Roger Kohn

That sounds scrumptious! Some of us lushes might prefer a more elevated ABV though. Ahem.

Pair with pork tacos? Mmmmm.

Interesting and informative article!

I think Cascadian Darks are a different animal from merely black IPAs though. According to beeradvocate.com. (Goldman-Armstrong is the co-inventor of the CDA style.):

In early 2010, Goldman-Armstrong organized a CDA symposium in which brewers and beer writers tasted, discussed and finally built a consensus on the style’s characteristics. For one thing, they agreed, a CDA must be something more than a simple IPA that happens to be black. A brewer can achieve the color without added body simply by cold-steeping dark grains or—as in some dark lagers—with de-husked black malt, neither of which provide adequate roasted character, they said.

And for another, CDA must be brewed with the Northwest’s distinctively aromatic hops, including Amarillo, Centennial, Chinook and, yes, Cascade. This wasn’t just a matter of local pride. When the resins of Northwestern hops mesh with the roasted malts, said some brewers, they tend to produce an almost minty or rosemary quality—a quality that is missing when the ale is made with British Fuggles or East Kent Goldings.

“It’s a very different beer,” Goldman-Armstrong said when I asked him if he could taste the difference between an IPA and a CDA with his eyes closed. “If you have any palate at all, you should recognize it’s a different beer from standard India Pale Ale.”

Swooning at those descriptions! I WANT some!

Wow, Ferme Rouge sounds scrumptious! Is there much of a brett/funk component to the flavor profile?

I appreciate that you evaluate the beers performance on your drinkability scale. That is good info to have when seeking out new beers to try.