One of the beers I picked up on my recent visit to Bradley’s in Cork was 9 White Deer’s Black Lightning. The Ballyvourney brewery went all out with this Black IPA. It’s got it’s own distinctive label which features the famous Vincent Black Lightning motorbike as opposed to their usual trademark stag. (I don’t know much about bikes but I am going to chance this next bit of wordplay.) It also has a sidecar full of Williamette, Chinook, Cascade, Summit AND Centennial hops that really come through in the aroma and the taste. The smell is citrussy and the taste is piney and nicely bitter. Some people would say you can’t actually have a Black IPA, I don’t care what you call it, this is a damn fine beer. Sláinte!