November is upon us. The clocks have been shifted, in turn, the transcendent sunshine dissipates in certain areas due to Earth’s tilted axis. In our case, residing within the Quaker foothills of Connecticut, sunshine is slimmed and darkness is widened. That’s right, darkness is upon us. And despite the balmy, mild fall season, the lurking depths of winter will soon approach, and generate frigid temperatures, howling winds, showers of freezing rain, sleet, hail, and snow….. which means lot of time for the indoor activities in order to sustain adequate body temperatures…. which means lots of sex. One common variable facilitating the act of sex would be alcohol in moderation, it calms the nerves and strengthens the cravings. So, in conformation, this whole darkness thing might be kinda good after all, ay? What might be a smooth facilitator this winter?

Founders Brewing Co. - Dark Penance

Oh boy, another deviant creation from the malt masters of Founders Brewing Co. An “Imperial Black India Pale Ale.” For lack of a better term, that pretty much means Black Sex in a bottle. Frankly, I’m bewildered at the absence of Samuel L Jackson’s face on the label instead of Gollum’s grandmother. Oh well.

Dark Penance pours a …. dark…. deep, black with hues of dark ruby towards the edges. A refined, one-finger, light beige head is formed with cohesive retention that quickly descends. Mouthfeel is medium to heavy a bolstering carbonation to ward off the massive roasted malt backbone. The balancing act in a beer such as this, is not easy. Founders essentially must create a palate of juggernauts that play nice all at the same time. Kind of like seeing 4 sumo wrestlers looking sexy in a sandbox…. it ain’t easy. You got this unyielding malt bill that consists of big body, robustness, HUGE roastiness, and other malts that may mellow the harsher bolder malts. And besides, Founders must create a towering hop bill that fulfills expectations, yet does not exceed. Because if one element or the other exceeds itself, the liquid will not be balanced… it will be compromised. Then the yeast must accomplish science and construct an alcohol concoction qualified to get us winter warmers under the sheets. What I’m trying to say is…. Dark Penance epitomizes black sex in a bottle. BIG BLACK SEX in a bottle. I think I heard Barry White’s voice when I cracked the bottle.

Black IPAs and Black Ales are far from ubiquitous, but are beginning to find themselves on more lines and shelves than in years prior. A challenging and bold style…. which is quintessentially… craft beer represents in a nutshell. Remember, wear a raincoat when it rains. Drink Responsibly. Over & Out.