“I challenge you to a duel.” In my club, the Stoney Creek Homebrewers, these are serious words: They formally begin a brew-off. At the end of the year, the two or three members with the best “win-loss” record enter a final “Duel Master Challenge,” with club members choosing the style to be brewed. One year, it was black IPA—and this is the recipe that won me a trophy with handles made from double-barreled shotguns.
Style: Some complain that black IPA isn’t really a style—for example, that it reflects versions of robust porter, American stout, and/or American brown ale. If so, it’s not unique in that regard—lots of beers fit more than one style. Meanwhile, the marketplace and homebrewers have made it real. If nothing else, black IPA clarifies those other styles and creates a place for hoppier and/or darker versions of them to land. Long story short: this is a dark ale, usually of fairly modest strength (6−7 percent ABV), featuring significant bitterness (more than 50 IBUs) and medium-to-high hop flavor and aroma. Its roast character shouldn’t be overly aggressive. The challenge is in finding the right volume and balance of these flavors.
Ingredients: We want lots of malt flavor, but not a lot of roast, so the grist is a little unconventional for a black beer. I start with a base of Maris Otter (love that biscuit), then add lighter layers of Munich, rye malt, crystal rye, Carafa III, and flaked barley. The Munich complements the Maris, while the ryes add spice and toffee flavors. The Carafa adds a bit of chocolate flavor—without harsh roast or astringency—while the flaked barley promotes head retention and adds smoothness to the mouthfeel. In fact, this whole grist says “smooth.” One last addition, if you like, is 4−8 ounces (113−227 g) of Midnight Wheat, for color. Now for the fun stuff: hops. This recipe showcases Citra and Amarillo, and they go in late and get two dry-hop additions. For the yeast, Wyeast 1098 British Ale works beautifully—with a quick and clean finish, a reasonable level of flocculation, and a crisp-but-not-naked flavor.
Process: Don’t ferment this beer too warm. You might get some esters out of your yeast, but we don’t want to risk heat-induced “hot” flavors when the goal is a hop-forward beer. This one should ferment out within 2 weeks at 64°F (18°C), and then it’s time to dry hop. If you’re particularly sensitive to diacetyl, consider adding a diacetyl rest (a 3−4°F/1−2°C increase in the temperature) just before dry hopping.
This beer definitely shouts, “hoppy!” Yet it also mellows nicely with aging. I’ve set aside a few bottles to enjoy after some cellaring six months to a year.
