Welcome back to the weird and wonderful world of beer.
The only IPL I’ve come across is the cricket one so finding this in a remainder box from Beer 52 is something of a curiosity. IPL being Imperial Pale Lager is a new style and here we have a black expression of it. Something that is pale and at the same time black is an oxymoron to me, but then I am a mere drinker.
Strange engraving style can art of a suited man with a ram’s head has a touch of the occult about it, but will it prove to be black magic in the glass?
- Name : Black Sheep
- Brewery: Hyllie Bryggeri, Malmö, Sweden
- Hops : Not stated
- Grain : Malted barley and malted wheat
- Aroma : Some rich roasted malt and surprisingly a touch of liquorice
- Appearance : Black (though with some light bleed) with a dark cream head
- Body : Full bodied medium carbonated with good head retention
- Taste : Roasted malt prominent, which settles to liquorice like flavour. Dry with a touch of bitterness on the finish and strong rich roast aftertaste
- Dietary restrictions : Allergens highlighted
A decidedly curious beer. On a blind tasting I would never have described it as a black lager, to me it has more in common with a liquorice stout (or porter.) All that matters though is was it good and it certainly gets a thumbs up from me.
The strength is reasonable enough to have the ‘I’ attached to the name and the flavour is not weak or wishy washy.
Not the sort of beer I would drink all night, as it might overwhelm the palate, but a couple of these would go down a treat in any session.
Our overall rating: 3.7/ 5.0
The|Eternal|Hoptimitsts 