Twisted Hippo Black Umbrella 4Pk

Twisted Hippo Black Umbrella 4Pk is a 7.5% ABV oatmeal rye stout from Chicago's Twisted Hippo Brewing, sold as a four-pack. Rated 87/100 ("Very Good") on BeerAdvocate, this hybrid stout merges creamy oat richness with a distinctive rye spice backbone rarely found in the style.

Quick Facts: ABV: 7.5%  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois, USA  |  Style: Oatmeal Rye Stout  |  Brewery: Twisted Hippo Brewing

Production & Heritage

Twisted Hippo Brewing operates out of Chicago, Illinois, contributing to the city's thriving craft beer scene. Black Umbrella is built on a grain bill that incorporates both oats and rye alongside standard barley malt — the oats lend body and silkiness, while the rye introduces a peppery, bread-like complexity uncommon in traditional oatmeal stouts. The result is a beer that bridges two grain-forward styles into a single, cohesive expression at a robust 7.5% ABV.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Rye bread leads the nose, followed by cocoa and a faint earthy spice. A subtle dark-fruit sweetness lingers underneath, hinting at tart berry or cherry.

Taste: The entry is smooth and creamy, with oatmeal sweetness giving way to cocoa and roasted grain at mid-palate. As the beer warms, spicy rye notes become more pronounced, adding a peppery edge that keeps the mouthfeel from tipping into heavy territory. Despite the 7.5% ABV, the body skews lighter than expected for the style, making it surprisingly approachable.

Finish: Medium in length with a dry, spicy rye tail and residual cocoa bitterness. The oat creaminess recedes cleanly, leaving a balanced interplay of grain and roast.

How to Drink Black Umbrella

Black Umbrella drinks best at cellar temperature, around 50–55°F, poured into a tulip glass or snifter to concentrate the cocoa and rye aromatics. Pouring too cold mutes the spice character, so let it warm briefly if refrigerated.

• Stout Float: A scoop of vanilla ice cream plays off the cocoa and rye spice, creating a grown-up dessert drink.
• Black Velvet variation: Blend with dry sparkling cider for a lighter, effervescent take that highlights the tart berry undertones.
• Beer Cocktail with Amaro: A half-ounce of a bitter herbal liqueur like Averna amplifies the roasted grain and spice notes already present.

Best For

• Fall and winter evening sessions when something roasty but not heavy hits the mark
• Sharing with craft beer fans who appreciate grain-forward experimentation
• Pairing nights centered around smoked meats or rich chocolate desserts
• Introducing stout drinkers to the added dimension rye grain brings to dark beer

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Black Umbrella taste like? Black Umbrella delivers creamy oatmeal stout character — cocoa, roasted malt, and a smooth body — layered with spicy, peppery rye bread notes. It drinks lighter than its 7.5% ABV suggests, with a tart berry edge on the finish.

How does Black Umbrella compare to a traditional oatmeal stout? A classic oatmeal stout relies on oats for body and smoothness, while Black Umbrella adds rye to the grain bill, introducing a spicy, bread-like complexity and slightly drier finish not found in conventional examples like Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout.

Is Black Umbrella good for sipping? Yes — at 7.5% ABV with a lighter body than most stouts in this range, it rewards slow sipping at cellar temperature where the rye spice and cocoa nuances develop as the beer warms.

Where is Black Umbrella made? Black Umbrella is brewed by Twisted Hippo Brewing in Chicago, Illinois. The brewery is part of Chicago's robust independent craft beer community.

What foods pair well with Black Umbrella? Smoked brisket or pulled pork complements the roasted grain and rye spice. Dark chocolate truffles mirror the cocoa notes. Sharp aged cheddar provides a savory counterpoint to the malt sweetness. Rye bread with smoked salmon echoes the grain bill directly. Mole-braised dishes align with both the spice and the chocolate character.

What sizes does Black Umbrella come in? Black Umbrella is available as a four-pack, which is the standard retail format for this release.

Is Black Umbrella worth the price? Black Umbrella positions as a mid-range craft stout, and its hybrid oatmeal-rye grain bill offers a distinctive twist that justifies its place alongside other specialty stouts in the category. The 87/100 BeerAdvocate score and 3.7 Untappd rating reflect solid critical and consumer approval for the price tier.

Why Black Umbrella?

The oatmeal rye stout style is uncommon territory, and Black Umbrella executes it with clarity — the oats and rye each pull their weight without one overwhelming the other. An 87/100 BeerAdvocate score confirms this is a well-built beer, not a novelty. The lighter body at 7.5% ABV makes it more sessionable than many stouts in the same ABV range, broadening its appeal beyond dedicated dark-beer drinkers. For anyone looking to explore what rye grain does inside a stout framework, this is one of the more accessible entry points available from an independent Chicago brewery.