Blackened Beer: Decibel 73, November 2010

Beer, like metal, is an ever evolving thing. Just as new metal subgenres are created and new sounds, techniques and styles are introduced, so too does the very basic science of brewing continue to evolve, as brewers take the raw materials and riff upon centuries-old recipes.

And as if Satan himself planned it, two innovative movements—one beer, one metal—bearing very similar names have arisen practically simultaneously. On the music side we have Cascadian Black Metal and on the beer side Cascadian Dark Ale. For those not in the know, Cascadia is the proposed name for an independent sovereign state that includes Washington, Oregon and the southern part of British Columbia. Now, for most people in this area, the idea of Cascadia is a goof, but there are those who take it very seriously and actually propose that we secede from the US and Canada and form our own separate government. Yeah, right, hippies.

Back to reality. While we can’t really explain the phenomenon of CBM (though we suspect some new mutant form of hippy may be involved), we do know a thing or two about this CDA, typically a well-hopped dark beer that’s like a cross between a porter and an IPA—both roasty and hoppy. Though the origin of the style is up for debate what can’t be disputed is the fact that it has rather rapidly become a buzzed about beer here in Cascadi—uh, the Northwest.

Deschutes came out with their Hop in the Dark Cascade Dark Ale (May to Sept.) seasonal, right about the same time Phillips (Victoria, BC) released their Skookum Cascadian Brown Ale. Portland, OR’s Hopworks has Secession Black India Pale Ale, while Widmer (also in PDX) offers up W’10 Pitch Black IPA. Suddenly there’s roasty, hoppy beers everywhere. There was even a symposium held in Portland earlier in the year to help define this new brew so that CDA can become an officially recognized style. I can’t really see Decibel convening such a thing to discuss CBM, but there’s no doubt an online forum somewhere hashing it all out.

For those of you not in Cascadia, look for offerings from Avery (New World Porter), 21st Amendment (Back in Black), Dogfish Head (India Brown Ale), Southern Tier (Iniquity) and anything described as a” dark” or “black” IPA, as ridiculously contradictory as that is.

Adem Tepedelen can’t wait to try an Albino Porter, the brewing equivalent to White Metal.