sierra Nevada Blindfold Black IPA

[cheezydemon3]

WOW, exactly what I wanted from a black IPA. A great stout with an IPA hoppiness.

These IPAS that are a garden variety IPA with de-bittered black malt can SUCK it as far as I am concerned....use black food coloring why don't ya?

Simply awesome.

 

[HumulusHead]

I haven't tried this yet! I haven't had a good black since 21st amendment


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[CorwinGraves]

I'm surprised I haven't seen this available anywhere given where I live. Will have to seek it out, as I'm generally not a fan of black IPAs.

 

[Heavywalker]

Elysian brewing did a limited run of a good Black IPA a few months ago. I think it was a spin of their mens room red, called mens room black. It was damn good

 

[Chadwick]

I think I got a few of these in their IPA variety 12 pack a while back. It was a black IPA and very good too. I'm pretty certain this isn't a regular brew for SN. Included in this was the Torpedo IPA which is a regular brew. SN does a lot of these teaser limited items. Sadly, I prefer to drink most of them over what they offer year round. As much as their original Pale Ale opened my mind to good beer, I'm bored with it and rarely purchase it at all. Then again, I rarely purchase any beer at all. I make 95% of what I drink.

 

[rodwha]

I tend to appreciate the CDA's that aren't just a stout with extra hops.

By no means would I call this a bad beer though.

My first couple of CDA's were black but not overly roasty, and so I made mine that way too, but have since found several that seem to me to be stouts (I love stouts!)

 

[campbelldm1]

I think it is part of the 4-way ipa variety pack. Comes with the session ipa, torpedo, white ipa (if i remember correctly?) and the black ipa.


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[sputnam]

that is a tasty beverage, however, i just kicked a keg of NB's Ace of Spades and it was even better. I used chocolate wheat in place of midnight wheat...it was great. Also, RJ Rocker's Black Pearl is worth trying if it's available in your area.

 

[cheezydemon3]

I tend to appreciate the CDA's that aren't just a stout with extra hops.

By no means would I call this a bad beer though.

My first couple of CDA's were black but not overly roasty, and so I made mine that way too, but have since found several that seem to me to be stouts (I love stouts!)

I see the problem! It wasn't a CDA,it was a BLACK IPA.

Says so on the bottle.

 

[Teromous]

I wasn't even aware of this beer. I've probably passed right by it, thinking it was SNPA:

 

[rodwha]

Is not a CDA the same as a BIPA? That's my understanding.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Is not a CDA the same as a BIPA? That's my understanding.

Twas a joke.

It is my understanding that brewers all over the country had been making black IPAs, when a small um........region(?) decided that the style should be named after them, for no good reason.

I do not recognize the sovereignty of the magical kingdom of "Cascadia".

 

[surffisher2a]

We had a Sierra Nevada rep day at my local watering hole a couple weeks back and that was my favorite out of all the beers they brought. Its in our stores down here as a multi pack with 3 other beers. I am not too fond of the one beer (I can't remember which one) so I haven't bought the case yet. When I find that black IPA alone, I will be sure to pick up a couple.

Edit -- just looked it up and its called the 4 way IPA pack, and the white IPA is the one I didn't care for.

 

[rodwha]

I bought that pack and was disappointed in the Snow Wit myself. At 40 IBU's I expected much more hop flavor, and find it odd that Boulevard's 80 Acre with a mere 20 IBU's strikes me as a wheat IPA.

 

[skw]

It is my understanding that brewers all over the country had been making black IPAs, when a small um........region(?) decided that the style should be named after them, for no good reason.

Still better than "india pale" - it's neither pale nor does it have anything to do with India.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Still better than "india pale" - it's neither pale nor does it have anything to do with India.

Oh yes it does!

Barrels of beer were shipped to British soldiers, and extra hops were put into the barrels to preserve the beer from infection on the trip.

When it got to India, the pale ale was hoppier.......thus the INDIA Pale Ale.

Way better story than a bunch of brewers trying to name an existing style after themselves.

 

[Teromous]

Oh yes it does!

Barrels of beer were shipped to British soldiers, and extra hops were put into the barrels to preserve the beer from infection on the trip.

When it got to India, the pale ale was hoppier.......thus the INDIA Pale Ale.

Way better story than a bunch of brewers trying to name an existing style after themselves.

I think he's referring to the idea of the Black IPA and how it is not pale and has nothing to do with India...which I do agree with on both accounts. Our pale ales have had nothing to do with India for quite some time. We continue to call them IPA's because we've done so historically and we maintain the title. People use the term Black IPA because they started with the idea of an IPA and decided to make it black, but I agree that it is a ridiculous name. One reason people us it, is because it is easier to describe the beer.

"Hey what's that?"

"It's like an IPA, but black"

If you called it a Cascadian Dark Ale most people would have no idea what Cascadia was. I'm a fan of calling it an American Black Ale, because it strips both useless "India" and "pale" out of the title and merits the country where it originated.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Ahhh....I LOVE Tangents!

 

[skw]

Barrels of beer were shipped to British soldiers, and extra hops were put into the barrels to preserve the beer from infection on the trip.

That's what Britain did to their pale ales. I don't think any Black IPA has ever made a trip to india in wooden barrels on a ship though. Yes, it's the far history of the style, but by following same logic, Bud Light is a Pale German Dunkel.

 

[opiate82]

Oh yes it does!

Barrels of beer were shipped to British soldiers, and extra hops were put into the barrels to preserve the beer from infection on the trip.

When it got to India, the pale ale was hoppier.......thus the INDIA Pale Ale.

Way better story than a bunch of brewers trying to name an existing style after themselves.

The idea that the hops were added to the "IPA" as a preservative is a misnomer. While at one point hops were added to beer being shipped long distances as a preservative, the beer that eventually became the IPA was shipped right along side a very lowly hopped porter. The hops were added to the beer for the same reason we do so today, for flavor. It received the designation "India Pale Ale" because it became a hugely popular beer in India.

 

[cheezydemon3]

The idea that the hops were added to the "IPA" as a preservative is a misnomer. While at one point hops were added to beer being shipped long distances as a preservative, the beer that eventually became the IPA was shipped right along side a very lowly hopped porter. The hops were added to the beer for the same reason we do so today, for flavor. It received the designation "India Pale Ale" because it became a hugely popular beer in India.

I appreciate the clarification, but does that really change the argument? (ok, discussion )

 

[kaconga]

So cheezy, out of morbid curiosity, how do you feel about the term West coast IPA? Is that as presumptuous to you as cda?

 

[rodwha]

I was given the book IPA by Mitch Steele who did quite a bit of research and found that it wasn't called an IPA, and had been brewed well before ever going to India.

I'm shamed to say I've not read the rest of the book...

 

[cheezydemon3]

So cheezy, out of morbid curiosity, how do you feel about the term West coast IPA? Is that as presumptuous to you as cda?

I would be as opposed to that as say "Kentuckian Dark Ale" (see I accidentally brewed a stout HOP BOMB 10 years ago, but see no reason to assume that I was the first guy to do that).

Why can't we call it the AMERICAN DARK ALE?

 

[kaconga]

I would be as opposed to that as say "Kentuckian Dark Ale" (see I accidentally brewed a stout HOP BOMB 10 years ago, but see no reason to assume that I was the first guy to do that).

Why can't we call it the AMERICAN DARK ALE?

I was just wondering if you were opposed solely to cascadia or if it was regionalism in general. No matter what it is called it will continue to be called cascadian dark by people in "cascadia." I look at it like soda. In the northwest we call it pop and in the southwest it is soda. In some parts ordering a soda is done by asking for a coke even if you want sprite or something. Regionalism is what it is and if I see a beer labeled CDA then I know it is brewed and distributed in cascadia. Only those with wider audiences use black IPA.

 

[fosta]

This was a drain pour for me. I love a stout and I love an IPA but this was neither.

 

[opiate82]

I think the style actually represents "Cascadia" well. Very dark with lots of green stuff.

 

[cheezydemon3]

I think the style actually represents "Cascadia" well. Very dark with lots of green stuff.

Umm.....clearly you've never visited Kentucky.

Greener than Cali, and with some definite darkness.

I don't buy the "regional name" like "pop, or soda" thing.

This is BEER. Sure some of brew soda....um pop, but do hold it as high as BEER?

Do I decide to call a Kentucky Common ale a Boston Cream Pie just because I am up north?

Regardless, this is the most noteworthy beer made by Sierra Nevada that I have had.

They call it a BLACK IPA.

 

[MT2sum]

I DO buy the "regional name" argument/discussion like "pop, or soda" thing. I like the idea of Cascadia, since I grew up in the area, long before the idea of the 'State of Cascadia' became popularized because of dissatisfaction with the governing of Western Washington, Western Oregon, and Eastern Idaho, which didn't treat the other regions fairly with the State/Federal monies provided for Highways, Hospitals, etc., and I've lived there many times over the past 70+ years ....

Cascadia never did become a State, but I suppose there are still some out there that hope that it will someday happen - i'm not one of them, because it's never going to happen!

--- I've also lived in Tennessee, where they sell "Tennessee Whiskey" manufactured in Frankfort, Kentucky, and I've bought "Canadian LTD" manufactured in Owensboro, Kentucky!
Just my 2 cents ......

And, if anyone is interested, we just recently got a 4 way pack here in the part of Montana I currently live in .... I wrote to SN, and they responded; here is the info about the Peach IPA, Black IPA and the German IPA:

"Thanks for reaching out and thanks for the love. The website hasn’t been updated yet to reflect all the beer info for the 4 Way IPA pack. Here is some info from our production side for the other three beers in the pack.


German IPA



ABV: 6.1%

Bitterness Units: 42

Beginning Gravity: 14.3° Plato

Ending Gravity: 3.0° Plato

Color: Golden

Bittering Hops: German Magnum, Calista

Finishing Hops: Saphir, Calista, Ariana

Dry Hops: N/A

Torpedo Hops: Saphir, Ariana

Malts: Pilsner, Munich, Carared, Acidulated

Yeast: Kolsch yeast



Peach IPA



ABV: 5.8%

Bitterness Units: 40

Beginning Gravity: 14.5° Plato

Ending Gravity: 3.8° Plato

Color: Pale amber

Bittering Hops: Palisade

Finishing Hops: Mosaic, Citra, Loral, Experimental variety

Dry Hops: N/A

Torpedo Hops: Loral, Experimental variety

Malts: Two-row Pale, Wheat, Munich, Honey

Yeast: Ale yeast

Other: Peaches



Black IPA



ABV: 6.9%

Bitterness Units: 60

Beginning Gravity: 15.6° Plato

Ending Gravity: 3.1° Plato

Color: Black

Bittering Hops: Magnum, Mosaic

Finishing Hops: Simcoe, Mosaic

Dry Hops: N/A

Torpedo Hops: Simcoe, Eureka

Malts: Two-row Pale, Midnight Wheat, Caramel, Chocolate

Yeast: Ale yeast

Other: N/A"

The 4th IPA was Torpedo, which you can find on the website!

 

[Jordanomyces]

Hey cheezy,

A Kentucky Common is Regionally named due to it being most popular in the state of Kentucky (before prohibition) It is also brewed with local ingredients.

The Cascadian Dark Ale is Regionally named the same way. Also the proper hops needed for a CDA are natively grown in the Cascades (along with 99% of all 'American Hops')
Your assumption of "Cascadia" being California is invalid. The Cascade Mountains pass through British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and only a small portion of California. I have infact lived in Kentucky, California, and Oregon. I have also visited Washington and British Columbia several times. It is far greener than Kentucky. Also you can over hop a stout all you want and it will never be anything similar to a CDA, just a bull**** hoppy stout.

 

[Jordanomyces]

Cheezy,
also Chico CA (where Sierra Nevada Brewery is from) is not in the Cascades it is beneath the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, hence the name. But you probably don't know much about Mountains being that there are no real Mountains in Kentucky. Sierra Nevada calls it a Black IPA, and it is a poor representation of a CDA (all though I like Sierra Nevada)