The Birth and Rise of the Black IPA
Most of the major beer styles we know and love today were well-defined by the 70s and early 80s. So what explains the triumph of a unique category that has only been around for about a decade?
The development of black IPAs as an entirely new classification of beer has been swift and sweeping. A style that was barely known in the aughts has emerged as a distinct beer, with most craft breweries now offering their take on the dark and hoppy beverage. My own Pop Chart Labs poster titled “The Very Many Varieties of Beer” from 2010 does not include the black IPA. Each of their updated variations, however, have included it right next to the double IPA. The black IPA miraculously went from unknown to nearly ubiquitous in only a handful of years.
It’s important to define what a black IPA actually is before we go any further. Without getting into nerdy specifications, black IPAs are made using darker malts usually reserved for porters or stouts and include a hefty amount of domestic hops typically found in an American IPA. As with any new style struggling to define itself, it has gone by many names. India black ale and Cascadian dark ale were the most common early alternatives. The Brewers Association recognized it as a style for the 2010 Great American Beer Festival calling it an American-style India black ale. It seems that most breweries have adopted the term black IPA at least in their description of the beer if not on the front of the label. But where did the black IPA come from?
The modern black IPA likely emerged in part due to the popularity of Dogfish Head’s Indian Brown Ale. First brewed in 1999, this beer opened the door for a hoppy ale brewed with darker malts. The birth of a recognizable black IPA probably occurred in 2003 and can be narrowed down to two famous examples from the hop-saturated Northwest: Rogue’s Skull Splitter and Phillips’ Black Toque. I should also mention the influence of the Vermont Pub and Brewery before those on the East Coast are angered by my historical analysis. Though we may never know exactly who created the black IPA, the more important question is what we do with it now.
Despite the popularity of these beers and the current expansion of black IPA offerings, not everyone enjoys the combination of hops and dark malts. There is persistent pushback from traditionalists who are against categorizing the black IPA as a distinct style. But it seems clear to me that a black IPA is different from something like a hoppy porter. If we look at its general hop profile we can find the citrusy, piney, and floral characteristics of an IPA, achieved through using hops such as Centennial, Chinook, Amarillo, Simcoe, and Cascade. Their bitterness is complimented by subtle caramel malt flavors that are quite different from the pronounced malted or roasted barley flavors of a porter or stout. This offers a dry finish and a beautifully dark color without a strong burnt flavor.
Most fans would recommend drinking a black IPA from the same glassware as a standard IPA. I like to use the Spiegelau glass designed with the help of Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada. The beer that inspired my interest in the history of black IPAs was a recent sampling of Short’s bold and earthy Goodnight Bodacious. If you do not have access to their limited distribution, I also highly recommend NightTime by Lagunitas, Dubhe by Uinta, and a collaboration between the geniuses at Three Floyd’s, Real Ale, and Surly called Blakkr.
No matter what we call it, it appears the black IPA is here to stay — and I think this should be a celebrated development. It has thrust itself onto the craft beer landscape because it offers the best characteristics of several different ales in one beer. It serves as a welcome remedy to the now tiresome fad of seeking the most extremely bitter double IPA imaginable. Instead, we find ourselves in possession of a complex, balanced brew that still includes plenty of hops. If the black IPA is possible, who knows what the next decade of craft brewing will have in store for us!
