Black IPA layers the citrus and pine hop character of a West Coast IPA over dark, roasted malts, landing somewhere between a hop-forward IPA and a stout. It never became as mainstream as hazy or session IPA, so the lineup below leans on well-established year-round and recurring releases rather than beers we have tasted and reviewed ourselves. Specs and tasting notes are sourced from each brewery’s own listing, BeerAdvocate and Untappd.
21st Amendment Back in Black
A year-round Black IPA at 6.8% ABV, brewed like an American IPA with rich, dark malts added on top. It keeps the citrus and pine hop character of a standard IPA while adding a roasted edge, and it is one of the more widely distributed Black IPAs still made at scale.
Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous
Stone’s take on the style runs 8.7% ABV, built around dark and milk chocolate, orange, raspberry, pine resin and coffee notes layered over a reddish-black body. It is not a permanent year-round beer, Stone brings it back as a special release, so availability comes and goes.
Uinta Dubhe Imperial Black IPA
The biggest beer on this list at 9.3% ABV and 109 IBU, brewed with hemp seed and five hop varieties on top of toasted, chocolatey dark malts. This is an imperial-strength version of the style, built for sipping rather than a full pint in one sitting.
Widmer Bros Pitch Black IPA
Widmer’s version sits at 6.5% ABV and 65 IBU, using debittered black malt for a midnight color and a rich, toasty character without adding harsh roast bitterness on top of the hop bill.
More IPA Guides
See our full breakdown of the different IPA sub-styles, or the meaning behind the IPA name.
FAQ
What makes an IPA a Black IPA?
Dark, roasted malts added to a hop-forward IPA base, giving the beer a black or deep reddish-black color and a roasted edge alongside the citrus and pine hop character of a West Coast IPA.
Is a Black IPA the same as a stout?
No. A Black IPA keeps the hop bitterness and aroma of an IPA at the front of the flavor, with roasted malt as a background note. A stout leads with roasted malt and usually carries much less hop character.
Is Black IPA also called Cascadian Dark Ale?
Yes. Cascadian Dark Ale and India Black Ale are older names for the same style, used more in the Pacific Northwest where some breweries still prefer them to “Black IPA.”
