Hop 15 - Port Brewing Company / Pizza Port

Stoneman78

California

4.6/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Duvel tulip glass
A- Pours a clear amber/orange/honey hue, head is a few fingers' of white, craggy, frothiness that is mostly sustaining, good watery lacing sticks on the glass
S- Nose is dominated by big citrus and piney hops with a nice backbone of sugar sweetness and some floral spice, really impressive
T- Initial taste is tart and sour citrus (lemon/grapefruit) and pine hops that is complimented by some subtle sweet malts, some pepper and spice comes in midway with a bit of funkiness, finishes dry and bitter
M- Medium-bodied ale, oily texture that coats the tongue and sticks around for a while, nice level of carbonation
D- Surprisingly easy-to-drink DIPA, but that 10%abv will definitely sneak up on you, I know that this is a "hop bomb" but my West Coast palate is not overwhelmed by the hoppiness, rather this is much better balanced than other DIPAs owing in part to that honey/citrus sweetness that avoids cloyingness and takes you along for a tasty hop ride
Buy Again? Absolutely
Personal Score- 94/100

Serving type: growler

01-14-2008 05:53:49 | More by Stoneman78

rallison

California

4.5/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This has become a favorite DIPA of mine. Have had a couple growlers of this, along with some pints at various places.

This beer pours a wonderful copper color with a perfect 1 1/2 finger head that doesn't leave for a while. Smell is of intense citrus hops backed up by a bit of sweetness.

Taste follows suit nicely. Lots of grapefruit here - just tons and tons of citric hops. Hop juice indeed. Sticky, resiny hops. This is all backed up by 10%, semi-sweet caramel malt. However, all this malt still can't overtake the hops, and this stays a hop head's DIPA. Hops are also quite bitter, which is very enjoyable here.

Mouthfeel is nice and thick and resiny.

For what it is, the drinkability is great. I mean, if you don't like the style, you'd take one sip and be done. But, for those who love bitter, hoppy DIPAs, you'll have no problem with this one.

Highly recommended. Glad to hear they'll be bottling this soon.

Serving type: growler

06-03-2007 23:26:53 | More by rallison

alohaC

California

4.7/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

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.

Serving type: growler

04-02-2007 08:36:29 | More by alohaC

Phatz

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Much thanks to Akorsak for sharing this growler with me. You are a very generous host; even after the kids poured out all that good beer on your stuff. At least this one ended up in our bellies that is a start.

WOW. This is an intense beer. It borders on too bitter. It doesn't cross the line but it's on the edge. I am talking 'Hop Wallop' kind of bitter.

Appearance: Pours a light amber color with a big white head.

Smell: Holy resinous hops Batman! wow. It is intense, pungent pine hops and resinous hop oils leaping out of the glass through the nose and down your through. Yes this is an aroma you can taste.

Taste: Like the nose this beer is intensely bitter. It is almost overwhelmingly bitter to consider drinkable... but, we open this growler at the same time we started eating. It is perfect because next to our pulled pork sandwiched this hop bomb was a real tasty beer and did not become too much to handle. There is a gentle caramel malt presence if you look for it but don't waste your time. this beer is built for hop-heads. Enjoy.

Mouthfeel: It has a medium body with sticky oiliness and bitterness that clings to ever millimeter of your mouth creating quite a large presence.

Drinkability: If you are a hop head, if you like bitter, if you want 64 onces of 10% ABV, tackle a growler of this by yourself if you dare. I was happy to have two glasses and very appreciative for the opportunity Adam. Thanks.

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!

Serving type: growler

03-27-2007 07:22:04 | More by Phatz

hoppymeal

Michigan

4.13/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours coppery orange in color with a small off white head that quickly reduces to a ring. Aroma is fresh; pure fresh hoppiness. Very herbaceous, slight hints of pine, grass and mint blend in an extremely fresh squeezed hop aroma. In the background is also a slightly fruity, softly sweet cotton candy aroma. Taste is big on the piney aspect, blending well with a nice pepperiness. Large hop bite blends into a spicy and warming alcohol warmth and bite that all cuts through a large malty and sugary body. Some sweet fruitiness in the aftertaste blends well with the spicy hoppiness and alcohol, a fresh hop taste lingers afterwards much like you just chewed on a plant. Very drinkable, a big beer and not very shy about it, this was a nice hoppy treat, love the fresh hop qualities. Thanks Marvz.

Serving type: growler

03-24-2007 18:58:16 | More by hoppymeal

Westsidethreat

California

4.53/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Clean copper with very slow streams of bubbles. Low carbonation overall, just a few wisps of off white bubbles lurk on the surface.

S: Super juicy hop resion. Mostly of the pine nature with strong floral characteristics and rich phenolic amber malts.

T: These are so harmonious its hard to pick out one individual flavor. Starts out really hop sappy with pungent green grapefruit. One can find clover, honeysuckle then marmalade before citrusy blood orange moves in. Finishes with power pine with a strong yet distinct bitterness.

M: Medium body. Crisp yet full mouthfeel.

D: Theme of this beer is pine sap coated with sugar. Huge and delicious DIPA. Winner.

Serving type: growler

02-20-2007 02:38:26 | More by Westsidethreat

BlindPig

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Thin tan head, with thin lacing, basically none. Cloudy amber color.
S- Nice malt back bone with citrus hops up front. Orange and grapefruit are there.
T-Citrus hops with nice big bitterness. Alcohol flavors explore the tongue also. Has a big malt backbone but lets the hops take the show. Alcohol presence is big with warming to it also. Nice big bitterness in aftertaste. Alcohol doesn't like to hide itself either. Grapefruit flavors are also very big.
M-Medium to full body, low carbonation, sticky, chewy.
D-Good strong brew. I think it would be excellent if they just hid the alcohol a little more. Also wish it had a dryer finish so it is easier to drink 2L of this stuff. Other than that very good beer!

Serving type: growler
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

10-09-2006 21:54:13 | More by BlindPig

Davepoolesque

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Burned orange color, a little hazy.
S: Sweet, Toffee, Citrus, some tropical fruit and pine resin.
T: Big topical fruit and pine. When I was drinking it, I was just thinking how juicy this is. Pretty big malt backbone on this.
M: Thick, coats the mouth, slightly syrupy.
O: This was a really decent DIPA. Reminded me of 90 Minute, but slightly better tasting. The hops made my tongue tickle.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

05-21-2013 16:26:17 | More by Davepoolesque

GuinnessAtRogerWilco

New Jersey

4.04/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber poured into an Ommegang Game Of Thrones chalice.

AP: dark gold colour with a 1" thick sea foam fluffy white head that only dissipated down to 1/2". There's sediment floating which I wasn't expecting. Check the bottle for any dates and it says it was bottled on 3-6-13. Unfiltered Wheat beers, yes, I expect sediment. Imperial IPAs, not so much. Curious.
AR: No funkiness on the smell. I get hay/grass, tropical hop fruits of orange and pineapple with grapefruit and pine underneath.
T: Follows the nose with the addition of a bit of biscuit/cracker and caramel, emphasis on 'a bit'. As with the nose the tropical hops come into play first with the usual West Coast grapefruit and pine following them up.
M: Very juicy and moist and it lingers on the palate. I get a bit of dryness for an instant, but the juicy wet and slightly sticky fruity hops are coating my mouth. Very nice. Not that acidic or bitter with most of the crispness coming from the carbonation.
OV: The flavours are tasty and the juicy lush mouthfeel was very welcomed. I am wishing this had a strong malt base to it, though, and I am still curious why there's so much sediment in it. I see another reviewer below also commented on this.

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

05-13-2013 04:32:36 | More by GuinnessAtRogerWilco

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

a hazy brew that starts hazy way too fast. retention and lacing are awesome. super hoppy. aroma is mostly piney and a bit of citrus. inviting. body is a bit bitter but balanced by the sweet malt flavor. hoppy. finish has a bit of alcohol in it. mellow carb on a full body. this tastes slightly oxidized to me which sucks considering that this is 2 months old and is conditioned. drink fresh or pass.

22oz bottle into nonic pint. bottled march something 2013.

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

05-13-2013 03:30:59 | More by Jimmys

jmarsh123

Indiana

2.39/5  rDev -42.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Pours gold/orange with a massive white chunky head. Super carbonated as even a gentle pour resulted in 2/3 glass of foam. Solid lacing down the glass.

Lots of citrus on the nose. Almost candy like with a good dose of malt as well.

Lots of good citrus hoppiness up front. Malts come out in a big way eventually overpowering the hops. Sticky and resiny. Finishes very piney and malty with extreme booziness.

Thick creamy mouthfeel. Booze is way too prevelent and detracts from the flavor profile.

Was not a fan of this one at all. Always wary of higher ABV pales and this one was too extreme. Astrigent solvent like finish sapped anything good that came from the initial citrus burst. Will gladly seek out Mongo or Wipeout over this any day.

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

05-03-2013 16:28:08 | More by jmarsh123

Lledd

Massachusetts

4.46/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bomber servied into pint glass:

A 2+ finger head. Lots of suspended yeast, big bits too. Really an inordinate amount of sediment. Medium orange golden color typical to an IPA. Head fades quickly. <2.0>

S: Citrus, orange, hop resin. It smells absolutely delicious. Even a little lemon. This is what I want an IPA to smell like. It has a strong aroma too, its deep, yet refreshing. I hope the flavor follows! <4.5>

T: Delicious. The taste follows the aroma right along, with a touch of grassy-ness. 10% abv? I don't believe it. What a great teasting IPA. It has the hoppiness I look for, and a depth in flavor found in the citrus. The aftertaste is reminiscent of an orange slice. Super refreshing. Even my burps taste great. <4.75>

M: Thick body, fine and soft carbonation, creaminess from residual head. A little wetter than most IPAs this resiny and hoppy. It doesn't leave your lips smacking. Once again, just dtraight up refreshing. <4.25>

O: Great beer. It has the resinous, hoppy, and citrus flavors I love in IPA's. It smells fantastic. It has a unique and thirst quenching texture. I'm going to pick up one or two of these before the season is over. Definitely try this. <4.5>

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

04-27-2013 01:10:53 | More by Lledd

sjones5045

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Pour kind of funky. Tons of head, had to wait some time for it to settled down. What is kind of strange is the amount of large sediment floating around which Is definitely unusual for an IPA. At first I thought I had a bad bottle but the date was fresh and the smell was decent. The taste is extremely smooth and decently hopped up. The smell was very piney but the taste didn't bring out as much of the pine hop aftertaste which for me I enjoyed. The only knock besides the amount of sediment and the crazy amount of head is that the hoppy taste is not as grand as some of the top Double IPA's out there. Overall, very good beer that I definitely would buy again. Just shy of being elite but very good beer all the same.

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

04-26-2013 22:00:20 | More by sjones5045

Brewsephus

Massachusetts

4.69/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a 22oz. bottle into a shaker pint. Bottled on date: 3/6/13

A-Hazy yellow, bordering on orange. Massive 4 finger pure white head. Head lasts forever and leaves huge lacing on glass.

S-Massive amounts of ripe fruit, honeydew melon, lemon zest.

T- Sweet fruit flavors, Pineapple, Grapefruit, Melon. 10% abv is present, and really comes through on the finish, although never out of balance or hot. Has enough malt to balance our the hops, I get a little biscuit in the background.

M-Resinous, with a good amount of carbonation.

O- This beer is a home run for hop-heads. Buy it when you can find it fresh. It will not disappoint.

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

04-22-2013 01:45:43 | More by Brewsephus

evanforbeer

California

4.28/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a bomber into a tulip glass. Bottle date 3/14/13.
Pours rich orange with big fluffy white head. Great head retention and lacing of the glass

smell- I love the nose on this. Some toasty caramel malts, tropical fruit, orange, citrus, fresh pine

taste- taste follows with lots of orange/ sweet tangelo and sweet bready/toasty malt, some grass and piney hops. some nice lush tropical fruit/mango, finishes with slightly sweet maltiness, some booze, pine/resinous hops and a lemony tinge linger on the palate

feel- big, sweet and resiny, boozy

A fantastic beer. I love the breadth of hop flavors that come out in most Port beers, and this certainly highlights that. Well balanced with big, good maltiness, but still a unabashed hop bomb. Warming up for a bottle of Older Viscosity...

cheers

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

04-18-2013 00:47:04 | More by evanforbeer

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

650 mL bottle poured into a pint glass.

Appearance - I poured this like it was my first time drinking a beer. Giant head four times larger than the quantity of beer of managed to get in the glass. Hop chunks floating in q cloudy orange body. Sticky lacing.

Smell - Citrus hop. Very orangey. Slight creaminess. Sweet malt quite pronounced.

Taste - Bright hoppiness. Orange hop again. Touch of pale malt sweetness and then the creaminess takes over. Pretty intense. Detracts from the hop profile.

Mouthfeel - Heavy and creamy. Medium bitterness. No alcohol.

Overall - Something is off about this. Doesn't detract that much. Still tasty, just overly creamy.

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

04-14-2013 23:50:31 | More by Alieniloquium

brotherloco

California

4.08/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Re-review. Bottled 3/6/13. Served in a tulip.

Much happier with this beer than my previous experience. Fresh hops make all the difference.

Tropical and citrus fruit in the aroma, along with some herbal notes. Sweet malt sits behind that.

Flavor is still a little sweet, but floral hop flavors dominate and add significant bitterness. Kind of a saline finish.

Great carbonation and a full mouthfeel.

---

Bomber. Bottled 6/24/10. Wish I had a fresher bottle of this, as I was a bit disappointed with it. Bottle had a lot of floaties in it.

A real sweet caramel malt bomb, which is not what I'm looking for in a DIPA. It's not a bad tasting beer, but it's not the flavor I'm expecting. Like I said, I need a fresher version of it to judge for sure.

Nose is buttery sweet caramel. Taste has a significant bitterness, but the sweetness is strong throughout, and sticks to the tongue. The alcohol emerges pretty quick too. DIPA's don't need to be 10%, I wish this one was less.

I suppose if this was an Imperial Red, it would make more sense, but the heat from the alcohol is still too strong to make it very drinkable.

I feel I'm way off from the average reviews here, so I hope to get a fresher version in the future to review, and I can update my notes.

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

04-14-2013 04:05:23 | More by brotherloco

Justin_Neff

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle dated 3/6/13.

A: Pours a neon orange, cloudy, body. Huge, dense, beige colored head that sticks perfectly thick to the glass. Head settles into a small, fizzy ring on the brew. Tons of sediment floaters hanging around near the bottom of the glass.

S: Malt sweetness. Lemon, Grapefruit rind bitterness, juicy oranges. Very hop forward.

T: Boozy. Lots of hop bitterness. Tons of citrus bomb taste - lemon is most predominant. Some malt character.

M: oily. Boozy. Medium-Full body. Moderate Carbonation. Sticky.

O: A very nice, west coast IPA. Appreciate that I received this one from a good buddy in Seattle. Some malt sweetness, but definitely hop forward. A true citrus bomb.

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

04-13-2013 21:01:26 | More by Justin_Neff

JordanPhraczek

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A - Served in a Dogfish Head glass on tap at the Gulu in Salem, MA. yellow-copper color lightened by the alcohol. Fluffy white lingering head, very appetizing.

S - Strong pleasant piercing hop odor. Everything you want in a west coast IPA and an alcoholic then some. Makes you want to dive in.

T - Strong hop taste right away, quite sour and high alcohol. Huge bitterness but the smell of the hops cuts right through it.

M - The head was nice and thick for an imperial IPA, but the body of the beer was a bit light. Nice carbonation.

O - Awesome imperial west coast IPA, extremely satisfying piercing bitterness through the nostrils

Serving type: on-tap
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

04-12-2013 02:15:21 | More by JordanPhraczek

57md

Pennsylvania

4.29/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance is a dark golden with a think layer of head. The hoppiness in the nose is enjoyable, but not overwhelming. There is an underlying malt flavor to go along with the strong hop profile. Of course, the finish was nice and bitter, just like a DIPA should taste.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

04-04-2013 03:20:04 | More by 57md

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

4.5/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice, translucent orange/gold. An inch and a half of head leaves some pretty nice lace behind.

Grapefruit, pale malts, caramel and cumquat dominate the smell. Fresh mown lawn shows up near the end. Impressive hop stench.

Caramel is quickly overtaken by lawn clippings and serious citrus hops. Pale malts, pine resin and slight booze and mineral notes finish it. Lemon rind lasts on the tongue for quite a bit. Hop 15 has a nice moderate body, not too thick. The carbonation and booze burn are near perfect.

One of the best DIPA's I've had the pleasure of enjoying. This and their Mongo are two amazing examples of a true "West Coast IPA"!

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

04-03-2013 03:31:14 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

McStagger

California

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

Shout out to my local Whole Foods for supplying this. Purchased on their recommendation.

A: Hazy orange copper with two finger of momentous head. Minimal carbonation, but with large bubbles. Retention is good. Lacing is stellar. Lot of sediment floating around.

S: Just a beat down of scents. Huge aromas of pineapple and mango, subdued with a certain dank skunkiness. The sweetness of the pineapple is further accentuated by the alcohol. Bit of pine in there as well.

T: One sip, and it's all done. Absolutely amazing. The flavor transitions from tropical fruit to spruce to resin quickly. The alcohol sweetness is very well integrated into the tropical fruit aspects, which brings out the best in both. Bit of alcohol heat in the finish, but this melds with the tropical (mainly pineapple) aspects beautifully.

M: For being a huge ABV beer, the body is surprisingly light. Full bodied, but definitely lacking the syrupy aspect of many double or triple IPA's, especially considering the 10.00 abv.

O: Very nicely done, as far as DIPA's are concerned.

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

03-30-2013 08:24:56 | More by McStagger

ElSid

California

4.24/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

The Beers of California

#77

Bottled Date: 3/16/13

A: A beautiful, deep golden haze topped off with a bone white head of small bubbles which retreats to the glass.

S: Big and fresh with equal parts tropical, citrus, and earthy sweetness. There is also a faint alcohol tinge in the nose.

T: There is a a great breadth of hops flavors; hints of mango and tropical fruit open to a bouquet of orange rind, pine needles, spring flowers, and freshly mowed grass. The overshadowed maltiness is brown sugar and bread. The finish is spicy bitter with solid alcohol warmth which dies a puckering ending.

M: Medium feel with that classic hop oil linger with supernatural palate coating abilities.
The moderate carbonation supports the palate.

O: I was stoked to see this brew on shelves, which escalated after seeing the recent bottled on date. Strong hop flavors nearly strangle the palate to unrecoverable as 15 hop varieties have there way with your taste buds. A wonderful Imperial IPA most enjoyed by the hop heads out there.

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

03-30-2013 02:50:57 | More by ElSid

jibbyvonjibb

California

4/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bottled 3/6/2013

A: Mandarin color. Slightly hazy. Fluffy billowy head.
S: Sweet fruit, like mango and apricot. Critus fruits as well: tangerine and orange. Not much pine. Alcohol is noticeable.
T: Fairly dry. The finish has a bitter alcohol sensation, which I wish was hidden better (Mongo is more balanced in this way).
M: Medium body, but on the light side considering the alcohol. Still, doesn’t feel thin.
O: Rather a good DIPA that captures many of the exotic fruity qualities I look for in hoppy beers. Maybe Port’s regular offering, Mongo, is more balanced, but I can’t be 100% sure. I'm not convinced that more alcohol offers anything...maybe 8% is the golden point and anything beyond is excessive.

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

03-28-2013 00:23:06 | More by jibbyvonjibb

mactrail

California

3.74/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Very sudsy with a tall foam in the Stella Artois glass. Medium amber color with tiny floaters and a roil of sediment in the bottle. Big, rich malt with loads of hop flavors. Rather sweet with that resiny tang. Hot with alcohol and quite spicy. Aromas of mango.

Really fruity with pineapple, kumquats, cider, apricot nectar, and orange marmelade. Gets quite bitter in the aftertaste, but quite drinkable for most of the trip. The head is still piled up even as the beer gets near the bottom of the glass. A must-have for the hop enthusiast. Bought this at Hansen's Market in San Clemente in the 22 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle
@ Pizza Port Carlsbad, 571 Carlsbad Village Dr., Carlsbad

03-27-2013 05:56:52 | More by mactrail