Yep, I spelled the title right. Peoples produced a Black IPA, which is a style I had never heard of before. The first pint I had was actually a nitro tap at Black Sparrow, then Thursday I finally got over to the tasting room for a proper introduction.
Essentially a black IPA is just that, a very dark version of an IPA. What differentiates it from an Imperial Stout is that the color is just color, not an indication of flavor. How can that be? would be the next logical question. Well, with such a new style there is no set of how to make it happen. Peoples employed a cold steep of the colored grains. With a cold steep only the color gets extracted since there is no conversion of the starches. Thus you get a lot of color (this beer is very black) but you don't really bump up the body of the beer. There is some sweetness added just due to the simple sugars already present in the grain, and a lot of those highly colored compounds are flavanoids.
The end result was a delicious beer. Definitely takes the edge off of their Moundbuilder IPA, which is a little rough. However, it's not just a shift in the balance that is brought to this brew, it is a new complexity. You aren't just drinking a maltier tasting IPA, it's more like an IPA with a dash of stout on the front end.
It's a great time to be in the hobby, and this beer proves it.
-James
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