[skyler]

I see two distinct takes on the beer - the dry, hoppy, IPA-like take; and the syrupy, roasty, "someone added hops to a winter ale" take. I far prefer the former, and I think W10 was a good example of that. Often, the versions calling themselves "Cascadian Dark Ales" are the syrupy ones (case in point: Deschuttes "Hop in the Dark"). However, the point made earlier about blending beers is a good one, and one pertinent to my enjoyment of certain 22oz bottles I buy. I blended my bone dry ~45 IBU hopbursted pale ale with a bottled black IPA that I found too sweet and lacking in hops - a blend of about 20% pale ale with 80% black IPA. The result was damn fine and more of a "black IPA" then the stuff that came in the bottle.

[The Professor]

...The result was damn fine and more of a "black IPA" then the stuff that came in the bottle.

That's great, but the real thing to remember is that it is totally open to interpretation anyway, since the so called "style" has no real rules other than dark and hoppy.
 
Besides I have a real problem with calling it ANY kind of IPA if it's darker than deep amber/copper.  Hell, I've had Porters that fit the description some folks hang on "Black IPA". 

There seems to be a lot of arguing on the interwebs about this "style".  For what it's worth, I believe that it originated on the commercial level with Greg Noonan, but it's a pretty safe bet that such a beer as brewed up in a few basements somewhere long before he put it on tap and tagged it with a most puzzling name.

The arguments I read aound the net about this style are all pretty dumb, if you ask me.  (But nobody did, so I'll stop ranting now.     )
Basically, it matters not a whit if it's good beer.

(written as I sip on a suspiciously hoppy and hop-aromatic dark dry ale from a 19 year old recipe...   )

[micsager]

Besides I have a real problem with calling it ANY kind of IPA if it's darker than deep amber/copper.  Hell, I've had Porters that fit the description some folks hang on "Black IPA".  

There seems to be a lot of arguing on the interwebs about this "style".  For what it's worth, I believe that it originated on the commercial level with Greg Noonan, but it's a pretty safe bet that such a beer as brewed up in a few basements somewhere long before he put it on tap and tagged it with a most puzzling name.

(written as I sip on a suspiciously hoppy and hop-aromatic dark dry ale from a 19 year old recipe...  )

I hear ya, and I really don't care what it's called, if it's a style, or what.  What I do is since the W10 recipe in BYO, (that I tweaked pretty good) I have brewed 40 gallons of this beer.  While the last 10 gallons are still fermenting, the rest has been the best beer I've ever brewed.  Friends are wanting to buy cases of this beer from me.  SWMBO tels me to keep it all for us........

So, call it what you will.  I call it darn good beer.

[skyler]

SWMBO tels me to keep it all for us........

That has definitely happened to me a few times.