Pizza Port Black Lie IPA

Brewed by Pizza Port (Carlsbad)
Style: American Strong Ale
Carlsbad, California USA

On draft at O’Brien’s for CBC/WBC. Appearance is a pitch black hue, thin layer of off-white head dissipates, minimal lacing. Smell is big grassy and pine hops, subtle roast and caramel malts, alcohol, and sweet candy. Taste is big hops and alcohol burn initially, opens up to coffee and roast malts, pine resin and caramel linger, finishes bitter and dry with moderate alcohol presence. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, watery smooth texture, amped up carbonation. Drinkability is moderate and hampered mostly by the alcohol presence which seems larger than the 8%, overall a nice balance of malts and hops, more of a sipping beer.

RBSG 2008. I really enjoyed this beer, very nice floral flavors that worked off the malts up front. The malts had a nice depth, layers of caramel and cherry, hints of chocolate, all balanced against the hop finish. One of the better "black ipas" i’ve had.

On tap. Wow! What an experience. Flavors of licorice(!), grapefruity hops, and a little roasted malt. Dark brown color with a persistant tan head with excellent lacing on the glass. A little hoppy aroma. Completely unique and original. Liked it a lot.

Dark brown with a thin tan head. Aroma is strong and hoppy with West Coast prerequisites of grapefruit and pine. Darker malts hit first on the flavor with an interesting roast and a little fruitiness. This is trumped by huge hops. Pine and grapefruit take over and kick my mouth’s ass. Bitter and resiny. Dry and tasty. Unique mix between roast and hops. I liked this one a lot!

on draft at carlsbad. pours dark with thin tan head. aroma is citrus and some fruit. mouthful is full of hop that is back with roasted malt. had this right after the poormans, so it took a bit to appreciate the hoppiness after that hop bomb. very nice and well balanced black ipa.

From tap at Carlsbad. Pours dark brown to black with a little orange glare. Aroma is dense hoppy and fruity. Solid malty and hoppy base flavour. Dry yet smoothly balanced between hops and roasted malt. Dry lingering malty and dense fruity hops flavour. Quite dry in the far finish.

Poured deeper brown with a short cap of beige head.. nice clarity to it. The aroma picked up brilliant pine and citrusy hoppage upfront with toasty caramel and sweeter chocolate behind.. very well balanced. The flavor had sweet chocolate and nutty sweetness surrounded by pine bitterness and faint black cherry tartness.. dry finish with an odd contrast between the malts and hops. Dry overall on the palate and scratchy with bitterness.. just a bit rough for me.

Sample at the pizza port in Carlsbad. Citrus aroma, nice hops, slight pine in the taste. Good all around.