Beer – #815 – Lakeman – Badonkadonk

Friday night came about, and not a moment too soon really. The Nice people at Liquorland in Forrest Hill had a couple of tap change as the fill station, and since the Elvis Juice isn’t for me I happily settled for the Lakeman Brewing Badonkadonk. IPA. Black. Where is the pain in that?

” …. huge earthy pine resin aroma leading to a full bodied mouth feeling beer.. “

From the fill station this is the 1 litre bottle of a beer that is 8.6 % ABV and 70 ibu things, 260ish calories a serve size this one and this would be about 6.79 standard drink units of.

Brewed by Lakeman Brewing Company in the style of a Black IPA and they hail from Taupo, New Zealand

Dark night outside dark beer inside

Big, black IPA with a full sweet malt body and hints of chocolate.

Hop aroma is a herbal, citrusy earthiness that is well balanced with soft and delightful hop bitterness.

So, what could possibly go wrong?

Grassy grass hops on opening, and I’m going to go mango aroma, mad not to mention the mango early.

Pour is lovely dark black and it has a head like a a milk shake big full fluffy and milky coffee brown, it is a thing of joy to see.

This is a lot of beer. Dark almost burnt malt taste on top of a bitter hops, absolutely quaffed that down without a blink. Richness and smoothness too, and a lovely faint finish on the edges of the tongue at the back, grassy bitter.

It has certainly got game.

This is really nice beer, and there is only the faintest hint that there is a higher ABV beer hiding inside all that layered taste.

Black IPA seem to be the new black, there have been a few of them around, and so far I’ve enjoyed all of them, it’s certainly a nice take on your IPA and dIPA styles to add that dark malt and add a favour layer. I’m sure they’re not all good , and I might be using the rose tinted glasses, but so far so good, no doubt someone will cock it up.

I’m impressed most by the overarching smoothness that this has, taking the peak out of the bitterness, which is still there and is touching the edges and doing it’s part in the enjoyment.

Good as it is though it isn’t a beer that builds, and is not a beer that stays constant as it warms some of the bitterer things begin to be more to the front and centre, which takes the buzz of a bit. a beer that ends up bitterer than it started, still enjoyable but changed. The resulting thing, for me. is now a beer that the hops show how relentless they are, and take over, dulling out the sweetness and the smoothness to impose a grassy dull umbrella on a beer. I’m sure that this could be countered with a cheese and a crackers, which I don’t have, and I’m frowning at you MrsPhil!

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 9 of its things from the thing. It is a top bit of beer, and again either I’m on a run of good beers or I’m being too kind, but this is pretty enjoyable, different, memorable and rewarding, even if at the end I got a bit of fatigue and bittered out. Top night in.

The double dip review

Where did I get it? Liquroland in Forrest Hill, it is in bottles and might be in good places.
Am I enjoying it? Yes, it’s a style that rarely disappoints and this is a good one.
Would I have another? Yes, totally would.
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Yes, this is a cracker of beer and if you’ve nothing to talk about a couple of these and you’ll be telling stories about that time when…..

Music for this: ” Civil Twilight ” and ‘ Story of an Immigrant ” on Spotify

Brilliant acoustic album, no hiding talent, and this was as good as I thought it would be.

BLACK IPA

An emerging beer style roughly defined as a beer with IPA-level hopping, relatively high alcohol and a distinct toasty dark malt character. Typically lacks the roastiness and body of a strong stout and is hoppier than a strong porter. Expressive dry-hopping is common. Also called India Dark Ale, India Black Ale, Cascadian Dark Ale, Dark IPA, and sometimes India Brown Ale.