Cranky Reviews

A Dark and Mysterious Stranger

A Dark and Mysterious Stranger

Scorpius

Lake of Bays Brewing Co.

5.6% Alcohol

As the new year begins I find myself in the dark again. Asking myself why anyone would brew a dark IPA and why I’m drinking one. Roasted malts and juicy hops, strange bedfellows indeed. * But those Lake of Bay brewers know their Ps and Qs (pints and quarts) and they tell us this brew is “inspired by the mysterious pull of the Scorpio constellation.” I just reviewed a Sagittarius, now I’m stargazing again. Aligning my senses with the Stars they tell me. It will take more than one 5.6% to achieve that I tell you. Here’s hoping for a happy hoppy horoscope, the answer is written in the stars.**

A black off the rack pour with a head that’s reaching for the heavens. Now that we have that settled, we can detect an aroma of cocoa dark lager and juicy hops. More concerning than mysterious and I’m wondering if they can actually make this work. First taste confirms they can. Juicy hoppy body with a touch of cocoa sweet and espresso bitters, all in good order. They say this brew is “irresistibly balanced ” and they ain’t lyin’. A bold and balanced black. The bitters become more pronounced near the bottom but no bother, it’s all good.

Perhaps today’s horoscope is that I will fall for a dark and mysterious stranger. Dark IPAs are not my go to brew by any means, but this one has made the grade.

*Editor’s Comment: The idiom "strange bedfellows", meaning unlikely partnerships or combinations, originates from the Shakespeare play "The Tempest". "Misery aquaints a man with strange bedfellows ".

**Editor's Comment: The phrase "written in the stars" may sound like an astrology expression but it's from the Bible, Psalms 19:1-4 "God's splendor is a tale told, written in the stars."

Final Rating: Dark but Not that Mysterious at 15 out of 20