Bellinghams Best Beer

the Boundary Bay Brewery blog

Navigation

Skip to content
  • Home
  • About
  • Seasonal Beers
  • Permanent Taps
  • Small Batch Brews
  • Rotating Taps

Tag Archives: Black IPA

Post navigation

CDA vs. Black IPA

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Boundary Bay

There’s a new beer style emerging currently, and brewing right alongside it is an argument about whether this new style should be called Cascadian Dark Ale (CDA) or Black IPA (or one of the many variants of the latter).

This new beer is basically a dynamic duo of malt and hops – it is characteristically dark or black in appearance, due to roasted malt, but still retains the big, bold hop flavors and aromas more traditionally found in an IPA.  There are claims that the style originated in Vermont and there are those who insists that homebrewers in the Pacific Northwest were making it first.  But, wherever it started, the style is finally hitting the mainstream.  As brewers across the country were experimenting with making this new beer style, a variety of names popped up because no one was quite sure what to call it:  Black IPA, Black Ale, Dark Ale, India Dark Ale, India Style Dark ale, India Style Dark Ale, Cascadia Dark Ale, etc.  In 2010, the Brewers Association added the style to the Great American Beer Festival guidelines and officially designated it as American-style Black Ale, but the debate about just what to call this beer rages on.

There are many who believe strongly in naming the style Black IPA, but a whole lot of us here in the Pacific Northwest are fighting for the name Cascadian Dark Ale.  Yes, the style is dark and yes, it still tastes very hoppy, so we can see why the early brewers used terms like Black IPA to try to explain what they were brewing.  But, it really bears little similarity to the historic IPA’s and paring the terms black or dark with pale ale in the same style name seems more than a little confusing!  So our vote is for Cascadian Dark Ale.  Not just because Cascadian hops are used in this beer style (and in a vast majority of all beers produced in the United States) and not just because there are those who trace the roots of this emerging beer style to our region.  We are championing the name Cascadian Dark Ale because here, in the Cascade region, we have embraced this style while it was still a gimmick for most of the rest of the United States.  The Pacific Northwest is where this new beer style is emerging, being embraced and being defined!  Perhaps it’s just that it’s a natural fit for us.  Those of us here in the Northwest seem to have a pallete all our own where big, bold flavors are appreciated – intensely roasted coffee and big, hoppy, bitter beers.  Naming this style Cascadian Dark Ale is about honoring this region and the styles and hops that come from here and that have helped to shape this industry.

Those who argue against the CDA name say that it shows regional favortism and that we’re poised to go the route of champagne if we allow this (only Champagne comes from Champagne region of France – everything else must be called sparkling wine).  But, brewing with Cascade hops or brewing the beer HERE in the Cascade Region is not a requirement for the style.  The name is more appropriately seen as an homage to where this beer style came into it’s own.  We don’t think this is any different from other beers named for specific regions:  Pilsners from Pilsen in the Czech Republic or Scotch Ale from Scotland.  Pilsners and Scotch Ales are now brewed everywhere, by all kinds of brewers…and yet, the names remain and they honor the roots of those beer styles.  Just as we hope Cascadian Dark Ales will honor the Cascade region and it’s part in brewing history.  Cheers – from all of us here at Boundary Bay Brewery!


Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Print
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in Beer Tagged American-style India Black Ale, Beer, Bellingham, Bellingham WA, Bellingham Washington, Black Ale, Black IPA, Boundary Bay, Boundary Bay Brewery, Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro, Boundary Bay Brewing Co., Boundary Bay Brewing Company, Brewery, brewing, brewpub, Cascade hops, Cascadia, Cascadian Dark Ale, CDA, craft beer, craft brewery, Dark Ale, Great American Beer Festival, hoppy beers, India Style Dark Ale, Pacific Northwest, Pacific Northwest beer, pilsner, Scotch Ale, WA, Washington, Washington Beer, Washington state, Whatcom County 2 Comments

How Does our IPA Stack Up?

Posted on February 12, 2011 by Boundary Bay

The National IPA Championship (NIPAC) starts this weekend!  Not sure what the NIPAC is?  Here’s how Northwest Brewing News (who hosts the competition) explains it:

Participating IPAs from across the nation will be randomly chosen for a 1:1 single elimination bracket tournament. Winners of the first round will advance to the next. The complete IPA tournament bracket will be published in the February/March issue of Great Lakes Brewing News and posted on-line. The events will be held in several locations, beginning February 13, 2011. The judges will all be brewers.

As with last year, IPA lovers will be able to choose their winners for each round on-line. They will log onto the web and read a brief description of your beer as well as view an image (be sure to fill out the description on the entry form, as well as send an image or logo via email). Prizes will be awarded for readers with correct NIPAC brackets. The top prize will be a free case of the 2011 NIPAC championship IPA.

The Judging Process: All judges will be brewers. They will be organized into panels of 3, and given the task of choosing the best IPA between two beers. The judges will not know what beers they are being served. The majority rules on the voting.

BBAY Cascadian Dark

You still have time to make your predictions, but you’d better hurry because the deadline is tomorrow – February 13th! Visit the on-line Locker Room for full descriptions of each of the IPA competitors: After confirming your age, you will then be able to review the beers and go to our on-line contest . NIPAC winners will be determined by the total points earned from each round…and let us reiterate, you could win a CASE of the CHAMPIONSHIP IPA!  What’s not to love about that?!?

In the first round our Cascadian Dark (black in color, this aggressively hopped ale is smooth with a clean, dry finish. ABV: 7.5%  Hops: Columbus, Simcoe & Tradition) is paired up against Flashpoint IPA from Pumphouse Brewery (an American-style IPA made with Simco, Chinook, Amarillo, Cascade and Centennial hops.  ABV: 6.7%).

And our Boundary Bay IPA (a honey-colored India Pale Ale with good body, fairly strong alcohol content and an aggressive “fresh hop” quality.  ABV: 7.4%  Hops: Centennial, Simcoe, Amarillo, Cascade and Crystal) is going head to head with Dale’s Pale Ale by Oskar Blues Brewery (America’s first hand-canned craft beer is a voluminously hopped mutha that delivers a hoppy nose, assertive-but-balanced flavors of pale malts and hops from start to finish. First canned in 2002, Dale’s Pale Ale is a hearty (6.5% and 65 IBUs), critically acclaimed trailblazer that has changed the way craft beer fiends perceive canned beer.  Hops: Nugget, Cascade, Columbus, Centennial Hops).

Both should be interesting match ups…we’re excited to see how they turn out! Cheers.

Round 1- February 13th @ Buffalo, NY
Round 2 – February 19th @ Syracuse, NY
Round 3 – February 26th @ Grand Rapids, MI
Round 4 – March 2nd @ Cleveland, OH
Final Round – March 5th @ Philadelphia, PA

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Print
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in Beer, Festivals, Tastings, Etc., Special Events Tagged Beer, Bellingham, Bellingham WA, Bellingham Washington, Best IPA, Black IPA, Boundary Bay, Boundary Bay Brewery, Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro, Boundary Bay Brewing Co., Boundary Bay Brewing Company, Boundary Bay Cascadia Dark, Boundary Bay IPA, Brewery, brewery events, brewing, brewpub, craft beer, craft brewery, Dale's Pale Ale, Flashpoint IPA, hoppy beers, IPA, National IPA Championship, NIPAC, Northwest Brewing News, Oskar Blues Brewery, Pacific Northwest beer, Pumphouse Brewery, WA, Washington, Washington Beer, Washington state, Whatcom County Leave a comment

Butternut Squash Créme Brulee

Posted on October 22, 2009 by Boundary Bay

Alright, alright…here it is: the long awaited – and much demanded – recipe for Butternut Squash Créme Brulee from Ilana, Catering Manager at Boundary Bay Brewery.  You have now, in your hand, (on your screen?) the recipe for the People’s Choice Sweets Winner in the Bellingham Farmer’s Market 2009 Great Squash Smackdown!  So, go grab yourself some gourds and a growler of Boundary Bay brew…and get cooking!

Boundary Bay Brewery Butternut Squash Créme Brulee

black_ipa1 ½ c. cream

1 vanilla bean, halved

½ c. sugar

5 large egg yolks

2 c. butternut squash*, diced

In a large saucepan, cook the diced squash in the cream and vanilla bean until the squash is soft (mixture will be about 180F)

Discard the vanilla bean. Strain the cream and squash mixture into a large mixing bowl. Put the squash caught by the strainer into a blender or food processor and puree it, then add it to the warm cream.  Strain this mixture through a chinoise or fine sieve until you have 2 ½ cups of the squash/cream mixture.

In a large bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolks until well blended.

Slowly add the 2 ½ cups of the cream/pureed squash mix to the egg/sugar mix, stirring gently.

Pour this custard mix into 6 4-oz. baking ramekins. Place the ramekins in a baking dish and carefully pour warm water around them (water bath).

Bake, covered, in a preheated 325F oven on low fan until just set, about 30-40 minutes. The crème brulee custard will still jiggle slightly, but the surface should not ripple.

Carefully remove the ramekins from the baking dish. Let them cool at room temperature for 20 minutes, then chill uncovered in the refrigerator for 8 hours.

To serve: Sprinkle each ramekin with sugar and brulee with a propane or butane torch, or put the ramekins in the oven and broil as close as possible to the broiler element for 3-5 minutes.

Enjoy with a nice Oatmeal Stout or Cascadian Dark Ale from Boundary Bay! Cheers

*you can use any style of sweet squash or even pumpkin – it all turns out delicious and great with a Boundary Beer!*

Bookmark and Share

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Print
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in Festivals, Tastings, Etc., Food, Recipes, Special Events, The people behind Boundary Bay Brewery Tagged Beer, beer and sweets, Bellingham, Bellingham Farmers Market, Bellingham WA, Bellingham Washington, Black IPA, Boundary Bay, Boundary Bay Brewery, Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro, Boundary Bay Brewing Co., Boundary Bay Brewing Company, Brewery, brewery events, brewpub, Butternut Squash Créme Brulee, butternut squash creme brulee recipe, butternut squash recipe, buy local, craft beer, craft brewery, creme brulee recipe, dessert and beer, Great Squash Smackdown, IPA, Oatmeal Stout, Pacific Northwest beer, pumpkin, pumpkin recipe, recipes, squash recipe, sweet squash, WA, Washington, Washington Beer, Washington state, Whatcom County 2 Comments

Post navigation

Boundary Bay Brewery logo

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 37,169 other subscribers

Categories

  • Beer (440)
  • Etc. (1)
  • Festivals (2)
  • Festivals, Tastings, Etc. (121)
  • Food (202)
  • Halloween (1)
  • Halloween Bash (1)
  • Local Connections (32)
  • Music (145)
  • Pumpkin (1)
  • Pumpkin Fever (1)
  • Recipes (19)
  • Special Events (358)
  • Sustainability (72)
  • Tastings (1)
  • The people behind Boundary Bay Brewery (232)

RSS

RSS Feed

Come Visit!

1107 Railroad Avenue
Bellingham, WA 98225
1-360-647-5593
Open Everyday: 11am - 11pm

Follow us on Twitter too!

  • RT @watershed_fc: Boundary Bay Lunar Estates Hazy IPA @boundarybay now on tap (Replacing Matchless New Paint Hazy IPA @matchlessbrew) #onta… 5 hours ago
  • RT @TripleRBrewery: Now available: @BoundaryBay Batch 8000 Big N’ Hazy! 3 days ago

FIND OUR BEER:

link to distribution page

PIONEERS OF BELLINGHAM BEER!

Boundary Bay Brewery opened in 1995 and we've been Saving The Ales ever since!

We pride ourselves on making great handcrafted beer and fresh, local food for the Bellingham community.

Our brewery, which houses a Tap Room and a family friendly Bistro, is located in a historic 1922 warehouse in Downtown Bellingham, across from the Saturday Farmer’s Market.

We also have a great deck for outdoor dining and a Beer Garden where you can enjoy BBQ's and outdoor concerts in the Summer. You can see why this is where the locals love to go!

We work hard to brew great craft beer and we've been recognized with over 70 awards for our handcrafted beers over the years. Come see what makes us so special!

  • Follow Following
    • Bellinghams Best Beer
    • Join 72 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Bellinghams Best Beer
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: