This dark pint is from Southern Pines Brewing Company in Southern Pines, North Carolina. This beer is Open Toe Casket Imperial Black IPA, 9.3% ABV, and it has an IBU (International Bittering Unit) of 73. This dark IPA has Citra, Galaxy, and Zythos hops. Now you might be familiar with Citra and Galaxy hops if you are following Best Beer Blog here. Now Zythos, created by Hopunion LLC, is a proprietary hop blend created specifically with IPA’s in mind. It has citrus notes, pineapple, and pine. It is a Bittering and aroma type hop. This dark IPA pours a deep oil black with a tow finger steady beige head. The nose on this IPA is tropical with pine, bitterness, and lite roasted notes. It reminds me of a coffee grown in a more tropical climate. The taste is citrusy and fruity with a lite pine note. There is a nice amount of roasted flavors and bitter notes. The mouthfeel is s full. This IPA finishes with a bitter-roasted note. It also has a bit of citrus to it. Then this dark IPA gives you an aftertaste that is bitter and roasted with a citrus pine flavor. I found that as the beer rises in temperature, the bitter flavor becomes stronger, as does the alcohol. This IPA started good but went downhill halfway through the pint. This IPA barely gets a B- here. Halfway it becomes bold and bitter. But it’s okay. Please be kind, stay safe, and enjoy responsibly! Cheers!
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