I had only briefly heard of Otter Creek Brewing when I stumbled upon Alpine Black IPA in a bar at the base of Okemo Mountain in Vermont. Among the Magic Hat, Long Trail and Samuel Adams on tap, this was the only choice I’d never had, so of course I had to try it. I didn’t know what to expect because dark takes on IPAs can vary from very good to very bad. What I chose is one of the best dark IPAs I’ve had.
For starters, watching this beer being poured was exciting in itself. It’s hard to find an outstanding dark IPA, so the anticipation that this would be a good one was a factor. More importantly, though, was the creamy head that seemed to grow exponentially during the pour and add texture to the black color. Once the head subsided and I was finally able to drink it, the anticipation was well-earned. The best way to describe Alpine Black IPA is a mix of an excellent roasted porter and a good American IPA. When you first start drinking this beer the balance of malt and hops is done so well it’s hard to pick out the flavors. Malt is the overwhelming flavor, yielding roasted and caramel notes that are smooth and creamy, and noticeable for the majority of each sip. These flavors aren’t overpowering, though, and leave room for the sweetness of the hops to shine through at the end of each sip. While malt is the dominant profile, it’s creaminess fuses well with the hops, and in the end you’re left a slight hop aftertaste with the satisfaction of drinking a very nice porter. The flavors might sound to be too contrasting, but they work very well together. The hops really only appear at the end of each sip, and while the malt flavor is good enough on it’s own, the mastery the flavors are mixed with is what makes this so good.
Once you get a grasp on how the flavors work, it’s easier to notice the hops throughout each sip. Despite the predominant malt flavors, an underlying sweetness from the hops lightens the beer and then pops through more before the finish. It’s nice to be able to pick out the differing flavors throughout each sip, but I actually prefer the first tastings. It was nice to get a well-flavored porter style for the majority of each sip and transition seamlessly to the hops.
If you’re going to try a black IPA, I would put this at the top of your list. I couldn’t decide whether to give this an 8/10 or 9/10, and decided to give it an 8 because I feel the need to have it a few more times to fully figure it out. This doesn’t take away from how good it is, though, and to me is the benchmark of the black IPA style.
Overall 8/10
Color 10
Thickness 6
Hops/Malt 4.0
ABV 6.0%
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