Kaiju! Beer ‘Behemoth’ Double India Black Ale

Rating:

13006535_504567603060723_7716118333066490094_n“Behold now behemoth. His immense strength hewn from legend. His bitterness drawn from the dark belly of the earth. Where he strides none may remain.”

Served in an IPA glass. The pitch black body is capped off by a mountainous four finger head that takes an age to settle to a thick, frothy overlay. It’s retained beautifully and allows thick, soapy lace trails to cling to the glass as it recedes. Kaiju are renowned for their big, pungent IPA’s and seems this India black ale is no exception. The olfactory’s are set off by a big roasted malt backbone that also imparts heavy wafts of coffee, dark chocolate, cacao, ash, charred wood and crusty bread. The hops also play a considerable role as subtle but sweet fruity notes push through the malts. We also get a fair whack of pine and warming alcohol. Very multi-layered and actually quite complex. A swish around the mouth offers full body with a dense and oily texture. Carbonation is moderate but a lip puckering 130 IBU launches an assault on the palate. The 10.5% ABV also weighs in with an evident burn that’s well discernible. The front palate is in a state trying to isolate the array of flavours. A complex fusion of alcohol, heavily roasted malts, dark chocolate and a fruity hop sweetness are all hinged on an aggressive hop bitterness that bridges the mid and ushers in a long and drawn out finish that’s as dry as the Sahara desert. Delicious roasted flavours linger on the back end and somewhat balance out the strident bitterness. Phwoar! This is one of those beers where the label has clearly lived up to its name. This is a behemoth….nothing less. It’s bold, bitter, roasted and in your face and it certainly doesn’t try to hide it either. Kaiju! We love you! 🙂