Port Brewing Hop 15

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

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

Head forms slowly in a reverse cascade then falls quickly. Body is about as "amber" as you can get... reminding me of fossilized insect-amber replete with sediment in suspension and some tiny bubbles which cling to the bottom and sides of the glass. Potent pine aroma, nearly eye-watering on a deep nasal draw. Afterwards come biscuits, grapefruit and a hint of caramel. The flavor is pretty incredible. Peppery, piney, sharp, mildly alcoholic and ending with a subtle fruitcake sweetness. Lingers long, teetering back and forth between pastry sweet and peppery alcohol. I’m kinda blown away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bought this about a month ago at Binny’s, Orland Park, IL

This specimen pours a golden amber color w/ a modest, semi creamy froth that settles to a spattered pancake. Lacing is respectable. Nice and sticky w/ a partial canopy and a full ring. Aromas of full on gloppy malted caramel and flaming grapefruit. Full nectar w/ soft and creamy residual effers. It’s a malt bomb w/ a blistering hop profile to balance. You get your classic flavors of sweet malted caramel, leather, asprin, grapefruit, and charred citrus rind. Theres a mild sweetness that is enjoyable. Not real complex but very well balanced and the alcohol is hidden like a land mine. A strong flavored brew w/ a very generous disposition. One thing to mention is the sludge in the bottle. It’s thick. The finish is long w/ lingering citrus rind bittering. Like an asprin burn. Highly recommended.

This was an ASSAULT! This beer shredded my palate, and I couldn’t taste anything for the rest of the night. Very resinous, pine, loads of citrus, and grapefruit. No malt anywhere to be found, and the bitterness was intense. It stuck to my throat, and just coated it. For a hop head this is heaven.

As I sit here drinking from a fresh growler from Tomme that was brought back to Hawaii, I feel compelled to pay homage to the beer that helped turn me into a serious hophead several years ago when I was living in San Diego. Poured into my trusty Duvel tulip glass to a beautiful 2-inch head that slowly dissipates. Just sipping the froth, you get immediate hop candy - sweet malt and hops, hops and hops. Damn, this beer smells as good I remember. Sweet citrus/grapefruit, floral and pine with perhaps a little peach and pineapple. The color - a beautiful, clean orange-ish red. Extremely smooth over the tongue and then BAM! come the fresh, wet hops. 15 varieties that meld together beautifully and are balanced by a nice caramel malt backbone. Mouthfeel is excellent with a bit of resinous hop oil and nice carbonation.Talk about a smooth drinker for a big hop-laden IIPA - I can drink this all night. Especially with the alcohol as well hidden as it is. No alcohol hotness to this one like Pliny the Younger. Just a damn near perfect San Diego IIPA. Cheers to Tomme and Josh on this latest batch - you haven’t lost your touch on this one. One of my all-time favorites. Now I fondly remember why I used to stop by Solana after work for growlers of this on a daily basis! I was bummed this stuff was still in the brite tank and not bottled when I was at the brewery last weekend, but this is one I’ll be stocking up on when it’s finally ready.

This is the gold standard all other double/imperial IPAs should be compared to. The hops are HUGE in this beer and Hop 15 has the malt backbone to balance it.

Creamy white head. Big Hop flavors. Aromas of sweet pinneaple. Syrupy in the mouth. High alcohol content without a strong alcohol taste. Pours as a deep copper color. A must for Hop heads. This brew comes and goes throughout the year, so when you see it buy at least a bottle because you may not get a chance next week.

This was one of the best beers I’ve had. Has a honey color to it, good lacing lasting head. Smelled like pine and hops. Tasted like hops, pine, citrus, spices, some floral notes. Very delicious. Finished with a pleasant bitterness and the 10% ABV was very well-hidden. Definitely recommend this one

Incredible....resinous orange citrus and spice. Salivating acidity with sweetness on the back palate. Loooooong finish hits all the sweetspots. Amazing beer. On tap at The Neighborhood in San Diego.:-)