Beer – #945 – Boneface – The Darkness India Stout
Boneface – The Darkness India Stout. This is a beer that I dropped onto a concrete floor and was dissapointed as it spread out over the concrete. Not as disappointed as MrsPhil because I mopped it up with fluffy white towels, that fair due, were in the washing basket waiting their turn in the washing machine. A lesson learnt there, only use towels that are due to go to the wash anyway. I don’t know if I was expecting Boneface after a bit of twitter banter to come to the rescue and offer me a sympathy beer, they didn’t, which cements my place in the influencers circle. (Honeslty guys it’s ok I’m having you on here, I dropped it I brought a new one, stuff happens)
..characters of rich..
This is beer that is 5.8% ABV and 184 calories a serve size, this is 2.3 standard drink units in NZ.
Brewed by Boneface Brewing this on is in the style that is a Black IPA and they’re new in Wellington, New Zealand
Chubbyface meet Boneface
Brewed at Boneface brewing, a new craft brewery fresh out of Upper Hutt, right next to the likes of Panhead and Kereru. The Darkness is an Indian Stout – with characters of rich chocolate and coffee malts dominate with a hop kick of fresh citrus flavours and a malty rich finish!
The Darkness is a special India Stout with the usual notes of chocolate and coffee you might expect. Yet it hides a secret. With a huge citrus kick you won’t see coming, the Darkness is an aptly named beer of wondrous flavour.
So, What could possibly go wrong?
Its a hoppy beer on opening. More to that IPA side of the ledger.
Pitch black pour, with a coffee white head, Aroma looses that grassiness and gains some darker roasted notes
An incredibly odd beer this, the taste isn’t familiar and is somewhat unsettling. Whilst this has bitterness it’s at the edges, and there isn’t a lot of fullness keeping ti there, the aftertaste is long and lingering towards slightly sour.
I don’t know.
It has some notes of hoppiness, but that roasted darkness is really odd to nail down as something, for me it just doesn’t sit well.
Oh and it’s not a stout by any way that I can discern so I’m happy with Black IPA, no doubt I’m wrong and experts will tell me. Probably.
I don’t think this is full enough either, and it flatters to deceive.
The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 7 of its things from the thing. It might look lovely and have some interesting aromas but there is a strange set of flavours thereafter, and for me they don’t sit as well together as they might or could. I really didn’t like it.
The double dip review
- Where did I get it? FWDC in constellation drive
- Am I enjoying it? No, I found it a bit out of sorts.
- Would I have another? No.
- Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? No, this is a confusion of a beer that looks great, has an interesting aroma but fails to deliver on the promise of looks and smell. There are nicer Dark IPA’s around if I was being brutal.
Music for this: ” Matt the Electrician ” with ” The Doubles ” on the Spotify
Matt the Electrician is the stage name of Matt Sever, a singer/songwriter based in Austin, Texas
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.
A life just as ordinary 