Hardknott Code Black
Cask & bottle conditioned; Regular.
We could tell you it’s a black IPA, and if we did we would be letting you into a great secret. But as you don’t believe in black IPA, you can just pass over this beer and move back to your dark mild as after all, black beer shouldn’t taste this good.
We could tell you it’s a black IPA, and if we did we would be letting you into a great secret. But as you don’t believe in black IPA, you can just pass over this beer and move back to your dark mild as after all, black beer shouldn’t taste this good.
3.5
156 reviews
Millom, England
Community reviews
Live rating of a 330 ml bottle from Morrison poured into a fat Tulip. Blackcurrant and mild Havana cigar aroma. Deep ruby with a creamy off white foam. Astringent, ashy, Spanish liquorice, coffee, and red fruit, but with a dominating bitterness that may be off-putting for some. Actually, it becomes more rounded as you work down the glass. Full bodied, slick mouth feel, bitter finish. Would probably work well with robustly spiced food, alone, I’m not so sure. Just had a look at my stats, and this is second bottom out of 11 Black IPA’s: About right.
Bottle from Morrisons. I hate this. Why? It is so astringent and unpleasant. There is nothing good to say about it. It's been 10 minutes from my last sip and the taste of Code Black is still doing nasty things in my mouth - just sitting there in it's horrible, bitter way. Awful! Mouthwash please.
Bottiglia da 33cl
Di color bruno scuro, con sfumature ambrate; bel cappello di schiuma color nocciola, pannosa, persistente. Al naso gli aromi tostati e affumicati del malto si sposano bene con quelli erbacei ed agrumati del luppolo, con tocco leggermente etilico. In bocca entra ancora tostata, poi subito luppolo, agrumi, arancia, per un intenso finale di caffè e cioccolato. L’amaro finale la rende secca quel tanto che basta a richiedere un altro sorso. Carbonazione vivace, corpo medio-alto. Ottimo equilibrio; black ipa ben fatta.
-- rated with beerbasher/winphone
330ml bottle from Morrisons supermarket. Pours dark reddish brown with a beige foam head leaving lacing. Aroma is floral fruity tropical hoppy with some roasted and coffee notes. Taste of roasted malt, earthy, chocolate, coffee, with some citrus orange & grapefruit hop resin bitterness. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, dry roast bitter finish. Nicely drinkable BIPA.
Bottle. Pours a clear deep brown colour with a foamy beige head. Initial aroma of lemon, orange, some menthol then a little liquorice, some chocolate and toasty malt. Taste of lemon, orange, chocolate, roasted malt, some grapefruit, raisin and a little coffee. Light bodied and soft carbonation. A dry, citrusy bitterness with some roastiness in the finish. A decent black IPA with some citrus and malt flavours. There’s better alternatives though.
Bottle from Morrison’s messy head taste of orange and liquorish with a tarte finish hard to pinpoint the taste but crafted OK enjoyed one not sure about a session on it
Bottle from Morrison’s. Perfectly well made, sessionable (just about). Light tasting. The abv prevents this being a jet powered BIPA.
(Bottle) Clear black with cherry hints, little head. Aroma of pine with some rich toffee hints. Light body with great full carbonation. Hop bitterness dominates over dark toffee malt. Very pleasant.
Nice atypical craft beer aroma.Taste of hoppy ash roast with hop prickle on back of tongue afterwards.Hops come through at the end with bitterness that mellows to leave long aftertaste on back of tongue. Label on bottle’s a bit shite though.
Bottle. Black like a stout. Bitterness dominates with little presence of hops. Far too bitter for my taste and not a very good example of this style. Disappointing as I usually find this brewers beers well above average.
Bottle from Hop Hideout, Sheffield. Dark Ruby Brown with small off white head. Aroma is earthy and ashy. Taste is tart and smoky with nice tasty bitterness. prickly carbonation and a medium body.
Coca- cola colour: black fading to red in direct light. Big pepperiness, burnt orange, black espresso and butter. Creamy but not claggy; this has a nice slick and supple feel which doesn’t make you want the second half of the glass to go away as with so many dark brews. Has the brewery’s characteristic propensity for good hopping and balanced bittterness.
Bottle. A well constructed beer that pulls together pine and chocolate flavours. Nicely balanced and very drinkable for the style.
330 ml bottle with a BB date stamp of 21 Sept. 2016 (very fresh).
Despite a dark and significant malt load, this is very hoppy for an English ale and deserves to be put n the same category as an American Black IPA.
Very dark mahogany body looks nearly black in my pint glass.
O: not a favored style of beer but this is a bit above average for style.
330ml bottle at home. Dark brown with a foamy off white head. Chocolate aroma with a hist of fruit. Taste is chocolate with a spicy aftertaste
33cl bottle from Morrisons, Bracknell. Cola coloured with a very loose beige head; piney, resinous, hoppy aroma; quite a soapy mouthfeel, with lots of fresh hops giving a pleasant dry leafy bitterness; with a underlying treacle sweetness, and some lingering spices. Rather good.
Bottle from morrisons. Black beer with medium head. Aroma is hoppy with roasted malts. Taste is grapefruit, charcoal and roasted malts. Good stuff, good brewery.
330ml; ive had this cask b4 too; This is a really good, maybe text book example of the simplicity of wat makes Black IPA a style I dig a lot ! . Its a got the customary easy to sink vibes and gives good texture that is married between hops and dark malt flava. Chocolaty ,minty , kinda roasty palate ; this is good shit.
Nødde skum råhvid luftig
Humle citrus kaffe grape
Bitter meget sød lidt
Olie livlig
@far
Cask at the London Drinker Beer Festival, 2015. Dark brown pour with a beige head. Aromas of raisin, dark fruit and smoke. Dark fruit and toffee flavours. Quite smooth. Tasty.
Cask@London Drinker 2015 (Friday), Camden Centre, London - hazy dark brown to black coloured pour with a beige head. Aroma and taste is a mix of roasted malts and tropical fruits, prominent hoppy, grapefruit, pine, cocoa, roasted bitter finish. Decent.
Keg at Hardknott on Track, Millom. Dark brown, translucent. Coffee and slate aroma, with a bit of citrus/floral hop. This is more ’black’ than ’IPA’. The bitterness in the taste is fairly intense: bitter espresso with an underlying metallic/dark chocolate flavour.
Klare sehr dunkelbraune Farbe, schöne beige Schaumkrone. Geruch röstmalzig, Kaffee, bitter, leicht hopfig fruchtig. Geschmack röstmalzig, Schokolade, erdig, leicht fruchtig hopfig, bitter, insgesamt aber mehr schokoladig, gut!
In bottle. Beige, frothy, rocky head. Dark brown with red shadows. Fairly clear. Fairly intense and persistent at nose. Citrus, orange, coffe, chocolate, Light body.
Bottle at home. Pours black, nose is roasted, light pine, taste is similar, dry, bitter, fruity.
Bottle at home. Black colour with a foamy beige head. Roasted malt, hoppy citrus, dark chocolate. Smooth bitter finish. Enjoyable.
33cl bottle. Bbe 19.03.2016. Dark brown in color, the head is huge and thick, lasts. Ashy roasty aroma with citrus fruits in there, nicely hopped. Flavor has dark chocolate, ash, slight burntness, roasted malt, hops and Grapefruit. Massive. Mice bitter bite in finish. Is this only 5,6 abv? Wow. Really tasty black IPA, I like the ashy notes here. Solid. Hops lingering long afterwards in my mouth.
Brązowe, klarowne, z ładną beżową piana i świetnym lacingiem. Aromat kwaśny, porzeczkowy z delikatna nutą czekolady. W smaku dość pusty, brak ciała, delikatne nuty czekolady, ale głownie ciemne słody. Kiepskie jak na Black IPA.
Aroma: citrus fruit - grapefruit, some grass. Appearance: dark brown, small head. Taste: light bitter. Palate: bitters intensify, citrus again, light toasted flavours, some caramel, somewhat dry in the finish. Overall: very nice Black IPA, excellent aroma and palate. Pint at Cask Pub&Kitchen, Pimlico.
Bottle @ weekly tasting shared by Dutchdrebus and Ansjelaah. Dark red to slightly brown color, huge a bit soapy off-white head that lasts for quite a while. Aroma is a but faint or perhaps I don’t get any aroma because of the huge head. Taste malts, slightly roasty, lightly bitter, a touch of oxidation. I miss the hops and some fruityness.