Black IPA, also known as Cascade Dark Ale or otherwise, is a unique style of beer that combines the intensity of hops with dark malt. This unusual combination has caused much debate and controversy among beer enthusiasts. Although the black IPA is relatively rare today, its history and evolution reveal many interesting facts about the changes in the beer industry.

A decade ago, black IPA was extremely popular and caused a lot of debate. At the time, the craft beer industry was focused on hops, and the IPA (India Pale Ale) became the main American beer style. Breweries have started creating different variations of IPAs such as double and triple IPAs, red IPAs, Belgian IPAs, and more. However, the name and style of the black IPA caused the most controversy.

The oxymoron of the name was not the only point of contention – how can a beer be black and pale at the same time? There was also disagreement about what this beer should taste like. Some thought that a black IPA should be like an optical illusion: taste like an IPA but look like a stout. Others felt that the roasted malt should be noticeable and that its bitterness should combat the bitterness of the hops. This controversy has been particularly intense in the Pacific Northwest, where some have come to refer to the style as Cascade Dark Ale (CDA).

While many consider the black IPA to be an American innovation, historical data shows that heavily hopped dark beers have been around for centuries. On his blog, Shut Up About Barclay Perkins, Ron Pattinson has a number of vintage beer recipes that show that porters and stouts often used copious amounts of hops. For example, the 1928 Barclay Perkins Export Stout had over 104 IBUs and was dry hopped.

One of the main proponents of black IPA was Abram Goldman-Armstrong, who promoted the style through collaborations with commercial breweries and holding symposiums. Today he works at the Fjordfolk brewery in Norway and continues to produce Cascade dark ale. In his opinion, the main difference between a CDA and a black IPA is the interplay of roasted malts and resinous hops, while a black IPA should just be a black IPA without major flavor changes.

Today, many breweries produce black IPAs with some dark malt notes, although they don't go for a fully roasted flavor. For example, 2nd Shift Brewing of St. Louis uses dehusked black malts for its Dead & Alive Black IPA to give it a "sweet roastiness." The use of hops has also evolved, with modern hop supplements such as Mosaic, Zythos and Citra now more commonly used.

Although the black IPA isn't hugely popular right now, it still has a loyal following. Most of their favorite brands are discontinued, but some breweries still produce this style, especially during the winter season.