Style: Black IPA
ABV: 6.2%
IBUs: 74
Joe’s Take
Welcome back, time for another NC beer of the week review. This week Nick and I had planned poorly so we are writing this review in one of our favorite venues in Greenville, Tapped. We had a hard time selecting a beer with their huge draft list but settled on a style we haven’t reviewed yet, a black IPA. The beer we chose was “Frostbite Black IPA” by Foothills Brewing in Winston-Salem, NC. We went for a full pint and bellied up to the bar to write the review.
“Frostbite Black IPA” lived up to its name and poured an inky black into a shaker pint. On the edges of the glass you could see that the beer was clear and it had an almost amber-red hue at those points. The rest of the beer was pitch black and was topped with a robust tan head that hung around during the tasting.
The nose of this beer presented a challenge as it was difficult to pick up on the exact aromas the beer was releasing. I detected a hoppy aroma that was almost a bit spicy. There was a bit of hop aroma that presented itself as more of a musty smell instead of the usual dankness from some other brews. I also smelled some malt aromas that were somewhat charred and toasted.
The mouthfeel was surprisingly smooth and almost creamy. It was full bodied with some biting carbonation, but not overbearingly so. As it exited the mouth I noticed that it coated the roof of my mouth and tongue. It was not drying to the palate.
The black IPA had a complex flavor profile that I perceived as a battle between the strong roasted malt and bitter hops. As the beer warmed during the tasting the hop bitterness and intensity seemed to increase. The malt flavors were not far behind. Usually, with a black IPA, they say the roasted malt flavor comes more from our own preconceived perceptions based on the color of the beer. However, to me this beer presented strong roasted malt notes and hints of char without question. I would love to do a blind tasting to see if this was all in my head, or if those flavors are actually present in the beer. Food pairings for this brew would require some hearty winter warmer foods that have strong savory flavors. Otherwise the food would become a casualty in the war between malt and hops.
For this IPA, drinkability is limited by the strong flavors that ebb and flow between bitter hops and roasty malts. A few of these in a row would almost be enough to take your palate out of commission. However, the smooth mouthfeel would make this a bit easier as it was an easy sipper.
Foothills has delivered a black IPA that balances between hoppy and roasted with “Frostbite Black IPA.” The complex brew is sure to provide an interesting ride for your tastebuds and I recommend you give it a try for yourself. If you do, be sure to let us know in the comments. Cheers!
Appearance: Black, clear on edges that you can see but otherwise inky black. Tan head that was nice and fluffy, persisted and left lace on glass. (4/5)
Aroma: Hoppy, malty, a bit roasty, spicy hops, slightly musty. (3/5)
Mouthfeel: Smooth and almost creamy, a bit mouth coating, some carbonation bit. (4/5)
Taste: Hop forward, bitter hops, slight vegetal notes. Balanced out by malty flavors with a hint of char. Competing strong flavors. Minimal sweetness. (4/5)
Drinkability: Not the most drinkable beer. Smooth mouthfeel but strong competing flavors. (3.5/5)
Total: 18.5/25
Nick’s Take
It’s Monday, and that means we’re showcasing and reviewing another beer made here in North Carolina! Huge thanks to Lauren for filling in for me last Monday! It’s always nice to get some new voices and perspectives. That’s what makes beer so great – we can all experience it differently. We’re almost to December, and of course, cold weather will soon be upon us (even in North Carolina). Hopefully, we will not be subjected to a bitter winter, but if the frigid winds and low temperatures find us, all the more reason to stay bundled up at home with some good brews. As we like to do here at East Carolina Beer and Brewing, Joe and I found a great beer namesake that fits with the time of year. “Frostbite Black IPA” from Foothills Brewing in Winston-Salem, NC is up for review – shout out to Tapped in Greenville for taking care of us as usual!
I was fooled from the beginning with this beer, as my eyes saw the dark brown body and a light mocha foam on top, and immediately I forgot this was a black IPA (rather than being a stout). I observed this beer in its pint glass and watched as the whipped head persisted for quite a while. After some time for photos, the foam had whittled away into a thin layer on top, with a bit of lace around the rim of the glass. I held the glass toward the light, and a bit of amber color appeared on the edges, so the beer was not completely opaque.
Pint glasses can make it difficult to detect subtle aromas, so at first I was only finding soft hop notes and a bit of floral aromas. I decided it was best to move into tasting so that I could make some room to allow for aromas to form.
I thought that “Frostbite” was well-carbonated, and gave a pleasant crispness on the tongue that lingered through each drink. It had a medium body and was not too drying in my opinion. For being a dark beer in color, it surprised me with its brightness. There was also a bit of mouthcoat taking place, but it wasn’t too viscous or unpalatable.
When I moved on to my tasting, I had similar struggles to when I was making notes for the aromas. I definitely would describe this as a lightly hoppy beer, with a bit of dankness, but there was something I could not yet identify in the early sips. Luckily, I had time to allow the beer to rest a bit; I thought that some of the subtleties would emerge if the beer wasn’t as cold as it was when it was served. We all love cold beer, but sometimes a beer benefits from more tepid temperatures (in terms of detecting flavors and aromas). What I gathered most from this delay were more pronounced malt notes on the nose, which also carried themselves into the taste. I thought it was an interesting balance to have some floral hops (which, I should note, became more prominent as the beer rested and warmed up) and some darker, perhaps roasty malts. I seldom have black IPAs, but I’ll have to dive into this style a little more to see how other brews compare.
This is definitely not something I would race to drink; on the contrary, I think it really came into its own as I allowed time for the beer to lose that ice cold temperature. Additionally, I don’t know that I’d sit down and consume more than one in a sitting, as it is a bit more complex than other styles and can overwhelm. I would certainly recommend trying “Frostbite Black IPA” if you have the opportunity, and would drink it again on a different occasion.
Thanks for reading! Let us know what you think of this beer, or if you have any recommendations. Cheers!
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Rich brown color that allows just a touch of light to penetrate the edges to show a bit of amber. A light mocha head that appears whippy at first but gradually fades into a thin wispy cover. (4.5/5)
Aroma: Soft hops that are floral and light. A bit of malt character and dankness. (4/5)
Mouthfeel: Sufficiently carbonated, medium body, and light mouthcoat. (4/5)
Taste: Hop flavors evolve throughout the beer. A bit of roasty malt peeks through. Easier to identify after beer comes closer to room temp. (4/5)
Drinkability: Not something that would be crushed and it benefits from not being super chilled. A bit too complex to drink one after another. (3/5)
Total: 19.5/25
Comments are closed