Pizza Port Black Lie IPA

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

Sample at the brewpub. This beer is an opaque and pretty burgundy color with a medium thin and creamy light tan head that recedes steadily. Thin sheet of lacing on the glass. Aroma of grassy hops and citrus, as well as a touch of malt. Medium-bodied and hoppy with notes of pine and grapefruit, underscored by an earthy malt flavor. The finish is hoppy and leaves a pine aftertaste. Solid all around.

Draft at Pizza Port Carlsbad; Nose of citrus and floral hops; clear black with a small beige head; flavor is hop bitterness with some piney notes; finish is lightly bitter.

Sampled ’08 BSAF. Beer is murky, very dark mahogany with a huge, rocky/creamy, tan head. Thick cuff of lacing left to cuddle the pint. Pretty.<P>The aroma is malty with light notes of roasted grain; Hoppy with heavy resin/pine notes, trace of lemon zest; Miscellaneous notes of metal and generic tropical fruit.<P>The flavor is moderately/heavily sweet, light/moderately bitter with a very long, lightly/moderately bitter, lightly/moderately sweet finish. Slightly warm.<P>The body is medium, the texture is watery and the carbonation is velvety.<P>Not great, but pleasantly plush.

Draft at Pizza Port Carlsbad. Brown / black pour with brown around the edges. Grapefruit hop aroma. Flavor is brown malt, slightly roasted and nutty, with grapefruit and pine hops being the dominant flavor. Decent bitterness. The rest of the beer outside the hops is unimpressive.

Guest tap on draught at Dark Lord Days ’08. Pours an opaque dark brown brew with a thin off-white head that has some nice retention and sticky lacing throughout. Aroma of sweet grapefruit, a touch of roasted chocolate malt, some mellon, and pine. Taste is medium to full bodied, light carbonation with flavors of toasted and slightly smoked dark malts, grapefruit and some citrus zest. Finish is semi-sweet with a smoked dark malt aftertaste the slowly disappears.

On tap at Pizza Port C’Bad. Dark pour with a one finger head that laces nicely. Roasted aroma with plenty of pine/grass hop. Pleasant mouthfeel with flavors of roasted malt, nuts, hops, and a little bit of a smokey aftertaste. Great full flavor that compliments the hoppiness of this IPA. This is my drink of choice at PP.

Dark brown. Woody, lightly citrusy, toasty nose. Soft body with some caramel and wood. Hints of nuts and lime. Bitter, toasty finish.

On Tap @ Hamilton’s Tavern, South Park SD. It was listed on the board as 10% IIPA, and i had no idea in would come out black. Of course it invites comparison to Stone 11th, but I think this was much better. the roasty malt arom blended well with the hops, and it hit the tounge with some carmel-choclate and then faded into pinney hops. Drank easy without much hint of alcohol. yum!