Wanna hear a hot take? Black IPAs are one of the hardest styles of beer to make. Why? Well, the malt often clashes and muddles with the hops, plus esters, plus bitterness, plus lots of other things going on. The end result tends to be a mess. For every great version we try (like Firestone Walker Wookey Jack and Barley Brown’s Turmoil), there are 9 that just flat out don’t work. And that’s why we’ve never brewed one…until NOW. And we started with a twist right off the bat – we used a Lager yeast to ferment the beer cooler than usual, for a smoother/cleaner/brighter overall experience. And we paired it with a decisive hop bill that typically lends itself well to malt forward American beers – like Simcoe, but also Warrior, Citra, & Amarillo – for a piney/pithey flavor & aroma profile along with an assertive west coast bitterness. And thus, the Cold Black IPA is born.