St. Austell Proper Black

St. Austell Proper Black

Bottled.
Cask: Occasional. Part of the 2011 JDW Autumn Beer Festival. Also available bottled conditioned.

Controversial? A contradiction in terms? Certainly a subject for discussion; is there such a thing as a black India Pale Ale?

Whichever way you look at it, this beer is designed to challenge the sences.

Black as stout, close your eyes and taste and this beer is classic IPA. Powerful hops dominate the restrained chocolate and coffee notes from the carefully selected roasted malt. Whatever you thought you knew about beer, we’ve just changed that!
3.5
231 reviews
St. Austell, England

Community reviews

3.5 Bottle on the Looe Brush ... 47537 & 826 ... thanks to Simon 47574, 03/02/19 ... can't believe I'd not rated this before! Black with a well presented tan cap. Nose is mellow roast, chocolate sprinkle, light spice, charr. Taste comprises mellow roast, cocoa powder, trace of red berry fruits, mineral bite, light pine, dried fruit. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close with earthy hop bitterness. Decent enough number.
3.1 0.5 l bottle. Pours dark brown A: slightly fresh coffee, tangerine T: roasted sweet malt, dark chocolate, bit tart when freshly poured, thin/medium body, Bitterness bit hidden by the roasted malt but still present, more enjoyed poured at 10° C plus
3.6 Aroma: big hop zing with dark sweet malt App: black with a heart of red, sheet lacing from an off white head Flavour: good sweet malt, generous hop
3.5 Bottle from Tesco in Camborne. Poured dark brown to black with tan head. Roasty nutty Pine grapefruit dark malt notes. Decent Black IPA.
3.2 Bottle at St Austell Brewery. Black in colour with slight pale head. Some scent but flavour not so strong as Mena Dhu. Light and drinkable.
3.6 Kolor nieprzejrzyście czarny, smoła. Piana brązowa, wysoka i trwała. Zbudowana z drobnych pęcherzyków tworzy sporych rozmiarów pióropusz. W aromacie delikatna kawowa paloność, trochę nut czekoladowych palone słody i czekolada, co jakiś czas próbują przebić się nuty owocowe i kwiatowe, jest tego sporo. Smak: tutaj jest nieco inaczej, o prym walczy czekolada i akcenty kwiatowe i owocowe, paloność kojarząca się z kawą jest nieco wycofana. Goryczka czekoladowo kawowa, lekka i krótka, Nasycenie średnie, pasuje. Pełnia średnia w kierunku do niskiej, momentami piwo sprawia wrażenie wodnistego.
3.4 50cl bottle shared. Thick creamy beige head. Clear black pour. Lovely bitterness.
3.4 500ml bottle. Jet black colour with average to huge, frothy, osteoporosing, minimally lacing, tan head. Roasty dark malty and piney hoppy aroma, notes of dark chocolate, resin. Taste is dry, hoppy and roasty dark malty, notes of dark chocolate, liquorice, resin, pine a touch of ashes.
3.6 Tried at the Waterton Arms, Deeping St James. Off black colour with a tan head. Citrus and roasted malty. Taste sweet and bitter chocolate. Full roasted body.
4.6 Realy good. Very interesting and unusual taste. Something midle beetwen ipa and stout.
3.2 Bottle conditioned version, pours black with thin tan head, aromas of chocolate malts and citrus, medium carbonation, medium bitterness, thinish mouthfeel, tastes hoppy with chocolate, citrus and mild coffee, no finish to speak of, not great
3.5 ¿Polémico? Una contradicción en términos? Sin duda un tema para discusión; ¿Hay algo así como una India India Pale Ale? De cualquier forma que lo mires, esta cerveza está diseñada para desafiar a los sentidos. Negro como fuerte, cierra los ojos y el gusto y esta cerveza es clásica IPA. Los poderosos lúpulos dominan las notas restringidas de chocolate y café de la malta tostada cuidadosamente seleccionada. Lo que sea que pensabas que sabías sobre la cerveza, ¡acabamos de cambiar eso!
3.2 From a beer hawk mystery case. Pours black with a thin head. Taste of dark roasted chocolate malt. Aftertaste of hops.
3.6 18Mar2018 Dark chocolate, cacao, dark roast malts, coffee, caramel, light chocolate fudge. Hazy, very dark brown, small, creamy, beige head. Light bitter. More dark roasted malts, dark chocolate, cacao, burnt toast, light floral notes, burnt straw, earthy, soft to medium carbonation, medium bodied. Decent. Bottle from Waitrose, Canary Wharf.
3.5 Bottle. Holding it up to the light, there's a VERY slight burgundy tinge, but it's right... proper black. thinnish heavy tan head. Hoppy nose, lemon, grapefruit, but quite mild. In the mouth, the hoppiness cuts through with lemon and grapefruit - right through a mildly chocolate base, with a slight coffee note.
3.7 500 ml bottle,bb 12/2018. Almost black,beige head. Nose - grapefruit,coffee,chocolate. Taste - grapefruit,some coffee. Dry.
3.8 Roasted malt aroma with a hint of orange. Coffee, liquorice, and a little roasty flavour wise, with a nice bitterness on the finish. Medium mouthfeel.
3.5 Fat. Klar mörkbrun, närmast svart, med ett smutsvitt skum. Dofter av rostad malt och citrus. Smakinslag av lakrits, rostad malt, tall, karamell och citrus. Oljig munkänsla.
3.7 500ml bottle. Poured a clear dark brown, almost black colour with a frothy tan head. The aroma is roasty malt, light citrus floral hop. The flavour is moderate bitter with a dry roast, light dry pepper spice, dry floral woody hop bitter palate and a lingering bitter finish. Medium bodied with average carbonation.
3.8 Bottle conditioned. Pours a deep black colour with a thin white head, light hop and malt aroma, the taste is medium bitterness and fruity with some roast malt coming through with a dry bitter finish.
4.0 11. 12. 2017, Ljubljana. Bottled. Malty and hoppy aroma, a bit held back. Dark ruby/black colour with nice fine, thick brownish head with modest retention. Taste is malty at first with immediate bitterness and again malty sweetness at the same time. Strong dry finish. Nicely balanced. Mouthfeel is light bodied, med fine carb, very drinkable a bit creamy feel to it, flows down like a champ. A proper black IPA :)
3.6 dark ruby beer with small foamy head, medium carbonation. lots of smoky, fruity aromas and flavours, not overly bitter on the finish. Well balanced, nice pint
4.4 A black coloured black ipa with a white head. Roasted cofee flavours, hoppy and refreshing. A beer that you could drink time after time.
3.5 Bottle at St. Patricks Irish pub. Mostly dark malts in aroma with some citruses and tropical fruits. Taste is similar, bitterness levels good, quite sweet however. Long aftertaste. Not as well balanced as i had hoped. Clear dark black brown colour with a average, frothy to creamy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white to beige head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, roasted, chocolate, light burnt, moderate hoppy, citrus. Flavour is moderate to light heavy sweet and bitter with a average to long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft.
3.6 .
3.6 568ml bottle. Pours an ink black with a tan head. Aroma: roasted malt, bitter cocoa, toasted bread, citrus and mild tropical notes. Taste: roasted malt, bitter cocoa, citrus, grapefruit, mild peach flavours. Complex flavour balance. Medium bodied. Moderate carbonation. Moderate bitterness, that lingers on the palate. Quite tasty without being exceptional. Definitely a beer I will drink again!
4.2 Bottles from Tesco, Gateshead and Open All Hours, Keswick. An extremely dark brown-black beer with red highlights. It has a sharp bitter citrus hoppy flavour followed by roasted coffee, chocolate and pine on the warming finish. Excellent!
4.2 Gets a high rating, surprisingly, for being one of the most unique beers I've tasted. Smoky, woody, harsh, sharp and with a lingering finish. Definitely an autumn/winter ale.
3.3 Bottle. Black body with a thick beige head. Good lacing. Aroma of plum and coffee. Flavour of wood and filter coffee. Thin to medium body with a watery texture. Soft fizz. Woody and easy to drink. Pretty good.
3.6 Pours black or dark brown with small head. Some notes of burned malts on nose and taste. Palate also slight burnt notes and slight bitter.