The term Black IPA is regularly called up as being a contradiction in terms. Given that the P stands for Pale, the argument goes that it can’t be both black and pale at the same time. The semantic police never seem have a problem with the fact that most India Pale Ales are no longer shipped to India by 2015, but the debate is still a lot of fun.

IPA more than anything refers to a hop-driven beer. A Black IPA is all that, with a strong malty end which you would expect from any dark ale. I absolutely can’t wait until someone releases a pale, amber or red Black IPA.

First Impressions:

This beer pours an unsurprisingly solid black, although it is a deep red against bright light. The head is thick, off-white and very bubbly.

This would pass as a porter, quite easily, if it wasn’t for the aroma that each of those bubbles is transporting. On the nose it is very piney, but with a fruity sweetness, almost like a syrup.

Second Impressions:

The mouthfeel is certainly not that of a typical Irish black beer. It is very light, but packed full of flavour. It has the bitterness and fruitiness that we have come to expect from an IPA, although not as bitter as Black’s Rocketship.

To balance this, the malt flavour is perfect. It is almost like a sweet-bread.

The head dissipates quickly, but leaves some great lacing. The carbonation stays steady, and in a 330ml Glass, the top up from the 500ml bottle gives you a second shot at a full foam top.

Final Impressions:

This is a perfectly balanced beer, which takes the best from both ends of the malt-hop spectrum. At 5% ABV, it is not going to knock you down compared to some other IPAs out there.

Whichever side of the name debate you stand on, this is a tasty beer to start a conversation with.

Also by Black’s of Kinsale:

Rocketship IPA – 6.5% ABV