Beer-lord's Ace of Spades

[Kealia]

This was the third beer I drank tonight behind the Stone Stochasticity Project - Grapefruit Slam IPA , and the Parish Brewing Ghost in the Machine IIPA.

It's a black IPA and Paul is convinced that with enough of it going down my throat I will learn to appreciate them. Plus, Jeff mentioned once that I should join the dark side because they have cookies there

It poured....black. Imagine that.

The aroma was faint but to be fair I just finished the two beers mentioned above that all but nasally raped me in terms of aroma so it may have been unfair relatively speaking.

The first taste was pretty smooth, almost slick. Not in a bad way, just slippery going down the throat - I'm not sure how else to describe it. It seemed pretty mellow in terms of roasted flavor but I thought that might be attributed to the others beers I just drank affecting my taste buds. The more I drank, the more the roasted flavors presented themselves and the more it drifted away from what I really like.

In the end, I think my taste buds evened out and this was likely once again a very fine beer that just didn't fit my palette. What I can say, with confidence, is that I didn't pick up on any flaws in this beer at all. No off-flavors, no fusels that Paul is convinced are plaguing him and nothing else that would detract from a black IPA fan enjoying this beer. Based on other beers that I've had I will continue to say that Paul is an excellent brewer that simply doesn't get one thing.

He is Darth Vader and I am Luke Skywalker. I will never join the dark side

[Beer-lord]

You are a funny man who has missed his calling.
First I have to ask, did you drink all those by yourself? (edit, I read your next post and got the answer) Ghost is 750 ml and 8.5%, that much with a bomber of Grapefruit and you won't be able to write romance novels.

I had an Ace the other night after Pliny and it does taste different after very hoppy beers. Alone, Ace is semi hoppy but not overly so. I did not expect you to like it but I think I've sent you 3 of my blacks plus Dr. Hoptagon and I don't think you've moved from your position.
Luke, I guess you are not my son!

I just noticed on the NB site one reviewer said, "This beer looks like Darth Vader but drinks like Princess Leia."

[BlackDuck]

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I agree with Ron in that the aroma is kind of faint. It's mildly hoppy with an ever slight hint of roastiness.
And I see what you mean by a slick feeling. I would call it creamy, which is something I usually get with darker beers. IMHO, darker beers carb different, almost like it produces a finer carb bubble, which seems to give it a creamy characteristic to it.
It has a nice hop flavor to it, but it's not as hoppy as I thought it would be. It's almost like a Black Pale Ale (wow, and you thought a Black IPA was an oxymoron.)
Even though it's not what I had expected, I really like this. It's very easy drinking for a black beer, it is very well balanced from the aroma, to the start and all the way through the finish. With a nice lightly bitter aftertaste.

Very well done Paul, you've produced another tasty beer!!

[Beer-lord]

Man, I'm spoiled with my kegged beer. Not that I can disagree with the opinions here but mine is full of aromas. But, it's not my usual kind of hoppy black ipa. I mean, most of my IPA's have 8 oz total hops or more and this only had about 6 so there's that part. But, do any of you get what NB spouts about this beer?

The deck is stacked with a whole lotta hops. Four of a kind, in fact – Magnum, Chinook, Centennial and Citra. And get ready for the bluff, because this session brew drinks lighter than it appears. You won’t find roasted coffee or bittersweet chocolate here, just smooth malty caramel with a touch of toast, and an intense hop presence with pine, citrus and fruity notes that stand no chance of getting lost in the shuffle. Play your cards right? There’s no way to play them wrong with this kit. Any way you brew it, you’ll be coming up aces.

And, it's been around long enough that it has lost some of it's flavor and it's the about the time when all my blacks start to blend the hops with the malts as they say goodbye to each other. Maybe when I make it again, I'll send a fresher bottle (but not to you Ron)

I'm really enjoying what's left of it. It's that part of me that can drink a beer without it pinching my tongue though I still like my Men In Black much better.

[BlackDuck]

I liked the Men in Black better too Paul...It was definitely more of an IPA than this one seems to be.

As for their description, I agree with some of it, and I disagree with some of it:

Agree: "session brew drinks lighter than it appears" "smooth, malty caramel with a touch of toast"
Disagree: "stacked with a whole lotta hops" "intense hop presence"

6 ounces of hops you say??? The Pale Ale I brewed this past weekend has 5.75 ounces of hops in it!!! Maybe that's why it doesn't seem like an IPA to us. It just doesn't have enough hops in it!!!

[Beer-lord]

So many black IPA recipes are fearful of too many hops as they want the roasty, semi-coffee flavors to take over. I am the opposite. Men in Black actually has less hops in the original recipe though I add more but, the hops bring out the malt flavors just like some regular IPA's do.
Still, in my opinion, nothing beats Hoptagon and in about a month, I'll get to know that again.

[BlackDuck]

So many black IPA recipes are fearful of too many hops as they want the roasty, semi-coffee flavors to take over. I am the opposite.

You got that right my friend. And I'm the opposite too. I'm still after my ideal Black IPA recipe. And I won't rest until I get it.

[Beer-lord]

I aim to please and am here to help you on your endeavor. I have a recipe I've been working on for months that I'll be doing after Hop Juice. We'll see how that comes out.

[Beer-lord]

Got back from the gym and grabbed my Pliny with dinner. Enjoyable. Then while kegging, I grabbed the black. I really like this and my wife says I make a happy face every time I take a sip. I have some bottles and will have to see how they compare to the keg but I'm doing this one again in the next few months I think. Not too hoppy but full of flavor. I just like it and I don't say that much about my own beers.
This is a crappy pic though.

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[swenocha]

Looks great...

[BlackDuck]

Looks great...

It IS great!!!!

[Inkleg]

This poured dark, like my soul so I like it already. All I can do is feel for Ron and be happy for me.
It has good hop aroma straight out of the glass that fades quickly. Small tan head that dissipated, but left lacing as the glass was emptied. Nice bitter on the forward end with roast coyly playing in the background with good mouth feel that finished dry. I agree that your MIB was a better beer for this style, but I ENJOYED this one also.

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The opener that is showing up in my photos now rocks. It's fun, cool and works super easy. They have them at Amazon, threw it in with an order I was placing. I'll start a thread on it so I don't hijack this one.

[Beer-lord]

Cool bottle opener.
And, like or dislike the Ace of Spades, it's not my recipe so I can neither take credit or the blame. Exactly what I tell my wife.

[Banjo-guy]

Is Ace Of Spades the brew from Northern Brewer?
I really like it. Beer Lord sent me a bottle and I'm going to brew this one soon!

[Beer-lord]

Yes, I didn't buy their kit but did use their recipe.
I like it to. It's not the typical black IPA but another variant.
My life won't be complete until I brew every variant of a black IPA. I better get started.

Glad you liked it.