Blue Point Brewing Toxic Sludge, Much More Appetizing Than it Sounds

One of the popular misconceptions about dark beers is that they are heavy and filling. While some types, such as porters and stouts fit that billing, not every dark beer does. The Black IPA is a classic example of that type. Blue Point Brewing's Toxic Sludge is full of flavor, but will not leave you feeling full after enjoying a nice cold pint of it, even in the summer months.

Appearance: Toxic Sludge by Blue Point Brewing is a classic, beautiful black IPA. Very little light penetrates this dark mysterious beer. An average head and lacing coats the glass, without leaving you feel full and sluggish after enjoying your pint. Overall a beautiful Black IPA scores 10 out of 10 points on appearance.

Aroma: If this beer was judged on first impression alone it would probably be one of the best beers on the market. It's a very good beer, and the aroma adds to that impression. The aroma is a combination of smooth dark chocolate with just a hint of coffee and maybe a little bit of licorice scores this five out of five points.

Taste: Toxic Sludge has a strong, but not overpowering chocolate mocha flavor at the first sip. There seems to be something else in the background. From what I can tell that taste is a little bit of the alcohol, lowering the taste score to eight out of 10 points.

Mouth Feel: The mouth feel of Blue Point Brewing's Toxic Sludge is appealing, but not perfect. It has a light feel with a moderate amount of carbonation. Unfortunately, the light feel of this beer combines with just a slight touch of oiliness, keeping it from a perfect score. The beer scores four out of five points.

Overall Drinkability: In the summer, it's rare to find a tasty dark beer that does not leave you feeling bloated. Blue Point Brewing's Toxic Sludge meets that description. It is very flavorful, not only with the chocolate and coffee flavors from the aroma, but a slightly bitter licorice flavor on the back end of the beer. This complexity of the beer is well appreciated during the summer months. It's a treat for dark beer fans during those warm summer months, scoring 18 out of 20 points.

Summary: Dark beer lovers tend to view summer as a disappointing season for dark beers. It appears the season for dark beer loves ends in late March and takes a vacation until mid-September. Toxic Sludge from Blue Point Brewing fills that void. Scoring 45 out of 50 points for a 4.5 in classic beer rating scoring, this is a beer that dark beer lovers must keep stocked in their coolers during the summer.