No, this isn’t a review (yet), but a note that Deschutes Brewery is set to release their first bottled Cascadian Dark Ale (also variously known as a “Black IPA”) coming up this May: Hop in the Dark. (And note they are labeling it a “CDA” rather than a Black IPA.) Here are their notes about it:

Available May – September 2010

Bond Street Series (22-ounce bottles and draft)

What takes 22 brews and more than a year of experiments to reach perfection? Deschutes Brewery’s newest Bond Street Series release: Hop in the Dark Cascadian Dark Ale (C.D.A.). C.D.A. is a new style of beer that emerged recently in the Pacific Northwest, more widely known as a Black I.P.A. There has been a significant movement and debate in the region to call the style C.D.A., and Deschutes Brewery leads the way with Hop in the Dark.

This ominous looking liquid combines prominent Northwest hops with roasted malts to create a black tinted India Pale Ale type beer. Hop in the Dark aromas come from Cascade, Amarillo, Citra and Centennial hops that float over a gentle undercurrent of velvet malt complexities.

Deschutes Brewery invites beer lovers to take the plunge – a hop, if you will – into this new Dark Cascadian Ale.

Beer Geek Information:
6.5% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)
70 International Bittering Units (IBUs)

I’ve heard some of those 22 brews, while they were tinkering with the recipe, were rather odd, others were really good. There’s a definite advantage to using the pubs as a sort of “test lab” for these kinds of things.