India Ink Black Pale Ale

sprague11 · Post by **sprague11** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 4:16 pm

My bottle was flatter than Catherine Zeta-Jones. There was some promise here but the usual Trafalgar faults shone through.

Lukie · Post by **Lukie** » Tue Nov 15, 2011 3:34 pm

sprague11 wrote:My bottle was flatter than Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Whada you takin bout.....

sprague11 · Post by **sprague11** » Wed Nov 16, 2011 10:52 am

She's developed since 2001!

carguy · Post by **carguy** » Wed Nov 16, 2011 5:41 pm

matt7215 wrote:Ill buy this if I ever see it, but the distrobution seemed pretty tight on this one, at least compared to other Trafalger releases

I saw some today at the LCBO downtown Waterloo (King & William). I noticed that they changed the bottles and lables on their ESB and Irish Ale too. Looks like they're using the Black Creek bottles.

I picked it up, but then decided against it. Been burned too many times.

Ale's What Cures Ya · Post by **Ale's What Cures Ya** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 2:50 pm

Had one Friday night. Smelled like burning electronics and sour gunk, tasted like overly roasted coffee and sour gunk.

NRman · Post by **NRman** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 6:34 pm

Put me down for an "I liked it!"
Bought mine at Waterloo King and William Sts.
Drank it last night.
Not nearly as nice a beer as the Fuller's Double Stout that followed it but I'd buy it/drink it again if I saw it...and probably wouldn't be surprised if it tasted like goose piss the second time.
Oh Trafalgar, what will we do with you?
"You can't hit the ball if you don't swing the bat"

JeffPorter · Post by **JeffPorter** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 9:39 pm

Ale's What Cures Ya wrote:Had one Friday night. Smelled like burning electronics and sour gunk, tasted like overly roasted coffee and sour gunk.

My favourite thing about this review is that you used the term "sour gunk" twice in one sentence and still managed to work in the images of "burning electronics" and overly roasted coffee in two sentences.

If it's ok with you - I may have to use this in my writing class.

Ale's What Cures Ya · Post by **Ale's What Cures Ya** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 9:54 pm

JeffPorter wrote:
Ale's What Cures Ya wrote:Had one Friday night. Smelled like burning electronics and sour gunk, tasted like overly roasted coffee and sour gunk.

My favourite thing about this review is that you used the term "sour gunk" twice in one sentence and still managed to work in the images of "burning electronics" and overly roasted coffee in two sentences.

If it's ok with you - I may have to use this in my writing class.

It's a poorly worded review for a poorly made beer. No sense in going on ad nauseam about lame beer. I'm just glad it didn't taste exactly the way it smelled.

JeffPorter · Post by **JeffPorter** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 10:12 pm

Ale's What Cures Ya wrote:
JeffPorter wrote:
Ale's What Cures Ya wrote:Had one Friday night. Smelled like burning electronics and sour gunk, tasted like overly roasted coffee and sour gunk.

My favourite thing about this review is that you used the term "sour gunk" twice in one sentence and still managed to work in the images of "burning electronics" and overly roasted coffee in two sentences.

If it's ok with you - I may have to use this in my writing class.
It's a poorly worded review for a poorly made beer. No sense in going on ad nauseam about lame beer. I'm just glad it didn't taste exactly the way it smelled.

No, No! I'm being totally serious! It's a great review...It's concrete, sensory, and does it using very few words.

I can picture exactly how it tastes and smells (and I don't want to try it!)

G.M. Gillman · Post by **G.M. Gillman** » Wed Nov 23, 2011 6:18 pm

In light of the numerous negative remarks I bought another one, from Summerhill. BBE is April 2012, like the last ones.

If I find a duff one, I'll tell you, but this is great! Strong West Coast hopping in nose and taste, good malty flavour backing it with roasty edges.

No off-flavours that I can tell, e.g. damp paper carbonation or sourness, and no flatness. It has a fizziness of the natural type, much more than real ale but less than soda pop-style thankfully.

A correct Black IPA, IMO.

Just different tastes I guess, either that or I haven't hit a duff bottle.

Gary

P.S. I tasted it half-chilled.

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:49 am

Ale's What Cures Ya wrote:It's a poorly worded review for a poorly made beer.

(While I wouldn't buy it by the case, Black Ink was almost pretty decent, with real hop character. Here's hoping that's credit where credit is due.)

Ale's What Cures Ya · Post by **Ale's What Cures Ya** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 5:15 pm

Belgian wrote:
Ale's What Cures Ya wrote:It's a poorly worded review for a poorly made beer.

(While I wouldn't buy it by the case, Black Ink was almost pretty decent, with real hop character. Here's hoping that's credit where credit is due.)

I will give it credit by saying it wasn't nearly as awful as past Trafalgar offerings, but I found it to be very unappealing. I'm glad it was a freebie.

phat matt · Post by **phat matt** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 9:07 pm

drinking a bottle of this right now. Nice ruby red colour with a nice medium brown head that sticks around. Aroma is of cirtus and pine hops. With faint roasted malts in the back ground. Strong bitterness that is present throughout. Has nice orange hop flavours that go well with the tiny bit of coffee flavour. Some caramel present as well as piney hops but they are muted. It is water with a lingering bitter finish. It was also pretty flat, but enough to keep me interested. Reminded me of cask ale. Overall a decent brew that i may pick up again to see what i think. good work trafalgar.

matt7215 · Post by **matt7215** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 1:14 pm

bomber from the LCBO. dark brown with a small tan head, nicely carbonated. the aroma is weird, 2 very different things coming through, very nice resiny hops, probably chinook, terrible junky malt with dark malt extract making up the base. flavour is ok, a touch earthy, very hoppy. really quite bitter and more then a little rough around the edges. fine.

andrewrg · Post by **andrewrg** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 2:09 pm

matt7215 wrote:bomber from the LCBO. dark brown with a small tan head, nicely carbonated. the aroma is weird, 2 very different things coming through, very nice resiny hops, probably chinook, terrible junky malt with dark malt extract making up the base. flavour is ok, a touch earthy, very hoppy. really quite bitter and more then a little rough around the edges. fine.

This is pretty much exactly how I felt about this beer. You describe it better than me, though.