Hop 15 - Port Brewing Company / Pizza Port

jsanford

Georgia

3.55/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy orange-copper with a slight white head that fades to a sudsy ring and wispy haze. Big, pungent aromas of orange peel, grapefruit, pineapple, pine resin, and a solid caramel backbone. Taste is similarly resinous and pungent, with tons of grapefruit, pineapple, orange, tree sap, and caramel. The 10% ABV is certainly apparent, this is just a big monster of a West Coast DIPA. Nicely done, but nothing I haven't had before. Mouthfeel is big and syrupy, with a medium-full body and pretty low carbonation. I could use a bit more bubbles here, it's coming across too syrupy and not nearly as drinkable as I'm wanting. Still, I suppose it delivers on what it promises : a hop bomb. Overall a fairly tasty DIPA, but I'll take the slightly-more-drinkable (and year-round available) Mongo any day.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 03:32:59 | More by jsanford

Philousa

California

3.1/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Looks like a pale. Very clear with less head than expected. What foam there is clings to the glass tight. Clarity is gone at the end due to the trub of hops (read: chewy). Huge cascade hop aroma dominates the nose. Citrus, grapefruit, dank hops. Some alcohol bite is in there too. Malt is so far behind the hops, I can't even detect it. Citrus, grapefruit, some pale malt start out the taste. Much more pungent than expected. Then comes the bitterness. Woah. Great hop taste - some grassy flavors mainly with a little wood. Super bitter, long lasting. This is a thick beer, I can tell, but the ABV cuts it enough to make it palatable. Feels thick in the mouth but not in the stomach, if that makes sense. Very dry.

While this is an interesting beer, and it has a lot going on especially for an IPA, overall I just didn't like this one. The mouthfeel really got to me and I felt that there just wasn't enough going on in the malt. Either that or it didn't mix well with the hops. I'd have it again on tap just to try it without the hop floaties, but I wouldn't buy a bottle voluntarily.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 03:36:20 | More by Philousa

chrisms86

Washington

2.45/5  rDev -41.4%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Poured straight into the glass producing no head, but a bit of froth around the edges. Smells of apricots. Mouthfeel is thin, watery, and flat. Tastes sweet and the apricots come back again, not too boozy and an aromatic hop on top. Not spicy at all for a double IPA.

Logging in, I was really surprised to see the positive reviews here. I wonder if my bottle wasn't bottled properly.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 22:39:11 | More by chrisms86

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Aroma is SERIOUSLY hoppy - hops and evergreen scent scamper up your nose even before you can take a good whiff. Just like smelling fresh-cut pine wood, except for the firm undertone of sour orange. Pours a lovely clear amber with a fairly thick off-white head that leaves some good lacing. Overwhelmingly evergreen flavor makes this beer taste like a liquid pine tree. Bitterness is strong but not vicious. There is also an undertone of citrus and a whisper of honey sweetness. Firm-bodied texture is quite fizzy and lively, leaving a persistent and very hoppy tingle. This beer is a must for all "hop heads."

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 18:53:25 | More by Cyberkedi

raffy313

Texas

3.95/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22 oz.[Bottled: 3/26/12... FRESH!], generously offered up(IP trade) by crusian, thanks again, Seth! Poured into a Duvel tulip.

A hazy golden/orange color, with very little off white head that fizzles down to nothing quickly, and leaves behind no lacing.

Aromas are a sweet, fruity, somewhat orange-like smells, with a relatively strong malty backbone. There are some definate piney hop notes, but are secondary to the fruitiness. I'm also getting abit of an alcohol bite on the nose. I'm digging the aromas quite abit, actually.

Flavors are very similar to the nose with a bit more of a piney/resiny kick in the taste. A little less balanced than the nose, as the malty flavors are more secondary... but still, overall, holds it's own.

Mediun body with a below average amount of carbonation, which sadly takes away from the overall feel of this beer. Very bitter, very dry.

Overall, this was a nice DIPA that I feel could've been considered great minus some minor details. Definately worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 03:03:30 | More by raffy313

gockets

California

2.08/5  rDev -50.2%
look: 1.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Another failure-to-carbonate from Port/The Flat Abbey. Such a shame. I usually love this beer, but this was just another uncarbonated disappointment from this brewery. I did my best to enjoy it anyway, but between the utter lack of carbonation, and the mouthfeel of the huge chunks of yeast and protein, I couldn't even make it through half a pint. At least it smelled nice going down the drain.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 01:20:09 | More by gockets

nrs207

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a hazy golden yellow. On the pale side, with about a finger of white head. Leaves a pretty nice lacing. Lots of yeast sediment in there as well.

S - Just an assault of fruity goodness. That's all I'm getting, various types of citrus and tropical fruitiness. For 10% abv, no alcohol either, which I was pleasantly surprised about.

T - Really the same as the nose, just a fruity blast of sweet hops. It's a fairly sweet DIPA with light bitterness. There is some bitterness there, but the hops are definitely more flavorful than bitter. This bottle is less than a month old, so it's pretty fresh.

M - Gave a 4.5 because I really didn't get any alcohol. I was expecting to get an alcohol kick like I did with Hopslam, but it was very well integrated. Nice and smooth, nice carbonation. On the light side of medium bodied.

O - I'd definitely buy this again, even at $7.50 a bomber out here in PA. It's quite a tropical fruit blast, and I do love that in IPAs. I'm not sure what it was, but I didn't find it amazing, just very good. The hop profile is very nice, but a little more bitterness might be nice to balance the sweet flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 18:49:50 | More by nrs207

inlimbo77

Delaware

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

22oz bomber bottle. Bottle date: 3/26/12. Drank on 4/20/12. Poured this into a New Belgium globe.

A: Light yellowy orange color. Very low carbonation as people have mentioned (have to mark it down a bit due to this). I got about a quarter finger of head. It was bright white. Definitely some alcohol feet.

S: Lots of citrusy hops on the nose. Lemon. Tangerine. Orange. Also some piney notes. Smells a little boozy.

T: Hop assault for sure. From the tip of the tongue to the back of the palate. Little bitterness daggers. Really no malt to balance, total hop bomb. Very dry finish. As it warms, you certainly start to feel (and taste) that booze at 10% ABV. This one might benefit from a little more malt presence, even if it was staying on the hop side more.

M: Medium bodied and chewy sticky hop goodness.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 15:07:57 | More by inlimbo77

IronLover

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Weathered copper orange in color and murky. Poured with a thin white foam that dissipated quickly leaving no cap but soapy thick lacings. Pungent tropical and citrus hop aromas with an underlying sweetness. Syrupy smooth feel with very low carbonation. Flavors are similar to aromas with pungent, bitter, tropical flavors from start to end. Bitter pine hop flavors along with alcoholic heat at the finish. This was good but I much prefer Mongo or Wipeout to 15.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 18:47:51 | More by IronLover

Drinkerofales

California

4.15/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

An extremely cloudy orange gold liquid fills the glass. A medium sized light ecru head caps the beer to leave plenty of lacing. Tons of chunky sediment are suspended throughout the beer however, ruining the awesome color.

Smells starts out with warms sweet malts. A hint of grapefruit is there, but it's hidden by the malts.

Taste saves it however, as citrus comes to the front and stays for the beer. Oranges, grapefruit, fleshy and juicy. A flash of the malt sweetness hits in the middle and is gone, to be followed by a pithy finish.

Feels viscous and thick. The medium bodied brew is smooth, with some punch.

I was disappointed by the smell, but happy with the beer. Booze are well hidden for the 10%, and the wife and I enjoyed this beer very much.

I have to mention this, but every hoppy beer I buy from Port has this ugly chunky sediment, I thought maybe they were old, but this beer just hit the shelves. I must say, it ruins the look for these beers, and taints my whole review.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 06:26:34 | More by Drinkerofales

Giovacchini

California

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

A- pours a hazy amber with very little head. Some visible sediment.

S- pine, citrus, mango, alcohol, and floral hops.

T- pine, bitter bitter hops, alcohol, citrus, grass, and mango.

M- lingering bitterness and alcohol heat going down. Carbonation is subtle and there is an oily smooth mouthfeel.

O- This is a nice DIPA. I thought it would have a better nose though. I plan on re-reviewing this with a fresher bottled on date.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 22:49:01 | More by Giovacchini

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber, bottled on 3/26/2012, poured into a snifter.

A- Pours a deep, hazy orange color topped with a very thin layer of white head that quickly recedes to almost nothing.

S- Loads of hops, very fruity and resinous, sweet malt and some booze.

T- Massive hops again, leaning more heavily towards zesty and acidic citrus than tropical fruit, very resinous, sweet malts and sweet, warm booze.

M- Medium to full bodied, smooth feel with a very dry finish, just the right amount of alcohol warmth.

O- A very nice DIPA with big flavors, definitely worth trying. That being said, I wasn't blown away by it and had trouble finishing an entire bomber on my own.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 09:12:31 | More by WillCarrera

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.28/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into an Allagash cervoise glass. Bottled 26 March 2012.

A: Late-forming head tops the cloudy, still orange-amber beer.

S: Bright citrus and spicy hops. Pleasant, piquant, but not compelling.

T/O: Excellently balanced. Rich, sweet fruits and a heavy malt base belie the bitter finish and strong hop presence. A consummate DIPA, sure to please the most discerning drinker. The aftertaste is lingering, but not oppressively hoppy. Relaxed and enjoyable. Great drinking beer.

M: The lack of carbonation may be a flaw or may be intentionally designed to enhance the smoothness and complement the fruit.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 04:50:03 | More by AgentMunky

ngeunit1

California

4.65/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a cloudy golden-orange color with a finger of frothy white head. The head fades down fairly quickly leaving behind some light lace.

S- Aroma is full of citrus hops with lots of orange, some light grapefruit, pine, earthy spiciness, and some sweet caramel malt.

T - Starts off with some strong citrus hops with lots of orange flavor and some growing bitterness. There is a bit of sweet caramel malt as well. Through the middle, tropical fruit hops and earthy and piney hops come through with some stronger bitterness and some more malt flavor. The finish is a mix of bitterness, pine and citrus hops with a touch of spice, some sweet malt, and a bit of booze.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a sweet, bitter, warming, and dry finish.

D - Very drinkable. Really big hop flavor from start to end with some great bitterness alongside. The body and malt of the beer keep up though and the end result is well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 04:35:01 | More by ngeunit1

flagmantho

Washington

3.68/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 22oz bomber into a pint glass. Bottled-on date of 3/26/12, so it's still pretty fresh.

Appearance: hazy orange hue with plenty of floaties. Head is a super thin layer of tan foam; nearly nonexistent.

Smell: nice hop aroma which is earthy, resiny and citrusy toward the end. There's a bit of a malt backbone evident here as well. Relatively low in intensity, overall.

Taste: very good citrusy and earthy hop flavor. This plays of the sweetness of the malt very well, and there's a distinct alcohol burn which is nice. Bitterness is moderate for the style.

Mouthfeel: medium body which, due to a total lack of carbonation, seems pretty watery. You can tell that with just a little carbonation this thing would be pretty good -- it has real body -- but it's basically flat.

Overall: when I cracked this open, there was barely a hiss. That turned out to be the harbinger of a fatal flatness in this beer. It tastes great, though, and doesn't seem to be otherwise mishandled. Perhaps we're looking at a QC issue here?

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 23:04:45 | More by flagmantho

Dope

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle dated 3/22/12, around 3 weeks old. Nice.

A: A very cloudy orange pour. Pretty small white head, no matter how aggressive pour I gave it. Lacing is quite thick at least.

S: Pretty subtle given it's a 10% DIPA. Lots of orange up front. Sweet bready malt. Hints of pine and tropical fruit.

T: Big and bold bready sweetness throughout. Big citrus hop bite up front - again mainly orange. Some grapefruit and some tropical fruit. Finishes quite resiny.

M: Big and sweet with some astringency from the overload of hops. Very drying on the back end.

O: Huge IPA for sure. Nice that it's able to keep its hop character, most really big IPAs become more like american style barleywines (see, 120min). This a well balanced, huge DIPA. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 05:45:19 | More by Dope

MasterSki

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle of this when I saw the March, 26th, 2012 bottling date. I don't remember ever having this beer under ideal conditions so I figured I'd give it a whirl. Served in my Darkness glass.

A - A finger of late-rising white foam settles to a wisp, partial cap, thick collar, and splotchy lacework. Body is a hazy apricot purée color with some slow-moving bubbles visible.

S - Plenty hoppy alright, with a mixture of pine, candied citrus, and a hint of tropical fruits. There's a doughy malt character that is fairly present and consistent with the higher ABV. Somewhat understated considering the alcohol content and freshness, but otherwise quite nice.

T - Taste is quite heavy with zesty orange citrus peel and bitter piney hops. There's a good deal of sugary malts to balance things out, although this doesn't dwell into East Coast territory. A touch of alcohol is present in the finish, and the bitterness lingers for quite a while.

M - Medium-full body, with pleasant carbonation at the lower end of medium. Super dry in the finish, with tons of residual hop oils and resins. Some warming alcohol, but less than you'd expect for 10%.

D - A nice old-school West Coast DIPA. I'm not generally fan of double-digit ABVs on hoppy beers but this is still quite hop-forward and enjoyable. I imagine it was quite innovative and unique back in 2003, but it's been surpassed by superior offerings, including others by Port Brewing (not to mention the various Pizza Ports). I can see why Tomme has a soft spot for this beer. A tulip is nice, but drinking a whole bomber by myself is going to be an afternoon-long challenge.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 21:45:33 | More by MasterSki

PatrickSwayze

California

4.15/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Foggy/hazy orange after first pour. Begins to become more cloudy as you near the bottom.

S: A very beautiful bouquet of palm citrus hops that ate more on the gentle side then overly powerful/sharp

T: Damn i always love this beer every time i drink it. Massive well balance hop dominate IPA that kicks ass and has a great biscuit malt backbone to tie in all the flavors nicely.

M: Semi dry, with a slightly sweet body to help  create a harmonious mouthfeel with the hops

O: Yum is the word that comes to mind when drinking this strong yet smooth treat for the tastebuds 

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 04:02:25 | More by PatrickSwayze

mfavoino

Washington

3.7/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Light orange with a haze and sediment floating around. Small head shrunk to the top of the body and lined the glass.

Smell: Citrus hops burst out of the glass, dominating the nose. Let it sit for a while and picked up the caramel malts and a touch of sweetness.

Taste: Caught me by surprise with the heavy dose of piney hops, as I expected mostly citrus. Sweetness and caramel is there too. Hops are not quite as prominent in the finish which was only mildly bitter.

Mouthfeel: A touch on the heavy side with a clear alcohol presence.

Overall: Big DIPA that doesn't have the flavor or drinkability of top notch DIPAs.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 03:23:26 | More by mfavoino

ChugginOil

Illinois

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

Bottle 3-26-2012

Pours a sediment filled golden orange with a tiny amount of off-white head that dissipates to a small rin, leaving tiny spots of lace.

The nose presents a strong amount of alcohol from the high abv and makes way to some juicy pineapple and citrus notes. light sweet malt lingers behind a surprisingly hoppy brew.

The taste also has that boozy blast up front but then fades into a sweet and tasty hop fest. The pineapple is a bit subtle and has some sweet caramel malt behind it. Light citrus brings a powerful bittering note.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and quite oily. Ample carbonation keeps the bitter burn going.

Overall, this was surprisingly pretty damn tasty. A rather big DIPA indeed.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 05:55:35 | More by ChugginOil

FosterJM

California

4.03/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

1209th Review on BA
Bottle to Tulip
22oz

Bottled 3/26/12

App- A bit of a hazy murky light orange on the outside with some dark orange in the center. Has highlights of yellow and golds. A small 1/2 finger head formed and left touches of cling on it.

Smell- A bit sweet as this opened with a healthy dose of caramel, malts and a burning alcohol on the nose. A huge note of pine and booze comes on a large sniff.

Taste- This is one of those that the more I drink it the more I like it because of the large ABV but not the profile itself. Too much pine and hops without a citrus backbone. Its a very good beer but not the profile I lean towards. The sweetness of the malts comes out and leans heavily on some caramel notes and then only a touch of over ripe orange comes out.

Mouth- A fuller medium body with a medium carbontion. Has residual hoppy bitter with some thick malty sweetness.

Drink- Overall a pretty damn tasty beer. I was happy I got to try this one but probably wont buy it again. Its a bit too outside my realm of DIPA. Doesnt have the other layer of backing citrus that I love.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 03:53:17 | More by FosterJM

pmarlowe

California

3.68/5  rDev -12%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 03/26/12. Tulip glass.

A: Pours between light golden and burnt orange, with average clarity, and almost no head after a vigorous pour--just a ring of off-white head and some large bubbles in the middle.

S: Exceedingly delicate orange and floral notes, wet tangerine, and some tropical fruit (like mango), which gives way to sweetish caramel. Wow, great aromas and balance.

T: Sugary and a mild but gripping bitterness simultaneously flood the palate, giving way to some tangerine, pink grapefruit, and liquid caramel. The sweetness cuts through much of the bitterness, leaving this flabby. Overall, a bit too sweet for my taste.

M: Full body and light carbonation, a tad lighter than ideal.

O: Smells wonderful, but the taste not quite as enchanting. That being said, it hides the 10% (?!) alcohol quite well. This leans more towards a triple IPA in spirit.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 05:54:00 | More by pmarlowe

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.3/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Black Raven pint glass. Pours a clear medium orange showing the constant carbonation nicely. Thin fine white head with wispy lacing, surprising because the carbonation seems healthy. Nice aroma of citrus and piney hops with sweet malt. Flavor follows with a quick dose of herbal and citrus hops supported by a mildly sweet malt body, then the flavor subsides for a few moments and then finishes off with a burst of piney citrus hops with a lingering sweet and hops aftertaste. Very nice flavor progression. Medium bodied with a hint of creaminess, nice mouth feel. This is a very nicely made Imperial IPA. I'll be watching for this when it rolls around again.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 03:05:33 | More by LiquidAmber

jdhende

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber into a Firestone Walker nonic pint glass.

Bottle on Date: 3/26/12. Four day old Cali IPA not too shabby.

A: Beautiful golden orange. Very little lacing on top.

S: Lots of zesty orange and grapefruit and pine in the nose.

T: Strong almost overwhelming hop kick. Luckily i'm a huge hope head. Very very bitter as well with a nice malt finish. Tons of citrus and pine typical of a good double.

M: Full body. Alcohol is inherently present on this one.

O: A hop bomb that I got to try incredibly fresh. Overall a nice Double.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 23:39:39 | More by jdhende

TTAmod

Michigan

3.7/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

No date on Port's bottles. Damn you! Never seen this in the store before, though, so I'm hoping it's at least semi-fresh. 22 oz. poured into pint glass.

The beer pours a chill-spiked cloudy orange. Lots of sediment floating about. The head is a pretty thin white crown.

The smell is strong, pungent citrusy hops and caramel.

Hops are piney and resinous. There is a nice citrus fruit undertone and a strong, sweet caramel malt base. It's getting damn close to barleywine territory. Finish is bitter and a bit hot.

Mouthfeel is fairly thick with little carbonation felt.

Overall, a pretty well balanced DIPA. The hop flavor is obviously huge, but it's kept in balance by an overly intrusive caramel malt base and the high alcohol.

It's reminiscent of Unearthly...but this has a bit more strong of a hop character.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 05:42:46 | More by TTAmod