Pizza Port Black Lie IPA

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

Growler from PP Carlsbad. Pours dark red as you pour it but in the glass it looks pitch black. Hold it up to the light and there is ruby red highlights. Good carbonation produces a nice 3 finger head that leaves nice lacing. Smell is nice citrus hops, light bready notes, sweet malt, faint chocolate and roast. Taste is out of this world. Dank hops, roasted malts, smoke/ash, light chocolate and earthy tones. Mouthfeel is nice with a somewhat oily texture and solid carbonation. This is much better then the Stone 11th and it was a pleasure to drink.

Now this brew is fantastic! No, really. Tap at Liar’s Club and Dtown Johnny Brown... flat out delicious. Very deceiving from the looks of it, opaque black color, but has the taste of a DIPA. Hence the name. Good balance, easy to slam down, but they def catch up with you. Too bad its all gone! Bring this one back!

Tap at PP Carl. I have become a sucker for black IPAs and this certainly didn’t disappoint. Nose is a rather earthy hop with some nicely roasted malts. Flavor is more of the same with a very thick creamy texture. Light chocolate compliments the green hops. Very good.

On-tap at PP C’Bad. Pours very dark brown with a creamy off-white head that leaves lots of spiderweb lace. Smells dark, somewhat smokey malty and hoppy citrusy, grassy as well. Tastes hoppy but also roasty malty at the same time. The malts hit first and then the citrusy and grassy hops take over. Medium body, coats the mouth, active carbonation.

Black pour w/ a huge thick tan head and great lacing. Big sweet citrus hop aroma light floral ntoes some hints of strawberries, not at all what I expected from this pour. Good full nice palate. Outstanding, smooth fruity IPA just delicious.

On tap @ Boulder Strong Ale Fest poured a clear dark brown with a lasting tan head. Aromas of roastiness, grapefruit, pine and earthiness. Palate was light to medium bodied and smooth. Flavors of grapefruit, pine, carmel and light roastiness with a smooth lingering bitter finish.

Draft at O’Brien’s. Like a good Schwartzbeir, this didn’t look anything like it tasted. Lots of hoppy aroma off this dark brown ale with some decent tan head... Hops were fruity, apricot and mango. Some citrus but more light fruit. Body was medium, and the flavor was more hops. Strong bitter and delicious. More pine on the flavor than in the aroma. Very very good.

Tap @ Solana Beach. Pours jet black with a short-lived fizzy head. Toast, rye, hops, pine, apple, and some smoke. Sharp, crisp hop bite up front with a lot of pepper and grapefruit. The malt gives it a velvet feel and a nice, rich, earthy back. A fair amount of roasted flavor, but its almost more like a toasted rye as opposed to a roasted malt. Kind of a nice tobacco flavor. Just an excellent beer.