Tarantulas 2.0
Pizza Port Solana Beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm going to assume that version 1.0 will be like the Star Wars saga where the first ones come after the fact. A black IPA, don't care a ton for them.

A - Dark brown beer with red on the edges. Khaki colored head that left some nice lacing and spots on the sides for a good looking beer.

S - Has your traditional IPA smells such as grapefruit and some slightly tropical fruit. Also has some great earth and floral tones that are quite complementary and unique.

T - Nice hops, particularly the orange and grapefruit notes. The floral and earthy aspect of this beer adds an entirely new dimension to a standard IPA, but manages not to taste too sweet or crystalized like so many other Black Ales, whatever the hell those are. I really like this one quite a bit.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

O - One of the better beers of this style I've had, and out of the 16 Pizza Port beers I drank this might have been my favorite one, although Booya Steez is tough competition. Highly recommended.

On tap at Pizza Port Ocean Beach on 6/28/11.

A - The liquid is dark as a porter, with a nut brown body and burgundy highlights around the edges, plus a bubbly beige head that retained wonderfully and deposited tons of thick lacing around the glass.

S - Perfumy hops, candy sugar, licorice and earthy notes comprise the initial aroma, while a hint of brown sugar and citrus fruit emerges as the liquid warmed up a bit.

T - Spicy black licorice appears right off the bat, followed by a candy-like spiciness paired with an earthy bitterness. Reminds me of the type of candy my grandparents used to eat. Hop character is perfumy with light floral notes.

M - Medium bodied with a smooth, oily texture and a hint of bristly carbonation. Finishes with moderate bitterness on the palate.

D - One of the most unusual and unique black ales I've had. this one boasts a distinct perfumy character with plenty of licorice and old-fashioned hard candy characteristics.

Not really sure what happened to version 1.0 et al. On-tap at Haymarket, served in a 4oz taster stange.

A - Big creamy tan foam that is persistent and leaves glass-coating lace. Transparent dark brown color with reddish highlights.

S - This doesn't smell as fresh as the other kegs for some reason - I'm guessing it's almost two months old based on the dates of the other reviews. Still a good deal of orange citrus hop character, with a touch of pine, and a mild amount of chocolate dark malt flavor.

T - Hop flavors seem to have faded a fair bit, leaving an somewhat unfortunate collection of pine, earthiness, alpha acid bitterness, slight charred malts, and a bit of astringency. It's actually pretty good for the first few ounces, but becomes unpleasant and fatiguing the more I consume.

M - Active zesty carbonation, medium body, and a sticky resinous finish.

D - I like that this is a "Black IPA" that is basically just an IPA with a darker color and a hint of heavier malt flavor. Unfortunately the actual "IPA" flavors and freshness conspired to make this something I wasn't all that interested in drinking. I'd certainly like a revisit this if I'm in SoCal, but I'd much prefer El Jefe or Ugly.

4/8/2011

On tap at Pizza Port Ocean Beach. Described as a Black Strong American Pale Ale, though I think the color is derived from something other than malt as there are no evident malt notes. This is a similar recipe to the Tarantula brewed at Solana Beach a while back. This was brewed at Ocean Beach with the help of an old Solana Beach Brewer. I think I got that right. Served in a tulip.

A: Opaque deep brown with a creamy light brown head. Nice retention and scattered lacing.

S: Very aromatic, with prominent grapefruit and orange accompanying pine resin, earth, and floral notes. Excellent hop aroma. No evident malt characteristics.

T: A nice blend of grapefruit, orange, and pine. Big hop flavor. Bitterness is at a lower moderate level. Alcohol is very well hidden. Finish is smooth with a touch of orange pith, lingering pine, and grapefruit. Dry overall, with no evident sweetness. Bitterness is stronger in the terminus.

M: Upper light to lower medium in body with upper moderate carbonation. Mouthfeel is creamy, sticky, and dry.

Overall: A great hoppy Pale Ale/IPA that is black in color. Recommended.

On-tap at both Pizza Port Carlsbad and Ocean Beach

A: The pour is very dark brown, almost black, with a finger of off-white head.

S: There is just a hint of roasted malt to this, but otherwise it's all hops. Tons and tons of grapefruit and tangerine aroma to this beer. A little bit of pineapple as well as some grass and pine. Really well done.

T: Great hop flavor to this beer. Big, juicy, fresh grapefruit flavor as well as some other citrus notes. Pine bitterness is there as well. Really minimal malt flavor with just a hint of roast and bread.

M: Medium in body with a moderate carbonation and a dry finish.

O: This is how a black IPA should be. Not overpowered at all by the roast/malt.