Oxymorons

So, not much blogging after a hard week of late night finishes and no time for perusing the lollyshop taste temptations. After a particularly stressful shift I needed a cheer beer, so I’m soon off to the lollyshop to pick me out a treat. Not sure what I’m in the mood for so I’ll cover all bets with a black I.P.A.  Black Indian pale ale I hear you say. How can you have a black pale, isn’t that an oxymoron?  A black IPA is named from its roasted malts which are similar to a stout or porter beers yet still has enough hop flavour to retain the hoppy character of an IPA.

The chosen one was Funk’n’Stein from Funk Estate at a not to be sneezed at 7% Abv.  On its label shows a frizzy haired light brown grey coloured girl that was remarkably similar to the colour of the small quickly dissipating head produced when this brew was poured.  The liquid colour was definitely not a normal amber IPA colour but instead an intense dark red more akin to a stout. The aroma however was not of malt which you would expect from such a colour, but of a definite hop and maybe hints of mandarin?

I tried this baby just before tea, which normally I’d quickly polish off before eating, however the late night work shifts meant the good woman had tea ready and I was ready to devour it. With the first sip the initial taste was of smoky malt wood chips with only a slight after taste of hops lingering on the palate. Quickly tucking into a steak tea, I then took a few more swigs of the Funkenstein and wow, no more smoky notes but a much more richer malt flavour when first touching the tongue and then a stronger hop flavour coming through as you swallow and breathing out through the nose.

Homemade banana bread for dessert and I still had some of the brew left. After a slice I had another swig.  Wow again! This time still the rich malt, only now the hop flavour has reached a whole new level with a wonderful bitterness of mandarins coming through.

The black IPA from Funkenstein is like a taste hologram that’s different from any angle and these oxymorons will change their character depending on what you’re chewing on and in doing so, you will have forgotten all that stressed you out in the first place!