5 Paddles Brewing Company in Whitby, Ontario is one of my staple breweries. In addition to having an enviable core lineup of brews, they are constantly rotating in new and exciting additions.
To wrap up 2018, they unleashed the All Brett Double Black IPA (“The Double Dom”), a 8.25% ABV pour that is darker than a December night.
This brew doubles down on the hops from prior staple, The Dominatrix, which was quite well received by 5 Paddles faithful.
The timing of The Double Dom is great. With a higher ABV, it meets the demands of holiday drinkers, while combining the hoppiness of an IPA with the darkness of a stout.
The tasting notes are certainly unique: “leather, citrus, skittles, roast & light funk”. I was certainly intrigued, and made sure to pick up a few bottles on release day, knowing that like many other 5 Paddles offerings, this wouldn’t last long.
The pour is expectedly dark, with a dark, creamy, uneven head. The aroma is slightly sweet and appealing, consistent with the dark malt.
Admittedly, this is a tough one to review, because it has such a diverse profile. The leathery roastiness comes through immediately, with a sweet funky undertone from the brett yeast.
At first, it tastes of a hoppy porter. However, the further I got into the bottle, the more the citrus notes were able to shine. Really, it is a perfect balance of roast and hops, making it the ideal black IPA.
The use of brett really helped to develop the flavour profile and allow the style to shine as a unique entity. The subtle funk also seemed to keep the booziness low, despite a relatively high 8.25% ABV.
As someone who doesn’t mind porters and stouts, but prefers hops, this may be the perfect style of winter beer for me. I’m not surprised that 5 Paddles knocked this one out of the park, as with so many others, and I have nothing bad to say about this gem.
- ABV: 8.25%
- IBU: N/A
- Style: Black Double IPA
- Taste: Complex, Dark, and Hoppy
- Rating: 4.6/5.0
- Untappd Reviews
Ryan Heighton
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- Review: All Brett Double Black IPA by 5 Paddles Brewing Company - January 4, 2019
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