Our friends Justin and Matt recently brewed a batch of Black IPA, which we tasted and have some thoughts about. These guys are known as Windmill Brewing. Yes, they are Dutch. Their Black IPA is called Sie gehen einmal schwarz, dann gehen sie nicht zurück. In other words, Once you go black, you never go back. Aptly named, this.
Windmill Sie gehen einmal schwarz, dann gehen sie nicht zurück – Black IPA
- Malts: 2-row pale malt, Caramel/Crystal Malt (60L), Weyermann Carafa III Special
- Hops: Chinook, Simcoe, Amarillo Gold (bittering); Simcoe, Amarillo Gold (dry hop)
- ABV: 9.2%
- IBUs: 131
- Preferred Glass: Tulip or Imperial Pint
- Food Pairing: Pairs well for dinner or desert. The hoppiness complements burgers or beef while the dark roastiness pairs well with chocolates.
- Grade: I would give this beer an A- … it was really well made.
It’s a deep, dark brew, very pretty to the eye. You think you’re going to get a punch of roasted malt, but instead are met with fresh hops … that should be obvious by the 131 IBUs. Of course, it is also dry-hopped for a further enhanced nose. Carbonation was good, had some great tan foam. Drinking a beer like this plays tricks on your brain. Your mind is telling your taste buds, “Here comes roasted malt!” and instead you are met with fresh hop bitterness. So, this is a Black IPA that has a slight roasted malt/coffee-like backbone, which is actually a pretty cool combo. The ABVs are fairly high, but I thought they were well hidden.
A final thought on this brew is that it lacks that “Oh, this is definitely a homebrew” trait … which is a really good thing if you are brewing your own beer and trying to perfect a recipe. My hat’s off to Windmill for this brew, I look forward to having another taste next time around!