The first in Roughtail’s quarterly rotating IPAs, it is packaged in 16 oz cans and features the adaptable gecko on the can. I’m a little jealous of their brewers, they’ll get to work on different IPAs 4 times a year. Pick up a 4-pack while you can, it’s limited to only 80 cases.

Company: Roughtail Brewing Co.

Location: Midwest City, OK

ABV: 8%

IBUs: 100+

Style/Description: Black IPA

Price: $14 (4-pack, 16 oz cans)

Appearance: Deep dark ruby copper pour, light head and some sticky lace.

Nose: Aroma jumps out of the glass, hoppy resins and citrus peel. Some light florals underneath, with a hint of roast.

Taste: Big time bitter hops, resinous and piny. Woody, with a healthy dose of citrus peel, orange and grapefruit. Malt and roast take a back seat to the massive hop load, but come in weakly to attempt to balance the bitterness. Moderate carb and body.

Finish: Acidic and bitter, tons of pine. I can still taste the pine cones 30 minutes after I’ve finished this beer.

Overall: Black IPAs seemed to be a trend a few years ago, but honestly none of them really did it for me. The roasted malts and bitter hops usually seemed to be working against each other. Roughtail Adaption Batch One on the other hand slaps me in the face with the Chinook pine flavors, and sooths me with a mild roasty malt. There is just a hint of singed malt that highlights the hops instead of hiding it.

Rating: 4/5