Terrapin Side Project Capt’n Krunkles Black IPA

Brewed by Terrapin Beer Company
Style: Black IPA
Athens, Georgia USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   update pic

22oz bottle. hurray! made it to 10 side projects. black beer under a large, foamy beige head. aroma has notes of a strong ipa and chocolatey stout scents. i’m not really a fan of the mixing of two polar opposites but i’ll give it an honest try. much to my surprise i found this one to be decent. i believe the hoppy ipa is the dominant flavor but a nice cocoa powdery roast flavor lurks in the distance throughout. palate, body, and finish of an ipa. they managed to mesh these well by allowing the roast and creamy body to mellow the bitter hoppiness but not letting either win in the end . i have to say, i’m still not a fan of the style but i could handle this one.

22oz bomber poured into a tulip. Pours a deep, opaque mahogany that almost sits black in the glass with a surprisingly big and fluffy beige head that recedes very slowly and leaves a hefty cap and great lacing. The aroma starts with some light fruity citrus, oranges and lemons maybe, and some resinous pine. The hops are balanced a bit by the dark roasted malts but the citrus is dominant. The taste is a bit more balanced and complex with the dark roasted malts forming a bigger backbone that the aroma suggested. That said, the hops are still big and start with oranges and tangerines and give way to a more grassy and resinous bitterness that lingers through the finish. The dry roasted character of the malts balance the hop bitterness of the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with lots of carbonation, though it’s bubbles that lend a very creamy feel to things overall. I enjoyed this one a lot and I’m glad I got to try it super fresh as the hops are the dominant player now. Honestly, I’m intrigued to see what happens as the hops die down as I bet this turns into a completely different beer. Not sure if it’ll be this good, but I look forward to finding out.

Draft at Brewvival: Lime, grapefruit, and licorice aroma. Dark brown, thick tan head, good lacing. Licorice and charred oak flavor, lime peel finish. Good beer, but the selection of hops doesn’t work well for the style.

UPDATED: SEP 5, 2010 Draft sample @ Brewvival on 2/27/10. Solid. This is an excellent black IPA.... and one of Terrapin’s best Side Projects to date.... loaded with hops! nice black pour with a quarter inch off white head... citrus hop notes across the nose... medium body with average carbonation and a good blend of caramel malts and deep citrus based hops.... really looking forward to this in bombers this month!

Brewvival. Dark pour with a thin tan head. Aroma is citrus, nutty and spruce. Flavor is roast, toffee, hazelnut, pine, citrus and grapefruit. Finish is dry.

draft at Brewvival. 1st rating! pours a dark, cola brown with a bubbly, light khaki head and spotty lace. aroma is excellent with massive pine esters, grapefruit, orange, and grass with light floral notes and subtle, toasted, cocoa malts. flavor is great as well and everything you would imagine a great black IPA would taste like with big, nutty malts and caramel up front with bold, grapefruit hops, pine, and lots of floral esters with a roasted malt finish. palate is medium bodied with solid carbonation and a lingering bitter finish. overall, one of the best renditions of a black IPA out there and another well done side project.