Pizza Port Hop 15

Brewed by Port Brewing/Lost Abbey
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
San Marcos, California USA

150th rating. on draft at toronado. Solid IPA, but it was following pliny the elder, so have to keep everything in perspective

22oz bottle. Cloudy copper/amber pour with a thin off-white head. Very crisp hop aroma with a bit of malt. Incredibly citrusy hop flavor with malt and some alcohol in the finish. I expected this to be good, but it was incredible.

Sick beer. Smell is ripe candied hop buds. Looks hazy with tiny bubbles one finger head and clingy lace. Flavor is very bitter hop forward but with significant sweetness all the way through. Medium sticky body that leaves the lips smacking. Great beer. A little tweaking could make this amazing. My first of hopefully many Port Brewing beers. Thanks Port Brewing. 08 or 09 22 oz.

Re-rate 5/1/09. Courtesy of Tomme Arthur. Pours an orange-amber color with a thick off-white head. A nice thin frothy film stays on top and yields some spotty lacing. Aroma, resin, caramel, citrus. This smacks you with big resin and grapefruit hoppy flavors and a nice tropical mango, orange, melon twist in there. The malts are there but just provide a solid foundation while the hops take over. Phew! Big hop bitterness here while still being surprisingly drinkable for a 10% brew. Wonderful! A completely different beer this go around. I’m throwing out the old rating as it’s clear I got a flat, bad, bottle. Honestly this is one of the best IIPA’s I’ve had. I’m thankful for the chance to re-visit. I’ve got one more bottle. I look forward to it! Original rating: Bomber from Archer Liquors. Pours an orange color with almost no head at all, even with a vigorous pour. Citrusy aroma but kind of resembles lemony dishwater and there is somewhat of a hoppy scent but it’s almost missed. Thick malty flavor, caramel, melons, and a citrusy bitter hop finish. This is a west coast IIPA? Sweet and syrupy with practically no carbonation and the hops are almost an afterthought. What a big disapointment, especially considering the brewer. I had their Wipeout IPA not too long ago and that was terrific and nicely hopped. I’m told the bottle was fresh but I can’t help to think maybe this was a bad bottle. Oh well... without the huge hop profile it was an easy drinking ten percenter.

I really like this beer. Very hoppy all around but the malt is always there too. Very balanced and the alcohol is hidden extremely well. The hop flavors and aromas are the typical citrus and pine with a slight touch of herbs and earthiness. Very good and makes a very interesting black and tan with Old Viscosity.

Bomber. Orange/amber pour with thin quickly diminishing white head. Pine, oranges, and sweet malt on the nose. Orange/citrus and pine resin in the flavor. A bit oily. Medium/full mouthfeel. Slightly bitter finish with some underlying sweetness. Very well balanced beer with some complexity. Very easy drinking and very nice.

22oz bottle. Pours an almost clear, slightly hazy orange body with a finger-width, soapy, off-white head that dissipates quickly and remains pretty nicely laced. Aroma is ripe, tropical, and full of sweet pines. Pretty complex assortment of fruits and candy sugarish citrus. Some tangy oranges, tart grapefruit, sweet pears, and sharp lemon pine needles. A light peppery spicy note with some faint sweet malts. Flavor is moderately sweet and very bitter. Heavy pine and a cloying, light honey sweetness. Lots of tart grapefruits and tropical candies. Similar to the aroma, this is very ripe tasting. Some sweet crystal maltiness, but dominated by a tongue scraping bitterness. Doesn’t become excessive despite tasting as if I’m chewing on a hop cone. Finishes very dry...like dehydration dry. Palate is pretty full with a noticeable carbonation despite the extreme dryness. Overall, wow. Quite the DIPA. During the first half of this bottle, I was a little thrown off by the excessive dryness and explosion of piney citrus, but as this warmed up, the body became fuller and the malts started to show up. They didn’t add any flavors or sweetness, but really balanced out the a-bomb’s worth of hops. Not quite a sessionable brew, but a fun experience nonetheless. Serve at cellar temperature and drink slowly to experience the change in balance.

Probably the best IPA I’ve ever tasted. The balance of hops and malt were perfect. Touch of sour to balance bitter, tangy, and sweet. Purchased at Pizza Port. Pours dark golden with thick yeast.