Black Tide Dragon Rail is a 10% hazy triple IPA from Black Tide Brewing, based in Kesennuma, in Miyagi, Japan. It’s part of their canned and draught lineup though its availability is unknown at the time of writing. Black Tide Dragon Rail is brewed with Cryo Idaho 7, Lupomax Mosaic, Idaho 7, Citra, and Strata hops. Black Tide Dragon Rail takes its name from the nickname given to the Ofunato line that runs between Kesennuma City and Ichinoseki City and is also Black Tide Brewing’s first beer over 10%.
Black Tide Dragon Rail : At A Glance
Basics
- Alcohol : 10%
- Style : Hazy triple IPA
- Hops : Cryo Idaho 7, Lupomax Mosaic, Citra, Idaho 7, and Strata
- IBU : –
Sale Information
- Availability : –
- On Sale : From December 2022
- Size : 370 ml
- Price : From 900 yen
Aroma & Taste
- Notable Aromas : Tropical nose of mango and pineapple with citrus notes of grapefruit, lemon, orange. Light malt sweetness that lingers, low alcohol heat.
- Notable Tastes : Medium bodied with low bitterness. Tropical and citrus fruits prevalent throughout with low lingering sweetness. Slight alcohol heat as warms.
Black Tide Dragon Rail : Aroma & Taste
Look at that view! Now that’s not my living room, and nor is it the view from my garden. Instead, it’s the view from Hammerhead in Sakuragicho, Yokohama. It’s often a place I’ll go to to pick up some beers, so instead of just going there and coming back, I thought I’d had a few instead there on the balcony. And Black Tide Dragon Rail was the choice of beer that day.
Black Tide Dragon Rail poured out a hazy dull golden colour with a fluffy white head on top that left some sticky streaks down the side of the cup. The aroma was apparent from the pouring with a large tropical nose of mango and pineapple, that was put against a citrus nose of grapefruit, lemon, and some orange too. There was a malt sweetness to the beer, one of pale ale malt, and also a low alcohol heat was present as Black Tide Dragon Rail warmed up – not enough to burn the nostril hairs but enough to make them sit up and notice.
The body began with a low yet smooth bitterness to it that was an entree on what was to be a cacophony of hop fruitiness. Tropical fruits abound with mango and pineapple, combined with the citrus fruits of grapefruit, lemon, and orange, made Black Tide Dragon Rail something akin to an alcoholic fruit juice you may have made with too much fruit juice and not enough vodka. There was a touch of low lingering sweetness to the beer, more of a pale malt sweetness, though the presence of a slight alcohol heat grew warmer as the beer itself grew warmer too.
Black Tide Dragon Rail : The Bottom Line
Triple IPAs are a beer seldom done well – often they’re cloying or have too much alcohol heat – but Black Tide Dragon Rail just manages to navigate the rocky road and does a good job.
Black Tide Dragon Rail : Where to Buy
Black Tide Dragon Rail can be bought online at the following places: