Beer taste in the most basic sense will typically have a malt focus or a hoppy polestar. One of my personal favorite ale styles is the Black IPA i.e. Cascadian Dark Ale or American Black Ale. This brew combines the richness of a dark ale with an intense amount of American hops giving the best of both worlds.
Deschutes' Hop in the Dark is a great CDA. It pours a gorgeous black and smells of lush malt with a pleasant pine aroma. You can immediately taste a roasty malt character, but it is soon balanced out by a generous hop flavor. There is also a subtle chocolate undertone to the malt base that gives a great addition to its complexity. Overall if you feel your typical IPA just isn't dark enough or you want a different sort of vibe with your traditional black ale, then Hop in the Dark will truly satisfy.
Musical Pairing: What goes with something dark, mysterious, and originating in the Pacific Northwest? Wolves in the Throne Room. 'Black Cascade' is their third album, and is often overlooked, which is understandable standing up to their other records. I recommend this because it is a hidden jewel amongst their discography. These four songs take a much more straight-forward approach than the others, which is actually refreshing by comparison. It has the typical 'Wolves' sound, but with more Black Metal elements rather than spacy avant-garde feel. 'Ahrimanic Trance' is one of my favorite tracks of all Black Metal and is the best tune on 'Black Cascade.' The ferocious, yet melodic riffs, layers of beautiful analog synths, and the amazing drumming of Aaron Weaver really shine and give this record an antithetic feel in contrast to their other material. If you haven't listened to it, try it out. If you have listened to it, give it another listen, focusing on the rawness and imagine the ancient redwoods besetting you.
I cant agree more about Black Cascade. As the band delves into more surreal territory this one sticks out for its straight forward approach.
ReplyDelete