Old School: Obsidian Crow West Coast IPA | 3B Saigon

Old School, New Tricks: Heart of Darkness "Obsidian Crow" West Coast IPA

These days it feels like every new IPA in Saigon is hazy, juicy and soft enough to drink through a straw. I love a good juice bomb, but sometimes I miss the beer that started it all: a clear, bitter, unapologetic West Coast IPA.

That is exactly what Obsidian Crow promises. Brewed by Heart of Darkness in collaboration with Hong Kong's Black Kite Brewery, it was the beer that kicked off Heart of Darkness IPA Week on 7 August 2026. It is a West Coast IPA with a twist: classic Columbus hops on top, but lager yeast and a touch of rice underneath. Now that a few cans have made it into our fridge, I had to see if old school and new school could really share a glass.

First Taste

The pour tells you straight away that this is not another haze. Obsidian Crow sits bright and clear in the glass, a polished golden colour under a firm white head. Hold it up to the light and you can actually see through it, which feels almost rebellious these days.

The aroma is pure Columbus: dank, resinous and sticky, with a sharp grapefruit and orange-peel edge. The first sip delivers on that promise. A wave of citrus pith hits first, followed quickly by a firm, unmistakable bitterness. There is no fruit smoothie here, just a clean hop bite that wakes up your whole palate.

The Second Sip

By the second sip, the clever part of the recipe starts to show. The bitterness is serious (sitting at a hefty 70 IBU), but it never turns harsh or sticky. That is the lager yeast and rice doing their job. They strip the body back so there is no heavy caramel sweetness for the hops to cling to, and the beer finishes lean, crisp and almost bone-dry.

Instead of building up on your tongue, the bitterness snaps off cleanly and leaves a gentle piney resin behind. It is a big, honest IPA that still drinks like it was made for Saigon weather. At 6.7%, it goes down far more easily than it has any right to.

Final Thought

Obsidian Crow is a love letter to the West Coast IPA, rewritten with an Asian accent. It keeps everything purists love about the style, the clarity, the dank citrus and the proper bitterness, while borrowing a few tricks from the lager world to keep it lean and refreshing. It proves that a bitter beer and a hot night in District 1 can get along just fine.

Who Should Try It?

• The Old-School Hop Head: If you cut your teeth on clear, bitter IPAs and miss them every time another hazy lands on the menu, this one is for you.
• The Haze-Fatigued Drinker: Tired of sweet, soft, fruit-juice IPAs? The dry finish and firm bite are a welcome reset.
• The Kurtz's Insane Fan: You love big bitterness but want something leaner and crisper for a long, hot evening.
• The Beer Nerd: Anyone curious about how lager yeast and rice can reshape a classic ale style, or who missed IPA Week and wants to tick off a collab.

While you're here, grab its IPA sibling, Horizon In The Myst Dừa & Quýt, a hazy coconut and tangerine IPA. Drinking the two side by side is the best way to taste how far apart West Coast and hazy IPAs really are. Get directions and opening hours.