Deschutes Hop in the Dark CDA

Can an IPA be black? Semantics aside, this noir version has subtle coffee undertones born of a blend of oats with dark, Munich and crystal malts. What emerges is something deeper, less orthodox, and all its own. After 22 trial runs in our Bend and Portland pubs, we got it right.

Malt: Pale, Crystal, Chocolate, Chocolate Wheat, Black Barley, Flaked Oats, Toasted Oats

Hops: Northern Brewer, Nugget, Centennial, Amarillo, Cascade, Citra

3.8

580 reviews

Bend, United States

Community reviews

3.7 Very dark beer with a thin beige head. Sharp pine and orange peel nose. A bit of pine and more citrus hop flavors over a caramel sweetness and a bitter burnt grain astringency. Full flavored CPA.

4.1 As a big fan of black IPAs I was excited to try this beer. Really nice nutty, roasty aromas combined with spruce and citrus. Taste is both sweet and bitter. Excellent representation of the style.

3.6 Bottle. Pours a dark brown to black with a khaki head of foam.. Aroma is roasty and sweet with an herbal bitterness coming through Taste is fairly bitter. Big body and medium carbonation.

4.1 650ml bottle. Pours an opaque black, with a large light beige head, which lasts well and leaves decent lacing. Resin and grapefruit hops, coffee and mild toffee notes make up the aroma. Strong grapefruit and resin hops up front acquire a pine needle character leading into the mid-palate. This offers oatmeal smoothness and coffee bitterness, with grapefruit hops in a smooth finish. A very well-balanced black IPA.

3.3 Pours a black beer with a creamy tan head. The aroma is light roast with some caramel sweetness and a bit of citrus. The flavor roasted malt, big on hops, lots of citrus, a bit of sweetness and a lingering bitterness.

4.0 750 ml bottle purchased in Oakland, CA. Preliminary nose holds notes of coffee, caramel, amaretto, as well as cascade hops. The beer is black and completely opaque, with about one inch of caramel-tinted head. Flavor profile includes roasted malt and coffee, though the flavor becomes more reminiscent of a black IPA as time goes on. Bitterness lingers, though flavor does not.

3.1 Pours a black color with a light chocolate aroma. Taste is of toasted malt mixed with an oatmeal and biscuit flavor. Mild bitterness that leaves an oats tinge on the palate. A tasty, complex beer that was drinkable and flavorful.

3.8 Bomber shared, pours a nice dark brown with off white head. Aroma is dark roasted malts, coffee and chocolate with a nice hop aroma. The flavor is roasted malts, bitter from coffee to bitter from bakers chocolate and then hops. Very well blended from start to finish.

3.9 on tap at Flip Daddys / Union KY --- Opaque black, thin ivory head cover, full sheet of lace. Taste begins with roasted malt, which is quickly overcome by strong bitters, that then continue to a long lingering finish. Full-bodied. chewy, harsh in a very good way, satisfying, highly recommended.

4.1 Pours an opaque black with a head of fine beige bubbles. Smells of roasty cooking flavours and a hint of bubblegum. Taste is held up primarily by a roasty, malty backbone with a some pine and chocolate. Really good.

4.3 Nice black pour. Smells great with coffee and dark fruit hops. Drinks extremely smooth, no off flavors of any kind

3.8 Pours a deep black with nice creamy mocha colored head and good lacing. Aroma of citrus, roast, resin some sweetness. Bitter, roast, bitter chocolate, citrus, pine. Sweet with a dry finish, I tasted celery, but my other half said no celery taste.

4.0 Bottle - big thick tan head, almost black color, big citrus hop aroma and flavor, good size roasty malt backbone, very good overall

3.7 Bottle- pours blackish brown, thick sandy colored head. Nose of biscuits, pine , chocolate malts and some coffee. Grains, earthy malt flavors and biscuit along with drying resinous hop flavors pushing through on the finish. Not heavy or the typical overdone hop bomb black ipa. More nuanced and balanced. Pretty good

3.6 Bottle from Mane Liquor. Pours dark brown with a thick tanned head. Nose is pine up front with nutty tones and hints of earthy spices. Quite a dry roasted chocolate coating in the mouth. Fairly balanced easy going stuff. Decent enough drop

3.6 Oil black pour. Thick resinous mocha colored head. Big northwest hop aroma. Citrus and floral. Mild roasted malt aroma. Flavor shows off the chocolate and coffee flavors. Citrusy hop flavor still strong throughout. ---Rated via iPhone

3.6 Bottle from Mane Liquor. Pours dark brown with a thick khaki head. Nose is very pine driven with mild soy-like notes, quite nutty and very robust and earthy. Almost a dusty, kind of dry feel to this with powdery cocoa and loads of pine. Very balanced. Easy going stuff. Solid drop but the Wookie we had before this beat it albeit only just

3.8 Draft pour at Special Brews. Pours really dark with a lasting tan head. Super toasty aroma. Roasted malt flavor. A little smokey too. Really interesting beer with a burnt aftertaste. Overall really good beer.

3.7 Ah Deschutes. Very dark copper pour, nearly black. Very light aroma of biscuit and roasty something or other. Piney, resiny body balanced by a light chocolate. Gently bitter finish. Lighter on the palate than it looks, very dry. Restrained and delicious, yet another interesting, worthy brew from Deschutes. Chocolate become more pronounced as it warmed, but balance remained. Would I drink again? yes. Would I order again? yes.

3.9 Pours a solid black with a tan head and lacing. It has a rich aroma of dark malt, toast, and piney hops. The flavor is dark malt and pine up front with a slightly chocolate backbone and a bittersweet finish.

4.2 22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, best before 8/21/2014. Pours fairly pitch black color with a 2 finger dense and rocky khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of pineapple, peach, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon zest, orange peel, floral, grass, light pine, chocolate, cocoa, roasted malt, toast, light coffee, and floral/roasted earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of juicy citrus/tropical hops and moderate dark/roasted malt sweetness; with good strength. Taste of big pineapple, peach, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon zest, orange peel, floral, grass, pine, chocolate, cocoa, roasted malt, toast, light coffee, light char, and floral/roasted earthiness. Good amount of pine/roasted bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of pineapple, peach, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon zest, orange peel, floral, grass, pine, chocolate, cocoa, roast, toast, light coffee, light char, and floral/roasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome balance and complexity of juicy citrus/tropical hops and moderate dark/roasted malt flavors; with a nice malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a smooth, crisp, and fairly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is an awesome Black IPA. All around great complexity and balance of juicy citrus/tropical hops and moderate dark/roasted malt flavors; and very smooth and crisp to sip on. A highly enjoyable offering.

3.6 Deuce. Dark black pour with creamy tan head. Roasty, citrus hop scent. Taste of dark roasted malt, coffee, earthy bitter hops and light ashiness.

3.5 Pours a deep brown/black with laced tan head. Slight chocolate to the aroma next to the citra which comes forward. Toasted chocolate flavor with a nice bitter finish.

3.8 Bottle. Nearly black pour with a nice medium beige head. Hoppy citrus aromas with a bit of coffee. Flavour is nicely bitter with hops, roasty malts, and coffee. Some chocolate and a touch of the oats coming through in the flavour as well. Quite a nice black IPA.

3.1 Black, rich head,lace.Good aroma , mix of chocolate and some refined light fruit hop character.Taste is a bit astringent and tangy for some black ipas I go for. Sharp carbonic finish that’s not great.. Some good hops in there that don’t seem to stand out, maybe a dated poorly stored bottle. I was expecting a little more but for a cheaper price I kinda got what I paid for in this case.

3.6 Bottle. A roasty hoppy nose. Taste is a lightly tart and peppery with a sweet sugary malt character. Actually balanced and pretty good.

3.9 Draft. Pours dark brown with huge tan head. Nose is mostly hops. Taste is pineapple hops and some coffee. Dry aftertaste.

3.8 Poured from bottle into a pint glass Appearance – The beer pours cola black color with a small off white foam head. The head has a decent level of retention, slowly fading to leave a moderate level of lace on the sides of the glass. Smell- The aroma of the beer is a mix of sweet chocolate and roast along with a rather stronger showing of some hop. The hop aromas ore heaviest of a pine nature, with some other aromas of a citrus grapefruit and herbal smell as well. Taste – The taste begins with a nice smooth roasted malt flavor with a big shot of chocolate. Right from the start there is a lighter grapefruit hop flavor which gains in intensity as the taste advances to the end. Along with the increase in grapefruit, a pine hop also comes to the tongue. This is the dominant hop taste of the brew really taking over the hop profile. Along with these new hop flavors comes some flavors of a light coffee which meld rather well with the pine to leave a nice chocolaty but bitter and resinous flavor to linger on the tongue. Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the average to thicker side with a carbonation level that is average. The slightly thicker body is quite nice for all the roasted flavors all while the carbonation, at its moderate level, blends well the resinous hop with the roasted tastes not allowing either to really dominate. Overall – A nice tasty black IPA with some good dark chocolate flavors and a decent resinous bite. Rather enjoyable overall.

4.2 Bottle. Pours a very dark brown color with a moderate light tan head on there. The nose on this one is more roasty dominant than hops, but you can get a little bit of some floral hoppiness in there. Taste is definitely bitter, but the taste is a nice mix of dry roasting and hoppy bitterness. Quite tasty.

4.0 Bottle poured in to tulip glass. Aroma is earthy and very lightly floral notes within the first second and then a nice roasted coffee and oat smell come shining through. Appearance is... well dark as the beer advertises. I mean pitch black but with a nice creamy beige head which sticks and stays for some time leaving very painted on lacing. Taste is a very nice bold nutty flavor which turns in to a bitter back end and some sweetness coating the tongue. Reminds me of a porter. If you’re looking for a bold, creamy and satisfying beer here it is. Definitely an indoor beer where you want to sit down and relax. Would definitely drink again.