Catchment Brewing Co - Night Fever Black IPA - Beer Review

Brewed By: Catchment Brewing Co (West End, Queensland, Australia)
Beer: Night Fever Black IPA
ABV: 6.66%
Malts: Golden Promise, Chocolate, Golden Naked Oats
Hops: Unknown
IBU: Unknown

Catchment Brewing Co - Night Fever Black IPA in the Craftd Alpha glass

"A rich juicy black IPA with a tropical fruit forward flavour using golden promise, chocolate malt & golden naked oats resulting in a smooth and tropical fruit forward beer with a rich and satisfying hop profile..."

Review

This is another exclusive beer for Hops to Home from Catchment Brewing Co in Queensland, Australia. Black IPA's by nature are a bit of a paradox - since IPA's are meant to be all about hops - a black IPA has to handle (and balance) darker and stronger tasting malts with the hops which is a difficult balance to strike.

Thankfully Catchment Brewing Co have done an excellent job with their Night Fever Black IPA.

The can itself has a cool design on it - with a dark background and two bright green eyes staring right back at you. The alcohol content is 6.66% as well - coincidence? I think not.

The beer pours a deep, dark black colour out of the can. There's a decent amount of foam that settles into a nice dirty brown head - and the hop aromas are hard to miss as soon as the can has been cracked open.

The flavour itself is of course, very fruit forward - as it should be in any style of IPA. The initial taste that punches through first is the dark chocolate and roasty undertones - but it's closely followed and overwhelmed by the fruit follow through from the hops. It's a strange taste sensation - almost contradictory - but it works. The brain just isn't expecting these sorts of flavours coming through in a beer this dark.

There's a moderate bitterness present that combines well with the malt and hops for a well rounded and smooth taste. It's rich, as the Catchment Brewing Co say themselves, but isn't overpowering. 

Overall a really enjoyable beer and something a little different from all the other lighter IPA styles available.

Catchment Brewing Co - Night Fever Black IPA Can

Rating

7/10