High Tide Fresh Hop IPA - Port Brewing Company / Pizza Port

largadeer

California

4.53/5  rDev +11%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cask at Churchill's, enjoyed a pint of this on cask after the barrel tasting at Lost Abbey. Hops were a welcome change of pace after several hours of drinking sours, barleywines and stouts.

Handpump to pint glass, High Tide has a hazy golden-amber body with a thick white head that left behind huge sheets of lace as my pint glass rapidly emptied. This was an incredible looking beer, obviously pulled from a very fresh cask.

Wet, dank hops dominate the aroma. Flowers and citrus are backed by the lightest of malt profiles. There's a hint of honey and grain, but the awesome wet hop profile steals the show here.

The taste opens with tropical fruit, floral hops and grapefruit; this has a beautifully balanced and complex hop flavor. The mouthfeel is wet and sticky mid-palate, surprisingly soft, with a hint of malt and a ton of juicy citrus hop flavor. Carbonation is medium-low, just enough to keep the beer lively on the tongue. It finishes dry with a smooth, clean bitterness. This was phenomenal, one of the best cask ale experiences I've had.

Serving type: cask

11-11-2009 22:12:19 | More by largadeer

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.53/5  rDev +11%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Drank this at Churchill's after the Lost Abbey Barrel Tasting. I got to sample it on tap as well, but the cask version is outstanding, this just might be the best fresh hop beer I've had.

The pour is one of the best ever, a mildly hazy light orange with a dense, creamy white head that lasts until the beer is gone, just coating the glass with lace. The nose is beautiful, with a bright citrus character with a delicate spicy, earthy wet hop character with some lemon. Mild grapefruit is present as well. Malt character is faint, with delicate cracker and some caramel. Plenty of flavor, bitterness is low and there's a ton of flavor. The palate is just as outstanding. Creamy and light with a great hop flavor with a lot of orange and tangerine along with the exceptional wet hop character, with an earthy, leafy character. Mild malt character is present with a delicate sweetness that complements the citrus character really well. The grapefruit shines on the finish, coating the palate with a fruity character. On cask, this beer really shines, with a delicate carbonation and a fantastic finish. Thoroughly drinkable, thanks for the recommendation, Shane!

Serving type: cask

11-08-2009 20:14:29 | More by DefenCorps

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On cask at the Farmhouse in Emmaus, PA. Appeared a hazy gold with a short head and lacing. This was a great, bright, and drinkable IPA. Not quite as complex as some of the great fresh hop beers I've had, like Sierra Nevada, but a little more sessionable. The aroma and flavor focused on fruity citrus with a few hits of earth spice and pine. But for the most part this beer was all about the orange, lime, and grapefruit hops. Delicious. Drink it if you can find it.

Serving type: cask

12-13-2008 02:00:21 | More by tempest

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bottled last October so this one could be a little fresher but either way I'm gonna try it. The beer poured out as a nice hazy yellow color with a fluffy white head on top. The retention and lacing is pretty good. The smell of the beer is pretty bright and lively, the Centennial overpowers the Simcoe. The taste of the beer is citrusy with a bit of pine in the finish. Not much malt sweetness. The mouthfeel has a little too much carbonation but still drinkable. Overall I want a fresh bottle just to see the difference. Still good though after a few months.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 04:06:56 | More by Knapp85

rodlavers

Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a growler, AFTER I'd had it on tap and purchased the growler based on that experience. This is pretty interesting.

Poured from growler, a really really strange color: almost a caramel with hints if good and orange, but mostly darker. Super cloudy, opposed to the daft affecting.

Smell is slightly piney and citrusy, with tart hops, if that's possible and floral notes.

Taste is similar, but I like it better. Citrus and pine and fruit. It's hoppy and delicious.

Feel is super smooth. Below medium carbonation, creamy and very enjoyable.

Overall this is very good. Love how smooth it is, even it's appearance is super unique. Very enjoyable. Cheers

Serving type: growler

02-04-2013 00:45:54 | More by rodlavers

Chas58

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from my growler filled at Joe Canal's Iselin into my Firestone Walker Nonic Pint Glass

Appearance - Pours a very clear orangey yellow with an moderately aggressive head that dissipates slowly, leaving a very nice and long lasting lacing on the glass. I am a little surprised by the lightness of the coloring and the filtered nature of the appearance.
Smell - Has a piney aroma that is very pleasant, and backed up with a hint of citrus. I am surprised it is not a more aggressive aroma, especially for a Fresh Hop IPA, but that said it is nice and is actually more than made up for in the hop taste.

Taste - The taste borders for me between a strong pale ale and a mild IPA. It leans more towards the IPA, especially with the hop kick it contains in the back end of the taste. There is clearly more hop kick than hop aroma. The taste does linger with a little stickiness. The maltiness does a nice job balancing all attributes to make this a very drinkable and enjoyable beer.

Mouthfeel - I am surprised by the significant carbonation in the initial taste. It is more than moderate and slightly more than I usually find in the style. This is very drinkable and quite enjoyable for a fan of the IPA/Fresh Hop style, as it has a very fresh hop kick and leaves a nice sticky hop resin.

Overall - This is an overall enjoyable ale, I think pale ale drinkers will enjoy the hops and an IPA drinker will see this as a mild yet flavorful brew. I enjoyed drinking this, will drink it again, but would hope for more aromatic hops in future.

Serving type: growler

01-04-2013 01:13:04 | More by Chas58

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I picked this up about a month ago. I thought the hoppiness would play well with the hot wings I had for dinner tonight (I was right).

Each time I pour this bottle into my glass I get a ton of foam. I have to be patient for quite a while until it dies down.

The hop smell is pretty good. It didn't blow me away, but the presence is good and has good balance.

I like the pine and citrus in the flavor on this beer. I get more of the pine in this one.

Overall this is a pretty good fresh hop beer. I will pick this up again next year.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 01:43:47 | More by ummswimmin

hoppytobehere

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz. bomber, bottled on 10/2/2012. Could be fresher for a harvest ale.

A: This isn't a belgian? Gorgeous light gold color, cloudy. Ridiculous head and retention. Soapy.

S: Not as big of a hop aroma as I'm sure existed 2 months ago.

T: Lemon, flower, citrus. Malt does its job to keep the balance.

M: Good, maybe a little too much carbonation for the style. Again, reminds me of a belgian like Duvel.

O: Wish I had this fresher, but still held up well.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 00:59:57 | More by hoppytobehere

JG-90

New Jersey

3.99/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

bottle into glass

A - Pours a large thick head, slowly recedes with moderate-low lacing. Slightly hazy golden/yellow

S - Mostly hops,a little citrus, and a hint of grassy/pine/resin.

T - Hits with the hops first, as expected, followed by a bit of citrus and resin. The grass/resin taste is bigger than it was in the nose (citrus taste seems smaller than it was in nose), I would like a little more citrus in here, but it is a great taste

M - Medium-Light body, medium carbonation, I feel great mouthfeel for this beer

O - Very enjoyable beer, my only real complaint is that the taste is a little more one note than expected, but I love the fresh hops and definitely would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 17:05:36 | More by JG-90

AilidoBrew

3.83/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

poured into a Duvel tulip from a 22oz.

A: cloudy pale wheat color with a huge pillowy head that leaves a nice lacing but dissipates kinda quickly, the color and head are reminiscent of a hefeweizen

S: sour (like a gueze) grassy green hops almost smells like noble and english hops

T: light citrus and grassy notes, subtle bitter aftertaste

M: light and spritzy, very refreshing

O: A real tasty IPA but i'm not sure if mine was contaminated or what because it definitely had a lacto smell to it when opened and even an hour after opening it was still blowing up in the glass with each little pour. It was good but not great especially considering the price but I may have had a bad bottle. If that was the case I would really like to try a proper bottle cause it was still pretty darn good. It just can't compare to their Hop15 ale which is perfection in a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 13:27:57 | More by AilidoBrew

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy medium golden yellow in color with some lemon yellow highlights when held up to the light and moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall soapy off-white head that quickly reduces to a medium patch of large soapy bubbles and a thick ring of large bubbles at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of hops - citrus/orange peel, pine/resin, grassy, and tropical/papaya in order of strength. There is something a little dank in the overall aroma.

T: Upfront this beer is all hops and bitterness - it starts with some citrus/grapefruit/orange peel, followed by grassy, then tropical/papaya, and pine/resin. Light to moderate amounts of bitterness that lingers throughout the beer. There is a lighter amount of biscuit malts with a touch of sweetness.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly oily with light to moderate amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: A very nice fresh hop IPA that was quite enjoyable - a reasonable amount of bitterness with some pleasant elements of different hops characteristics.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 21:36:30 | More by dbrauneis

rawfish

California

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured chilled into a tulip, light gold coloration and quickly forms a airy white head that threatens to spill over the glass. Forever retention that leaves thick clumps of lacing behind.

Sharp initial aroma of citrus and cannabis, rather floral. Thin malt backing. Really a great nose to represent a CA IPA.

Taste is intense but brief. A hybrid of grass and pine with a blast of grapefruit juice and lemon pith bitterness to finish. I can taste some sticky bready malt on the finish.

Very carbonated brew, bitingly so, it makes the flavor intense and sharp but I feel like it's getting in the the way of some of the hop flavor. I like high carbonation though so not a big deal. Average body and well hidden abv.

Another well done IPA from Port. Good representation of fresh hops with some teeth, next time I'll pour it slower.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 03:37:09 | More by rawfish

srhoadsy

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured chilled into a tulip.

Pours a nice blonde color with about an inch and a half of airy white head that recedes but leaves a nice surface layer that clings to the glass.

Wonderfully sweet and tropical smell. Aromas of candied citrus, papaya and other tropical fruits.

Tastes follows through on the aromas but not as flavorful as I expected. Leaves a grapefruit bitterness on the back of the tongue.

Mouthfeel is light to moderate with moderate carbonation.

Overall a nicely balanced refreshing IPA, as you would expect from a fresh hop. Another winner from Port Brewing

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 01:24:30 | More by srhoadsy

superspak

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled 10/2/2012. Pours lightly hazy bright golden amber color with a very nice 2-3 finger fluffy white head with incredible retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice dense soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big pineapple, orange zest, grapefruit, lemon, citrus rind, grass, floral, herbal, and light piney spiciness. Fantastic aromas with great hop complexity and balance; very dank smelling. Taste of pineapple, orange zest, lemon zest, citrus rind, floral, grass, pine, bread, and herbal spiciness. Fair amount of piney bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of pineapple, citrus zest, floral, grass, citrus rind, pine, bread, and herbal spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice hop flavor balance and complexity; nice malt/bitterness balance; hardly any cloying hop bitterness on the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a sticky, smooth, and crisp mouthfeel that is very nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an awesome wet hop IPA! Great dank hop complexity and balance; very smooth and crisp to sip on. A highly enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 05:07:53 | More by superspak

denver10

Colorado

3.6/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear golden yellow with a white head. Smell is sharp; sweet juicy citrus, some grass, and some thin biscuity malt. Flavor followed suit but i didn't enjoy it quite as much. A decently bitter finish. An active, medium body. Overall, decent brew.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2012 03:23:58 | More by denver10

SHODriver

California

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

bottle dated: 10/2/12

A: pours a hazy yellow with a three finger dense white head that has good retention and nice lacing
S: smells of pine and citrus
T: slightly grassy, a little citrusy, some pine as well and some slight honey sweetness throughout. swallow is oily hops, citrus rind and pine sap
M: medium with active and prickly carbonation. a little overdone on the carb imo
O: pretty solid beer, good flavors but the carb is a little too heavy in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 21:51:58 | More by SHODriver

kenhutchinson

California

1/5  rDev -75.5%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Appearance: As soon as I uncapped the beer, it sprayed all over me, despite the fact that it had been sitting undisturbed in my cold fridge for two days. Nice color, but the beer all over my face and kitchen did not look great.

Smell: Dry hopped sourness.

Taste/mouthfeel: Like overcarbonated soda water with simcoe and amarillo.

I emailed the Port Brewing via the "contact us" link on their website and didn't get a response after 7 days. If I got a response offering to make amends, I would have reviewed that beer, but alas, I only had this contaminated foam bomb to write about.

Port needs to learn how to carbonate their beers.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 15:50:34 | More by kenhutchinson

ThickNStout

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle from Sprayberry Bottle Shop (Marietta, GA). 6.99. Bottled 10/2/12. Served in a Founders snifter.

Pours light hazy orange tinged straw with about one finger pale head. Plenty of lacey patches.

Smells of faint tropical fruit hops, hay, grass and a bit bready.

Tastes hoppy but balanced. Grassy hops lead, followed by grapefruit, pine and biscuity malt.

Medium body with moderate carbonation. Long wet grassy finish.

A well made fresh hop IPA. Not as great as I thought I'd remembered it but still quite tasty.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 04:42:06 | More by ThickNStout

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.08/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a tulip glass. Bottled 2 October 2012.

A: Huge head erupts and sticks around far too long for my convenience. Translucent-murky pale straw-gold. Heavy lacing.

S: Aromatic and lightly sweet. Some spicy yeast? Smells faintly Belgian, oddly.

T/M: Tasty, but not exceptional. The Belgian hints are here too, as the beer is less obnoxiously bitter and much more balanced. The fresh hops are delicate and welcome, with a subtle but lingering spice that tingles the tongue and leaves me wanting more. Earthy and rewarding.

O: Delicious! Highly recommended and definitely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 02:45:14 | More by AgentMunky

smakawhat

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a Dogfish Head signature glass. Pushing it here, this was bottled October 2nd 2012, we'll see.

Out of the bottle a very aggressive large four finger head is made, off white and huge retention and clumpy character. Lots of swiss cheese like appearances with a body of slightly dull pale amber banana and gold. Lots of rising thin carbonation. Pretty nice looking.

Expecting this to be maybe downplayed but it still delivers. Slightly leafy hop aromas, with lots of bready malts sticking out in the back. Tropical fruit sweetness and cream, hints of floral nots, and lots of light white doughy bread.

Palate hits with a classic hop sharpness but downplayed bittering at first in the front. Mid palate then fills with a big rich almost crisp body, with bread like bakery notes. Dry a bit, with a lingering hop oil in the aftertaste that comes out like a breath of air. All the flavor seems to coat the front of the palate and the mouth. Leafy and slight downed down tropical notes with a big carbonation which surprisingly adds to the flavor nicely, slightly chalky, but not too much. A good hint of alcohol warmth too but nothing crazy which is surprising since it is only 6.5 ABV.

Pretty solid and memorable IPA that's for sure.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 23:34:09 | More by smakawhat

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A freshly bought bottle from Whole Foods but off-aromas right away. Getting past that, the hops were very good and it was a creamy mouthfeel and drinkable. Must try it again. Big creamy head. Citrus, caramel,dry finish.Medium bodied and understated carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 02:08:36 | More by northyorksammy

rsdaugherty

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

High Tide Fresh Hop IPA - Port Brewing Company / Pizza Port
Bomber into tulip, bottled 10/2/12
A – Monster four finger white head cut my pour quite short, a hazed golden orange yellow color, excellent retention, entire glass covered in spotty lacing, reduced to a very lumpy pillow 4.5
S – Oily citrus hoppiness dominates with a touch of apricot and very slight pine & tropical fruits notes 4
T – JUICY, fresh hop all around. Citrus rind, herbal, pretty much a big green hop bomb. 4
M – Moderate body that feels quite light, high carbonation 4
O – The first of my fresh hop buys this season, and a good one to start. 4

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 04:20:56 | More by rsdaugherty

Gatch

Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 10/1/12

A: Hazy, golden-yellow with a huge, foamy, fizzy head. Decent lace and retention. Seems to be over carbonated. The head exploded from a normal pour spilling over the side.

S: Hops, Belgian yeast, grass, hay. Farmhouse ale?

T: Big, grassy, barny, yeasty. The fresh hops show through when it's cold, bringing strong pine and citrus. As the beer warms, Saison characteristics come out.

M: Seriously, is this an American Saison? The yeast overpowers. Not enough fresh hops in this one.

O: Although this is more than a month old, I expected the hop presence to be stronger. Especially from a brewery like this. Good cold. Disappointing warm.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 04:14:51 | More by Gatch

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.55/5  rDev -13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle opened on 10.31.12.

A -Pours a light, murky orange with a massive off-white head and great retention.

S - Dank grassy hops.

T - Grass, pine, orange peel. Pretty dank.

D - Tons of carbonation and a light, thin body. A slightly bitter finish.

O - Hoppy and earthy grass. This is a solid fresh hop.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 05:28:59 | More by HuskyinPDX

B33R501

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

i would say if you get a good bottle, you're lucky because i returned all 3 of mine $19.47. whole foods devon even refunded the empty, i opened it, i drank it. but it was flat, awful, and that review would be a 0 if i could score that. however this is the draught review ...

beautiful yellow, lemon almost opaque color. nice big blast of fresh hops in smell and taste. nicely malted for balance and drinkability. bitter little buzzsaw that was one of my original favorite beers from 2010. still an enjoyable seasonal, just forget the bottles this year. i wont risk it again unless i know i can return it.

goes real well with capones 25c hot wings.

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2012 14:27:41 | More by B33R501