He raises six points towards the end of his article on why all the other names suck. While agree with him. Cascadian is wrong for a very similar reason. He points out that many of the assumptions in the other names are confusing to the novice drinker. His argument for the Cascadian name relies heavily on the Cascadian region being the cradle of this beer. While a decent point, he forgets that most drinkers from novice to expert will likely assume Cascade Hops must be an ingredient. It is a common ingredient, but not a required ingredient. A decision to go with this name may confuse a number of people, and in the end may force the style into requiring cascade hops.
While a number of names have been thrown out there, and none seem to suffice. I propose four alternatives:
- Hopped Black Ale
- Hopped Dark Ale.
- American Black Ale
- American Dark Ale
I would say ABA or Black Ale would best describe this beer style. 21st has a nice Black Ale. I also have a Southern Tier Iniquity Imperial Black Ale in my beer closet that just has not made it to the fridge yet, but my guess is it will be great.
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