Milwaukee Brewing Black Iron Review

Name: Milwaukee Brewing Black Iron
Style: Black Ale/India Black Ale
ABV: 7.4%

It's been too long since I've reviewed a Black Ale. It's not that I tend to avoid them, it's just that I don't have too many chances to get around to it. I'm hoping to buck that trend with Black Iron from Milwaukee Brewing. The name of this beer is a nod to Milwaukee's strong blacksmithing heritage. Now the website likes to call this an India Black Ale so I'll humor them and list it as both.

I'm also going to be trying something new with this review. I've decided that I'm going to switch up the format in which I critique the beer. The content will be the same but the start of each descriptor will have a label. The reason for this change is that the style in which I have been writing has gotten monotonous when it comes to analyzing the beer. Any feedback about this new format is welcomed.

Appearance - Pitch black with a very, very foamy head that would make Brewery Ommegang proud. Don't believe me? Here is a photo took when I did the initial pour and you'll see what I mean. Keep in mind too that this is when I poured around a third of the bottle (give or take) into the glass...

In case you were wondering, the lacing is also very abundant.

Aroma - Starts off with some very piney strong hop bitterness, followed up by some roasted barley, chocolate malts and a hint of toffee. I'm also getting a slight grapefruitiness but it isn't apparent right away.

Taste - A strong piney hop & grapefruit bitterness greets you upfront along with some potent chocolate maltiness. The roasted barley element of the flavor doesn't show up until the end along with a strong bitter hoppiness in the aftertaste. It's worth noting that the piney hops in particular do linger throughout the flavor, which is impressive when you consider that this is only 48 IBUs.

Whether you want to call this a Black Ale, Black IPA, India Black Ale, etc., there is no denying that this is a great beer. It may be a bit bitter for those looking for a traditional Black Ale but despite that, I feel that the flavor strikes a good balance between hoppy and roasty. Have a glass and decide for yourself.

Milwaukee Brewing Black Iron - 8.5/10