So in the process of cleaning up a fairly messy beer storage area in readiness for Christmas entertaining, I realized I still had a bottle of 10 Bitter Years, imaginably waiting for review. If you’re not familiar with 10 Bitter Years, it is a double IPA, which generally means higher alcohol and higher hops. It was first brewed to celebrate Black Oak’s ten year anniversary. This one only comes out occasionally, and when it does, the beer geekery in the GTA buy whatever the bars don’t, in fairly quick order. While I have nowhere near the level of training or experience to make this kind of judgement, I have heard people with that level of credential describe this beer as “Flawless”. When you consider how picky beer geeks are, that is high praise indeed. One side note on my review: I’m still rocking a bit of a stuffy nose from a pre-Christmas cold, so I’m certainly not on my A-game. Still, I couldn’t wait to crack into this bottle.
10 Bitter Years - Black Oak Brewing Co.
From a 341ml ISB with no freshness date I could find (but come on, it’s an 8% dipa, it’s not going off anytime soon), the beer pours a dark amber with nice brown tones through the middle. A dense 1″ head dissipates to a fairly thick film and ring. Aroma is just beautiful hops, even through a left-over cold stuffed nose, there’s clearly pine and citrus, fairly astringent and clean. A bit of warm bread maltiness sits pleasantly under the hoppy fresh scent.Taste is immediately bready sweet malts and a dose of hot alcohol, which all is nearly immediately swept away by big bold hop flavours, pine and white grapefruit and some leafy earth after-thoughts. Finish is a lingering resinous hop dry feeling, not quite squeaky, but nearly. A little sweetness sticks around too (though this could be more a function of my semi-plugged nose). While the high alcohol and huge hops probably prevents this from being a proper “sessionable” beer, it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t drink it all night (likely to my detriment). So much hop, but with so much balance, this is easily one of my very favourite DIPAs; that it is made by some of the very nicest people you will ever meet in the brewing industry makes it all the better. Yes, it’s only occasionally available, but when it is, get some. Get lots. Get more then you think you need, or even can afford. Bill payments can wait, this beer sells out in days.
Cheers to Ken and Adrian and the crew at Black Oak. Thanks for all the hard work and great beer!
