Vortex IPA - Fort George Brewery + Public House

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Part of my CanBIF 2013 haul. Thanks Boozecamel!

Poured from a 16oz. can, 03/05 marked on the bottom of the can which i take to be March 5 as a canning date.

Appearance: Very hazy, dark peach-gold trimmings as a color, lots of rings form around the glass.

Smell: Fresh citrus fruit, peaches, straddles the sweet side a bit, very full.

Taste: Huge ripe fruit, like biting into a sweet peach. Sweetness intensifies in the middle but never cloys. CRISP ORANGES WITH THE PEEL, GOOD HOP NECTAR.

Mouthfeel: Spot-on carbonation, prolonged bitterness, lip smacking.

Overall: Good flavor, good hoppiness, great IPA.

Serving type: can

04-26-2013 11:54:05 | More by papat444

scottfrie

California

4.36/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Can poured into Duvel tulip.

A: Pours hazy dark pumpkin with a huge, thick, dense, light tan head that faded into a thick bubbly film that left sticky patches of lace down the glass.
S: Sweet tropical fruits, kiwi, raspberry, papaya, grapefruit, and flower nectar. Very sweet, fruity, tropical and exotic. Doughy malt undertones.
T: Sweet and fruity hops, very nectar and tropical forward, caramel and biscuit undertones, hop resin finish, nectar mixed with bitter pith aftertaste. Sweet, fruity and delicious. Hint of mint as well.
M: Slick, hop resin mouthfeel, soft, low and tingly carb. Medium full body.
O: Really really good. Sweet tropical fruits and a great mouthfeel. Thanks Ryan.

Serving type: can

04-04-2013 22:58:34 | More by scottfrie

hoppytobehere

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16oz. tallboy can. Date at bottom appears to be 09/07.

A: Pours a nice opaque, cloudy but bright copper. Good head/retention/lacing.

S: I'm getting mostly sweet caramel malt in the nose, some hops in there as well. Not a bad thing. Probably some of the hop profile has vanished since this is a few months old.

T: More hop flavor than the nose suggests. Fairly balanced. Good finish.

M: Good carbonation, medium-bodied. Booze well-hidden.

O: Had this at their brewery 2 years ago in Astoria. This brings back some memories. Tastes better fresh on tap (obviously). West coast has so many good IPAs, and this is certainly one of them.

Serving type: can

11-29-2012 03:15:23 | More by hoppytobehere

woemad

Washington

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16oz can purchased at Total Wine in Spokane for $2.99. No freshness date on the can.

Poured a hazy, burnt orange color, with a creamy-looking off-white head. Lots of lace.

Lots of hops in the nose. Grapefruit and pine notes.

More bitter in the taste than in the nose. Big, bitter hop blast upfront, with a bready malt backbone way in the background. A sweeter citrus flavor kicks in just before the dry swallow.

Medium bodied, with a dry yet oily mouthfeel.

Not a bad IPA at all, if you don’t mind a fairly bitter take on the style. Not too bad a price for a 16oz can, either. I’d definitely drink this again.

Serving type: can

11-26-2012 00:21:17 | More by woemad

KajII

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

[Suggested Glassware: Tulip Glass]

The pour was a murky medium burnt orange with an average (1-2 finger) off white frothy head that lasted a little while, reducing to a few small puddles with a medium collar and had fair spotty lacing.

The aroma was of a toasted grain malt, pine and citrus hops and an earthy yeast with notes of caramel and citrus (orange and grapefruit).

The taste was mildly sweet with a hint of caramel throughout and then had a hoppy grapefruit peel bitterness with a mild orange sweetness towards the end. The flavor lasted an average time after the swallow with a mildly harsh piney bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel was between light and medium in body and dry in texture with a nice lively carbonation.

Overall this was a bitter-sweet IPA with an awesome drinkability, which ultimately leaves you wanting more...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: can

09-13-2012 19:08:14 | More by KajII

maximum12

Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to pwnzilla for a lovely trade that arrived a couple days ago chock full of good beer &, even better, a bunch of hoppy extras. This is one. Never heard of the beer or the brewery...let the fun commence. Big 16 oz. can with a nice story on it. One point six bonus points.

The pour yields a billowing head that borders on the obnoxious, forcing me to wait patiently while it slowly falls away, like a calving glacier. Minus one point three points for making me wait for my beer. Orangish, clear, filtered. Aroma is light but scattered, with flicks of pine, citrus, spring flowers.

Vortex IPA should come with a questionnaire: any allergies? If pollen is on that list, avoid this beer. The smell paints a vivid picture of a high Colorado plateau in flower, huge floral aspect to it that's simultaneously delicate & drowning any other subtleties. Pine & citrus nip at the palate gently, & there might even be a touch of lavender? Bitterness is mild at first, but builds with each sip to a low growl after a few minutes; lovely effect. Sip, sip, sip. Sip.

This is why the West Coast has such a rep for IPAs. We have some great ones in the Midwest, but it seems like there are dozens of under-the-radar gems out west. This is another example: not only ridiculously tasty, but with a worthy twist. Downright excellent.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 02:45:21 | More by maximum12

harrymel

Washington

3.05/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Canned 26MAR12

Golden with a annoyingly persistent three fingers of dense foam. Grapefruit and alfalfa with sweet malts on the nose, nothing spectacular. Flavor is bitter and spicy with plenty of hops. The malts are slightly sweet and biscuity. Medium bodied with hi carb and an off dry finish. Pretty decent beer. Would probably enjoy more on tap and a little colder.

Serving type: can

06-09-2012 04:08:13 | More by harrymel

snaotheus

Washington

3.8/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pint can poured into a pint glass

Pours slightly cloudy orangeish yellow with a big pillowy light beige head. Smell is citrus sweet and flowery. Nice piney hops.

Taste is bitter hops, serious bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is dry and light. Overall, not bad at all.

Serving type: can

06-02-2012 23:43:29 | More by snaotheus

Treebs

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Matt (mfavoino) for sending this out in our recent blind box round of trading. Tall boy can served Great Divide cervoise.

A: Pours a semi-hazy amber color with light golden edges that hug the glass. A thick and fluffy two finger head of white foam forms on the pour and recedes very slowly leaving behind some sticky webbing.

S: There's a nice mix of citrus fruits, mainly oranges, and some light pine at the forefront. There is an odd bubblegum like sweetness that plays in the background. It might be a very sweet malt body, but I can't pin point it. Either way it gives the beer an odd, yet enjoyable turn in the nose.

T: The sweet malt body and that slight bubblegum flavor take a more front and center approach in the taste. It is a tad boozy which may also be lending a hand to the pink bubblegum flavor. The citrus and piney hop flavors pick back up in the finish with the piney hops taking a more bold approach.

M: Medium bodied with a nice carbonation level with sweet malt and bitter hop finish.

O: The booze and sweet malt flavors might have contributed to the pink bubblegum sweetness, but luckily it was generously hopped so that flavor didn't dominate. This was a solid local and I enjoy trying these new beers. Thanks Matt!

Serving type: can

05-28-2012 01:46:20 | More by Treebs

AwYeh

California

3.55/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at the Horse Brass Pub; reviewed from notes.

A: Pours a cloudy amber color with a thin, off-white head. Lots of lacing.

S: Really balanced smell going on here– I get the expected pine and citrus (orange peel, pineapple) hops, but along with a caramel malt aroma that's almost comparable in its strength. Bits of alcohol and herbal hops lend it a spicy complexity.

T: Taste follows almost directly from smell; pine and citrus hops dominate and are backed up by caramel malts. The alcohol is pretty noticeable in the flavor.

M: Thick and creamy, and well carbonated. This leads to a long finish, which does a lot of good for the beer's citrus flavors.

O: An above average IPA, would love to try it out of the can when I get a chance.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2012 08:25:03 | More by AwYeh

herman77

Minnesota

3.7/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Hazy, dark copper orange. Rocky off white head. Nice lacing. Really good looking beer.

S: Orange peels, carmel malt, a bit of grapefruit and a hint of pine.

T: Lots of citrus and pine resin. Bitter grapefruit, lemon and orange. There is some malt that is more on the front and middle palate, but then the hops dominate for sure. Has a spicy resin kick near the finish. A stinging bitter finish.

M: Medium body, lower carbonation. A bit slick and oily feeling.

O: A unique IPA for sure. Don't think I've had an IPA with that big of a hop kick just at the finish. Not the most drinkable for me, but glad I got it in an extra.

Serving type: can

05-03-2012 02:15:10 | More by herman77

Florida9

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Mildly hazy dark orange amber in color. Forms a moderate sized off white head. Good retention and lots of lacing.

S: The aroma is aggressively hoppy with lots of citrus, especially grapefruit, but with notes of orange as well. Alcohol and fusel spice.

T: Taste starts off with a mild bit of biscuity and toasty malts before turning slightly sweet with lots of fusel spice and pine. Grapefruit to a lesser extent. Alcohol on the finish.

M: Medium bodied with appropriate carbonation. Moderate, persistent bitterness on the finish. Lots of alcohol.

O: Overall this could be a very good beer, but the alcoholic presence in all aspects of this beer is a very distracting and tiresome flaw that is difficult to overlook.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 00:11:23 | More by Florida9

GilGarp

Colorado

4.35/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pint-sized can served cold into an imperial pint glass.

Vortex is a very hazy copper color with thick, long-lasting head. It settles slowly and leaves some nice lacing.

Aroma is nice and hoppy with a good northwestern hop profile.

Flavor is also big and bold but without being over powering. An "extra" IPA instead of an imperial IPA. Piney, grassy, and citrusy leaning towards the grapefruit variety. A simple malt base just manages to balance the bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and nicely carbonated.

Overall a really well-done northwestern IPA.

Serving type: can

04-23-2012 02:06:24 | More by GilGarp

SpdKilz

Illinois

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A big thanks to James (cavemanlawyer) for this great extra. Cheers!

Appearance – Pours into a tulip with a hazy orange color and two fingers of frothy off white head.

Smell – A healthy dose of hops, orange, pine, resin, and caramel malt.

Taste – An earthy sweetness up front mixed with nice orange peel citrus. Less hops than I was expecting though there is some nice pine flavor.

Mouthfeel – Medium bodied, decent carbonation, oily on the tongue.

Overall – A decent IPA and an interesting one to be honest. Would have again.

Serving type: can

04-22-2012 00:40:08 | More by SpdKilz

mfavoino

Washington

4.2/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Hazy orange-gold with a fluffy white head that retains for quite a while. Sticky lacing.

Smell: Light grapefruit, citrus aromas with a strong grain malt presence.

Taste: Big resiny pine hops mixed in the the citrus hops that were distinguishable in the nose make for a bold introduction. A bit of roasted malts settles the palate down, but leaves a lasting hop bitterness. Not lacking in the hop category.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with above average carbonation. Bit of alcohol warmth as it went down.

Overall: Another solid West Coast IPA choice that showcases a great mixture of hops. Give it a try.

Serving type: can

04-12-2012 02:40:55 | More by mfavoino

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Fort George Vortex IPA from a 16oz can to my brand new Moosehead Lager glass. Can't seem to decode the bottling date from the ink stamp ('1 07 27 A 1 B X').

Lovely reddish-amber brew with a mammoth two-fingered head that stays and sticks and laces wonderfully. Some haze. Looks gorgeous. I love dumping a pounder can of India Pale Ale into a glass and going to town on it. 4.0

Firm bitter nose on it. Don't have to try to hard to pick up woody, piney, resinous, and citrusy hops with an oily spike in it. Little caramel from the malt; a little bran muffin breadiness, too. Notes of grapefruit and orange. A fresh hop aroma that can only foreshadow a great brew. 4.5

Here come the floral hops! It's still a pine and sweet citrus show, but there are some lovely herbal and flowery flavors in the bouquet. Hidden still are nuances of berry skins, basil leaf, and even rosemary. The malts have a little more of those burnt sugars, but remains semi-dry. Remnants of hop oils and hop boil bitterness in the finish create some final stretch sweetness and mild astringency. 4.5

Milky body, smooth carbonation that flares up a bit at the end. Fresh and bitter, super smooth as it gets warmer and warmer. 3.5

Double IPAs are one thing. They range in flavors and strengths and sub-styles depending on the brewery, and somewhat depending on the region. But, IPAs, on the other hand? I'm starting to realize that I'm a West Coast guy like the majority of us. These small-time micros that start out in a friend's shopping basket out west and end up in my fridge out here in PA haven't failed to impress me. Fort George Vortex in a can, recommended. 4.5

Serving type: can

04-10-2012 01:16:24 | More by thecheapies

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.3/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured a beautiful orangish color with great carbobation leaving a nice white cap, lots of lacing thyat stuck around start to finish. Sexy beer.

S: Orange peel mainly with some grains and other light citrsu notes, perhaps a whiff of pine needles

T: Big and bitter upfront with orange peel, light grapefruit and a light pine resin. Delicous taste. The SImcoe really sets beer apart from the rest.

M: Lots of taste, some good bite, medium bodied, clean finish

O: While I had this draft at the brewery I foound it to be strikingly good and better this time even in the can. Amazing IPA!

Serving type: can

04-07-2012 19:21:59 | More by barleywinefiend

LiquidAmber

Washington

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Black Raven pint glass. Pours a slightly hazy orange amber. Healthy two finger white head with decent retention, leaving massive lacing. Aroma of herbal and citrus hops, pineapple, a hint of sweet malt. Intense, complex hops initially, almost too bitter, but the malt cavalry arrives just in time to make a quite interesting flavor progression. Interesting fruit flavors leaning towards the tropical side. The hop flavors are citrus, pine, somewhat earthy with a little bit of a catty element. The malt is fairly subdued, but this has a decent sweet malt backbone that modifies the intense hops in the finish. Medium bodied, carbonation gives a nice mouth feel. I think this was an interesting, different take on an IPA that almost skated too close to the edge, but won me over with a good balance and unusual flavor profile.

Serving type: can

04-05-2012 03:50:17 | More by LiquidAmber

beertunes

Washington

3.48/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into straight pint glass. Poured a hazy, almost cloudy, orange-amber color with an inch of light cream colored head that had excellent retention and very good lacing.

The aroma came right at ya with a blast of citrus hops. There were some pine and light floral notes in the background and no real malt scent. On the tongue, the flavors delivered the same goods. Tongue-razing grapefruit, some pine and just a touch of malt sweetness, though not enough to achieve true balance. There was a seriously lingering bitter grapefruit finish.

The body was good, fairly typical for the style. Drinkability was good, but I don't know if this is an IPA I'd drink several of in a row. Overall, a pretty nice beer. Maybe not one that lived up to it's hype, but that hype isn't the beers fault. A beer that's certainly worth trying when you see it.

Serving type: can

03-30-2012 19:41:23 | More by beertunes

dirtylou

Washington

3.88/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

16oz CAN, chucks 85th

appearance: cool cans - served in a great dane imperial pint. prototypical IPA body - bright orange amber, a slight haze, 1/3" creamy white foam and good retention

smell: interesting blend of hops - simcoe definitely present, and of course cascades. earthy and a touch herbal

taste: pretty abrasive - lush hop profile dominated by the simcoes, prettying stinging bitterness on the finish, rich sticky malt backbone, herbal, tea, toffee. Good stuff - a little rough around the edges. The hop profile plays with your mind as it starts fresh, floral and tropical and finishes with quite the bite

mouthfeel: rich, bitter, big bodied

overall: good stuff

Serving type: can

03-30-2012 03:31:27 | More by dirtylou

flagmantho

Washington

3.85/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 16oz can into a pint glass.

Appearance: nice hazy orange hue with two fingers of tenacious, pillowy ivory foam. A good looking IPA.

Smell: aroma is a nice blend of earthy hops and sweetish malt. It's a bit on the mild side, though.

Taste: rich malt flavor with a good blend of earthy and citrus hops. The citrus plays up toward the end, which I really like. Bitterness is pretty strong, although not ridiculously so. I like it.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a sufficient level of carbonation. Not exactly creamy, but a decent texture.

Overall: this is a tasty IPA which I would definitely drink again.

Serving type: can

03-16-2012 17:38:22 | More by flagmantho

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance. Pours a cloudy, rich amber with a finger of lightly yellow-amber tinted head.

Smell. Toasted light malts and some spicy, piney, citrusy hops with a little alcohol.

Taste. Huge pine sap, cedar, and citrus fruits. Plenty of toasted malts and a little alcohol. Lasting pine sap and citrus rinds on the tongue

Mouthfeel. Medium+ body with medium-low carbonation. A bit of alcohol warmth.

Overall. Lots of hops here. The alcohol was a little bit rough, but I was a big boy about it so it was cool.

Serving type: can

03-15-2012 02:50:09 | More by Rutager

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.53/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark, slightly hazy color, with a creamy beige finger of head. Aroma started with some bright pine out of the can, but moved to more citrus and floral notes with some backing nutty malts. Plenty of citrus on the taste, with some caramel malts and strangely a tinge of chocolate on the finish... not that it's bad. There's a thorough bitterness throughout Creamy, slick and slightly oily texture.

Overall, a nice, drinkable IPA.

Serving type: can

03-10-2012 02:23:42 | More by EgadBananas

bstave

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

16 oz can (canned 1/31/12) poured into Dogfish Head tulip pint glass.

A- Pours a cloudy orange with a one finger white head and nice sticky lacing.

S- Smell is nice. Pine and sweet malt.

T- Getting lots of pine bittering hops. Nice malt backbone to balance this one out.

M- Nice carbonation leads to a nice creamy mouthfeel.

O- Well done IPA here. Pretty big regular IPA. I would like to try this fresh on tap. Will have to head to the brewery soon.

Serving type: can

03-08-2012 04:57:36 | More by bstave

velosuds

Oregon

3.7/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a 16 oz. can. Paid $2.99 at LifeSource Natural Foods in Salem, Oregon.

A-Pours a hazy apricot orange with nearly a three finger, off-white head with good retention and decent lacing. Pleasant appearance.

S-Aroma is too faint. I expected much more from the Simcoe, Amarillo, and Centennial hops (according to the print on the can) - good choices all. Not sure how fresh this is or if the interesting malt bill (Munich and victory in addition to standard 2 row pale) subdued the influence of the hops. I have never seen these two hops used together in an IPA. What's there is more grassy and earthy than floral and citrus. There is a slight nutty aroma too, no doubt from the victory malt. Not what I want in an IPA.

T-Taste is dominated by bitterness (obvious at 97 IBUs), but it is not harsh no doubt due to the Munich and victory malts. Hops don't contribute much to the taste which is unfortunate.

M-Very smooth and well carbonated.

O-This is decent. I really wanted to like this better than I did. I bought tonight since I was seeking something new. I may not buy this again, but I would like to try it fresh on tap.

This beer is enigmatic for style for several reasons. At 7.7 ABV and 97 IBUs (if beeradvocate.com is accurate) it may be closer to a DIPA, but I would rate it lower on aroma and taste if in that class. The presence of victory malt, especially, and the absence of caramel/crystal malts is odd for style. Glad brewers are trying to innovate, but this fell short.

Serving type: can

01-07-2012 03:18:41 | More by velosuds