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Review: Brewdog Libertine Black Ale
Brewdog Libertine Black Ale
Posted: 5 July 2015
7.5
Brewdog's
Libertine Black Ale, "The New Black," is marketed as an IPA,
but is actually a cross between a stout and a hoppy IPA.
This is a strong beer that doesn't wear its alcohol content
on its sleeve. Extreme racists may be put off by the
very dark color.
Avg price/liter: USD 13.15
ABV %: 7.2
Type: IPA
Scots are stereotypically
viewed as the alcoholics of the United Kingdom. True?
I won't bother confirming it. But let's run with that
stereotype for awhile. If you had an alcoholic region
of your country, what better place to setup a brewery than
Scotland?
Brewdog isn't the UK's first
craft brewery, but some would argue that it's made the
biggest splash abroad. Founded in 2007, by 2010
Brewdog had opened up its first bar, a very common tactic in
the craft beer world to insure some form of distribution.
Two years later, Brewdog had nine bars, and by 2013, they
were going international. That same year, Brewdog's
founders got their own TV show on American cable.
Celebrity chefs and restaurants have now opened the doors for celebrity
breweries.
Brewdog's Libertine Black
Ale, "The New Black," is marketed as an IPA, but is actually
a cross between a stout and a hoppy IPA. Four types of
malts and one type of hops are blended together to create a
very black ale that doesn't quite quality as an Imperial
IPA.
My wife cannot tolerate
strong beer. An ABV of over 5% makes her cringe. This
Libertine Black Ale is well blended enough that when I told
her there was only 5%, like most of the lagers she regularly
drinks, she eagerly sipped it and didn't know the difference.
This is a strong beer that doesn't wear its alcohol content
on its sleeve.
Extreme racists may be put
off by the very dark color. Such people would be better off
sipping Belgian white beers.