Hill Country Beer Club
Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Icon Blue
|
87
|
|
Member Notes:
More malt than hops - Fatboy
Weird. - Noss
Club & Brewer Notes:
The key to a Black IPA is to artfully balance the aggressive hop flavor and bitter with the roast of the black malt to create a wonderful marriage of the two competing tastes. Icon Blue starts with a big hop nose up front, the result of Centennial and Simcoe additions at end of boil and dry hopping. There is also a roast malt character that starts with the nose and goes all the way through the end. At the finish, the Chinook and Columbus hops kick in to create a lasting bitter. We fermented this beer with our Saint Arnold ale yeast, which contributes an additional complexity. This beer is best served at 45°F to 55°F. This beer was inspired by Pete Garza's winning entry in the 2012 Big Batch Brew Bash.