(512) Brewing — Black IPA

I was glad to find this Black IPA on my journey to find beers that use Chinook hops. This beer is a great example of using the dual-purpose Chinook for its aromatics over its bittering qualities. What (512) does with their Black IPA is unique: they dry-hop with a heavy dose of Chinook hops to give this beer some serious life. 

On the first pour it was as dark and beautiful as I expected. It didn’t form much of a head, but it had a very strong citrus and resin aroma from the blend of hops (Apollo, Horizon, Simcoe) and the dry-hop addition of Chinook, of which (512) says they add ten pounds to the fermenter each batch. 

This black beauty gets its color from the Blackprinz malt that also adds some flavor of coffee and chicory giving this beer a stout backbone. 

Not surprisingly, this beer has a lot of complexity to it from the malt and hop mixture. The aroma of the Chinook is the first thing to land on the palate and the second most noticeable hop for me is Simcoe. 

We’ve reviewed quite a few (512) beers and they prove in their beers how they like to get creative while also putting out some fantastic staples. This beer was smooth like a stout and had a real IPA kick making it sippable and satisfying. 

As always, stop by and see (512) Brewing in Austin, or check out their beer at a liquor store near you.

Cheers!

Mr. Brew