Brewery: Blake’s Hard Cider Co.
Beer: Black Phillip
Style: Cider
ABV: 4.5%
Character: Hard apple cider brewed with cranberry and blood orange.
Ratings at time of Review: BA: n/a | RB: —
Metal Connection: Barathrum – Black Goat
BeerMetalDude Rating: 5/5
Every few years the Horror movie genre creates a new antagonizing villain (i.e. Freddy Krueger, Jason Vorhees, Pinhead, Chucky, etc.), 2015’s The VVitch is no different by introducing the world to Black Phillip, a black billy goat, who is portrayed to be the mortal form of Satan himself. This character torments the main family of the film, and reveals himself to one of the girls at the end of the film. Sorry for the spoiler. To be honest, I have never seen the film yet, so I had to read spoilers and look at video clips of this character just so I could write this section. haha. This movie is on my wish list though.
I want to thank my good friend Scott Hall (no, not the wrestler, just a good local dude who loves to drink the good stuff, just like me!), and his wife, Kim for bringing me back this can, so I can taste this cider, and add this beautiful can to my collection.
I poured this into a Legal Draft Beer Co. cider glass. The color was a clear orange color which had a reddish tint to it. As most ciders, there was no head, and no lacing. This has an amazing color when light shines through the glass. It looks almost fluorescent.
Nice complexity to the nose. The base apple cider comes through with an aroma mixture of baked red apples, apple sauce, pears, some honey, and some breadiness. Tart cranberries, blood orange juice, lemon, sweet red wine and tangerines make up the overall aroma of this cider. The slight tartness from the cranberries mixed with the apples linger a bit in the nose.
The taste is the same as the nose. The tart cranberries hit the palate first, followed by baked red apples, apple sauce, and pears. The combination of blood orange, lemon, tangerine, and sweet red wine round this one out. The lingering aftertaste is sweet red wine, honey, apple sauce, blood orange juice, and tart cranberries.
The body was light with a slick mouthfeel, little to no carbonation, and a dry finish.
Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with this cider. I was hoping that I would like this based on the name and label of this beverage. I am glad the drink was as impressive as the obvious reasons for me linking this one. It is dark, evil, and delicious. I want to say thanks again to my good buddies Scott and Kim Hall. Cheers to them, and cheers to all of you. Now, let me go watch the movie, The VVitch, so I know more about this character, Black Phillip.
Metal Connection: As there are no songs that I know of yet that subject the infamous Black Phillip, I found a little gem from 1995 called “Black Goat” by the cult Black Metal band, Barathrum from Finland. This band has been active since 1990 and have released 8 full length albums. the last one, Anno Aspera: 2003 Years After Bastard’s Birth, being released in 2005. Only EP’s, splits, live albums, and compilations have been released since. Our song, “Black Goat” is from the bands second full length album, Eerie, released in 1995 released on Nazgul’s Eyrie Productions. Barathrum has been led by vocalist, Demonos Sova, who’s delivery is unique and his very own. Once a Barathrum song is being played, any fan would be able to tell that it was them. They have always marched to their own drum, and played a unique style of Black Metal that again, makes them different from the flock. Crank this baby up, crack open a cold Black Phillip cider, and enjoy the blasphemy!
Beer Metal Media 