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Rocketship

Blacks Brewery
Ireland·IPA
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The strongest of the regular Blacks IPAs at 6.5 %, hopped with Galaxy, Cascade and Citra and in the range since 2014. The nose opens on passion fruit and lemon and moves towards pineapple and orange ice lolly. Candied fruit, grapefruit and orange peel follow on the palate, before a finish that is plainly bitter and driven by the hops.

ABV
6.5%
Bitterness
Very bitter75 IBU
Citrus hop bitterness
SRM
golden8
PaceTwo or Three
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
citrusytropicalhoppy
citrusy
tropical
hoppy
orange
fruity
peach
Aroma
The nose opens with pronounced passion fruit and lemon notes, driven by the Galaxy hop's tropical character.
also:clean
not found:juicy,caramel,sour,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Rocketship

◎ Appearance

Rocketship presents a bright golden hue with light clarity, characteristic of a well-crafted IPA. The head forms readily and clings to the glass with good retention, leaving fine traces of lacing. Carbonation is crisp and visible, lending an appealing liveliness to the pour.

bright goldenclear to slightly hazygood head retentionwell-carbonated

◌ Aroma

The nose opens with pronounced passion fruit and lemon notes, driven by the Galaxy hop's tropical character. This evolves toward pineapple and orange ice lolly impressions, creating a bright citrus profile. Beneath these fruit-forward notes lies a subtle foundation of clean Malz that anchors the composition.

passion fruit, lemonpineapple, candied citrustropical hopsclean malt base

◐ Taste

The palate entry is smooth and balanced, allowing the hop bitterness to unfold progressively. Mid-palate reveals candied fruit, grapefruit, and orange peel character, with the Citra and Cascade hops adding layers of citrus complexity. The finish transitions to a plainly bitter, hop-driven conclusion that is dry and assertive.

candied fruit, grapefruitorange peelmoderate to firm bitternessdry finish

◑ Finish

The finish is notably bitter and lingering, with the hop character taking center stage. A dry, slightly resinous aftertaste persists, inviting another sip.

bitter, drylingering aftertaste
78
hopIQ score
Aroma
80
Taste
78
Appearance
76
Finish
76
Serve at 8–11°C

Serve well-chilled. Session IPAs are at their best cold — the lower ABV means less warmth to balance the hops.

Tulip glass

The curved shape concentrates hop aromas and supports a thick head. Essential for aromatic ales and IPAs where the nose is half the experience.

Drink fresh. Session IPAs are brewed to be consumed young — the hops are at their best now.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Rocketship

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About IPA

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a IPA?

IPAs are hop-forward ales with 5.5–7.5% ABV and IBU 40–70+. Bold hop aroma — citrus, tropical, resinous — with firm bitterness and a dry, clean finish.

Finding a similar IPA

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same bitter, citrusy, tropical character as Rocketship will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Compare with another beer →Explore all IPA beers in hopIQ →New to IPA? Read our guide →Browse Ireland beers →