Black IPAs are few and far between these days, almost to the point that one could credibly call it something of a ‘retired’ style, but I’m always glad to see the odd one now and then to give some contrast in the IPA space. Black The RIPA from Renaissance is doubly unusual in that it’s also brewed with a portion of rye, which should serve to spice things up a little.
On the nose there’s abundant lemon zest and funky gooseberry, dark roasted coffee and char, with just a little of that mildly medicinal twang that rye tends to manifest. Transitioning to the palate, this beer pulls off one of the wildest style backflips I’ve encountered in some time. The juicy and largely hop driven aroma diverges into dry and smokey, with strong black malt characteristics of burned toast and filter coffee. The combination of bitterness from both the hops and heavily roasted malt eventually combine for a long and starkly bitter finish. This is black IPA that truly embraces its dark side.