547 Haight - Port Brewing Company / Pizza Port

mcallister

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

What we have here is a damn fine beer. Listed as an Impy red ale at Carlsbad it drank nothing like one.

Dark copper colored semi transparent with an off white head. Sticky trickling lace clings for dear life.

Very un-red ale like. Thick sweet caramel and milk chocolate with date and fig paste. Berries and candied nuts with a hint of clove.

A great beer. Thick creamy and delectable. Good floral hopping that lends to a good bitter balanced finish. Very sweet but not cloying. Milk chocolate, fig jam, clove, dried berry, date, and candied nuts. Alcohol is noticeable but dosen't really interfere with drinkability.

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

10-01-2007 23:57:01 | More by mcallister

Sisky

California

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%

02-19-2013 01:55:48 | More by Sisky

westcoastbeerlvr

California

3.75/5  rDev -8.8%

01-09-2013 00:57:22 | More by westcoastbeerlvr

t0rin0

California

3.25/5  rDev -20.9%

12-08-2012 22:24:06 | More by t0rin0

wethorseblanket

California

4/5  rDev -2.7%

09-19-2012 01:24:54 | More by wethorseblanket

UCLABrewN84

California

4.45/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Pizza Port in Carlsbad, CA.

Pours a hazy amber with a foamy tan head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Thick foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of citrus fruit, citrus zest, and malt. Taste is much the same with medium citrus zest bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp but medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

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

09-18-2012 01:46:24 | More by UCLABrewN84

drewone

California

3.75/5  rDev -8.8%

09-01-2012 05:26:00 | More by drewone

hayesjw

California

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%

08-20-2012 20:37:51 | More by hayesjw

JonBarley

California

4/5  rDev -2.7%

08-14-2012 14:16:27 | More by JonBarley

Pinche_Oso

California

4/5  rDev -2.7%

08-12-2012 19:23:46 | More by Pinche_Oso

DJButters

California

4/5  rDev -2.7%

06-15-2012 22:39:57 | More by DJButters

mbula163

California

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%

02-27-2012 02:13:15 | More by mbula163

anacrime

California

4/5  rDev -2.7%

01-25-2012 11:41:29 | More by anacrime

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

enjoyed on tap at carlsblad location. An imperial red, malty and hoppy. Orange red coloured body. Above average mouthfeel. Good bitterness, resiny, piney,syrupy,caramel a bit of a palate erase (so a pint is a lot-TM). Good drinkabiiity. Decent balance for what it is.

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

01-23-2012 02:20:23 | More by northyorksammy

Merkur

Tennessee

3.8/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed on tap at Blind Lady Ale House, poured into a snifter.

The beer pours a nice rich red color with a half finger or so of tan/orange head.

Beer smelled a bit piney, but also very sweet like toffee.

Beer initially tasted very sweet of toffee and caramel. The sweetness followed by a bit of bitterness hid the booze taste very well.

Relatively on the light side, but a good bit of lacing. Overall, a very well balanced strong ale that was fairly easy drinking.

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

01-19-2012 01:37:41 | More by Merkur

Daveychu

California

5/5  rDev +21.7%

11-30-2011 10:30:29 | More by Daveychu

ehammond1

California

4.18/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler

Pizza Port
Carlsbad, CA

A dark but clear auburn and ruby with a thick, pillowing pearl colored foam. Lots of sticky lacing running down the glass.

Pungent aroma and a nice combination of malt and hops: piney and citrus hops, toffee, bread, and caramel.

Balanced yet full flavor, without much to any alcohol presence, which is quite the accomplishment at this ABV. Piney and citrus hops with lots of caramel and toffee, without being too sweet. Very nice.

Medium mouthfeel and incredibly drinkable for a beer this big.

A delicious strong ale/imperial red.

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

09-09-2011 20:58:52 | More by ehammond1

nataku00

California

4.15/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap into a shaker pint glass at Toronado the day after their 24th anniversary. Dark brown with some reds and orange at the edge of the glass with barely any head off the pour. Can't see anything through the glass, but there was some nice lacing as I drank from the pint.

Nose was toffee, brown sugar, molasses, and a decent amount of hops, orange and grapefruit peel mainly.

Taste follows the nose pretty much exactly, a good amount of malt, toffee, toasted grains, brown sugar, with just a touch of citrus hops, orange mainly to give a little bittering. Pretty easy to drink, to be honest.

Medium bodied with a smooth soft carbonation. Drank much too easily for a 10% beer, finished my pint quickly, maybe because I was thirsty with this being my first beer. Pretty good beer, but nothing that distinguishes itself from other beers similar to it like fresh Double Bastard or Old Stock.

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

08-14-2011 21:52:30 | More by nataku00

largadeer

California

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Toronado for their 24th. Has a dark red translucent body topped by a thin white head. Pretty big nose, an even mix of dark semi-sweet malt and resinous, piney hops; very Double Bastard-like. Palate isn't far from the nose, with a ton of dark slightly caramelized and roasted malt flavor, followed by herbal and resinous hops. Ends on a biting bitter note, quite dry for the high ABV.

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

08-13-2011 23:37:51 | More by largadeer

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

Pours a moderate amber color with a nice white head. A bit of lacing but not as much as I would expect from something this hoppy. Nose is overload of citrus and pine and is quite nice overall. The taste is a really dominated by the strong hops notes, although the flavor isn't as prevalent as the nose. The feel is quite bitter and nice. Drinks very well and was a nice selection. Glad to have visited.

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

11-03-2010 02:01:29 | More by Thorpe429

LittleDon

Texas

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A pint at Pizza Port, Carlsbad.

Very deep amber and clear. It was poured with a dense head that hasn't budged in 10 minutes. Citrusy hop aroma. Decently balanced, although more DIPA than strong ale. Could have used more caramel sweetness, but very drinkable, nonetheless. A bit of carbonation up front. Bitterness mellows a bit in the back end where the caramel tones begin to play, with the flavor becoming a bit smokey and bordering on heavily caramlelized sugar as it warms up. Alcohol is well incorporated into the drink but definitely there.

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

10-14-2010 01:02:55 | More by LittleDon

Arbitrator

California

2.35/5  rDev -42.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Re-reviewing this one. My last review (from the Toronado 22nd) was an A+. My latest experience (Toronado 23rd) was less impressive.

A: Dark brown / amber in color with a reddish tint to the body. Has a small head and leaves some trace lacing down the glass.

S: Caramel, toffee, butterscotch, toast, candy. The last time I had this, it was very hoppy; here there is only a mild citrus note to it.

T: Really sweet and bland. A solid blend of maltiness, only partially offset by citrus and earthy bitterness. I know how good this beer can be; is there a lot of batch variation, or is this an old keg? It's incredibly disappointing.

M: Smooth, creamy, full-bodied, medium carbonation. No alcohol detected. Very well done for a 10%er.

D: I've had this beer 3 times, and 2 times it has been a sweet, malty mess. Such a shame; when this beer is on its game, it's an A+ imperial red.

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

09-16-2010 07:11:58 | More by Arbitrator

HopHead84

California

4.15/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

9/6/2010

A: pellucid crimson with a frothy beige cap.

S: Pungent mixture of grapefruit and pine resin with a substantial caramel malt foundation. Hop aroma is great when the beer warms.

T: Pine resin, strong caramel malt presence, balanced with an upper moderate level of bitterness. Dash of sweetness. Almost balanced in the finish with caramel, pine, and grapefruit

M: Sticky and creamy. Upper medium bodied. Upper moderate carbonation.

Overall: A nice malty imperial red ale. Not as aggressive as something like Tongue Buckler, but is tasty and drinkable.

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

09-06-2010 23:00:00 | More by HopHead84

Gobzilla

California

4.22/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured a dark amber brown with maroon highlights that had a half finger of head and left good lacing on the glass. The aroma was big on the caramel malts with a faint nuttiness and slight hops in the background. It seemed to have a bit of sweetness as well. Upfront the flavors w1ere also big on the caramel malts and came with a little hop bite and nutty sweet accents. The brew was medium body with a good amount of carbonation that had a slight sweet hoppy but malty sticky finish. Overall the beer was good on drinkablility and was actually more tasty than I thought it would be.

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

08-29-2010 22:52:35 | More by Gobzilla

MasterSki

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Toronado for the 23rd Anniversary. Served in a tulip glass.

A - Poured with a finger of off-white foam that settles to a thin cap and leaves behind nice lacing. The body is a transparent dark amber - surprise!

S - Big amber nose filled with caramel malt, toffee, and burnt sugars, but accompanied with a hefty dose of tropical hop notes.

T - Taste is fairly similar, with lots of sugary malt, cotton candy, toffee, and caramel, but finishes bitter due to a big hop infusion. This is more on the barleywine side of things rather than a palate-shredding hop monster. The 10% is very well-hidden.

M - Light zesty carbonation, full-bodied, sticky, with an oily enamel-coating finish.

D - I thought this was more aromatic last year - perhaps this batch wasn't super-fresh? Still, as a true double amber it's quite solid. By the end of the pour it gets a tiny bit boozy and bitter - I probably wouldn't want to have a second glass.

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

08-19-2010 02:52:32 | More by MasterSki