didn’t at all enjoy, this though I would easily go back for another, which is lucky as I have a whole litre of. I don’t know you could go back often though, at 9.2% and it being rather full noise and add the dry finish it might not be the beer to set you up for an evening and might be the quiet couple and then an early finish. Which isn’t a bad thing.

I waffle on, this is one of nicest beers I have today :-), and I thought yesterday’s was going to be a high bar. Second pour, same result, the result of a poor technique and my haste to get more of the beer into a transfer vessel (glass).

Second overall – This drinks really well it has bitters, it has sweets, it has layer of taste, burnt and hop grass, it has a finish that reminds you you’re drinking hop heavy, and leaves you making your lips as aftertaste, looks fantastic and is a delight to drink.

Unlucky for anyone not living near or about here as this is just going to pass into the “he said” legend, and as this is a really boutique brewer I doubt that this’ll make it to the bottle stage or even to export. Which I think is a particular special place for craft beer brewed craftily.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 10 a of its things from the thing. It’s a hard job finding the perfect beer, and sometimes you then stumble over two in a row. I might be being over-generous but it would be by a whisker, I’m not sure how good an dIPA this would be without the ‘black’ but that’s not the point, this is a startlingly good beer delivered well.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? It is a complete revelation, I was dubious based on my previous Black IPA experience. Would I have another? I would, and if I can persuade MrsPdubyah to let me go get one I will be having one tomorrow. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Yes, absolutely yes, this is a complete something unexpected and has many things that set it apart.

Musically I stumbled over the greatest hits of Spandau Ballet

For no discernible reason I picked this as the track to drink by, which is “To Cut A Long Story Short”

And of course it’s the long version at 9:23.

I have no idea the BPM and all the other things, except that I knew all the words….

BLACK IPA

An emerging beer style roughly defined as a beer with IPA-level hopping, relatively high alcohol and a distinct toasty dark malt character. Typically lacks the roastiness and body of a strong stout and is hoppier than a strong porter. Expressive dry-hopping is common. Also called India Dark Ale, India Black Ale, Cascadian Dark Ale, Dark IPA, and sometimes India Brown Ale.

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