I'll be honest, I bought this New Zealand brewed beer based on the novelty of both the brewery and beer name, but as Dave so brilliantly pointed out in his What's In a Name post, sometimes the name of a beer can give away more than it means to. I have only been introduced to the scary new world of black IPA's just recently (having only just sampled Feral Brewery's Karma Citra Black IPA at the recent Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular) and its a genre of brewing that I'm still a little uncertain, nay, unaccustomed to. I don't know what I'm looking for, I don't know what makes a good Black IPA.
However, Yeastie Boys Pot Kettle Black, judged on beer merit alone, is something to saviour. Pouring like a rich stout with a dark copper head that is quite happy to stick around, the initial aroma is a delightful burnt toffee, but just as you think you've got a hold of the scent, the burnt toffee tries to sneak his citrus mates into the party, presumable under the novelty sized copper foam overcoat he's wearing. To taste, it really does come across as a rich IPA, not unlike BrewDog's Punk IPA in terms of its bitter hoppiness, but its the incredibly subtle chocolate and malt flavours that give this beer true character and body. It's like a Terry's Chocolate Orange in beer form.
All in all, I was very pleased with the discovery, its a very easy drinking beer, and provides a pleasant change from drinking your regular run of the mill IPA's. I'm looking forward to sampling some more treats from across the Tasman, particularly from Invercargill's finest in the future... or as soon as Slowbeer stock some more.
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