Green Flash Black IPA

I gave a backhanded put down to black IPAs a few posts ago, essentially writing that most are boring beers.  While black IPAs are not exciting, they are usually approachable beers.  Paradoxically, the deep roasted malts serve as a strong counter weight to the hops, which should result in a balanced beer.

Green Flash's Black IPA, part of Green Flash's Hop Odyssey series of IPAs, is a solid beer, smooth and drinkable.  Smooth is not a typical IPA adjective - whether a regular IPA or a black IPA - but Green Flash's Black IPA with its pronounced, dark roast is liquid velvet.  It goes well by itself or with food, and weighing in at a respectable 7.2% abv it's a beer you can have guilt-free on a weeknight (at least I did).  Green Flash's Black IPA is not a "wow" beer, and it does not set any kind of new beer standard.   It does taste good, which is the most important attribute for a beer.