Riptide - Port Brewing Company / Pizza Port

AWolfAtTheDoor

California

3.83/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap last weekend.

Clear and yellow/copper. Lacing was a bit of a let down.

Some citrus, grass, etc on the nose. Seems like they threw every hop aroma in the book at this thing.

Shit this beer is hoppy. More citrus and grass dominate the palate. Malt backbone is straining heavily under the weight of this beer. Holds up, but only just. I feel it could have used a little more balance. Not just a palate thrashing.

Beer seemed a bit dry for an IPA. Not that is a bad thing. Perhaps if it were a bit heavier, it would have been too overwhelming?

Overall it's hard to knock a pizza port beer, and a fresh hop beer at that. I have had better fresh hop beers, but this was definitely worth trying. I may even have it again if it's still on tap the next time I go.

Serving type: on-tap

09-30-2011 07:32:23 | More by AWolfAtTheDoor

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%

12-11-2012 02:08:49 | More by t0rin0

whatname

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

04-19-2012 12:09:26 | More by whatname

Beezee

Illinois

4/5  rDev +13%

02-21-2012 05:10:03 | More by Beezee

CelticAleMan

California

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

12-21-2011 07:59:33 | More by CelticAleMan

nmann08

Maryland

4/5  rDev +13%

11-18-2011 17:54:16 | More by nmann08

Neffbeer

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -15.3%

11-14-2011 22:06:21 | More by Neffbeer

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had at Pizza Port San Clemente while on a recent trip to Cali. Served from tap into a shaker. Poured a dark yellow-orange with a minimal white head. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, citrus hop, and caramel. The flavor was of sweet malt, bitter hop, citrus, caramel, and citrus hop on the followthrough. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a pretty nice brew. It was well balanced and had a nice flavor and aroma. Really glad that I got the opportunity to try this one. I would suggest that you do the same.

Serving type: on-tap

01-12-2011 19:24:44 | More by thagr81us

womencantsail

California

3.15/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On-tap at Pizza Port San Clemente

A: The pour is a surprisingly cloudy copper color with a thin layer of off-white head.

S: A lackluster nose is obvious right off the bat. Very minimal hop aroma to the beer and what is there is sort of sweet with a little bit of orange peel, grass, and floral notes. Overall, though, this is mostly bread.

T: Second verse, same as the first. Bready malts with a decent enough bitterness, but no real hop flavor. Again, some citrus peel and maybe a touch of grapefruit and pine.

M: The body is medium with a fairly lively carbonation to it.

D: A true disappointment, especially for a Pizza Port IPA. I can't recommend this one.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Pizza Port San Clemente, 301 N El Camino Real, San Clemente

01-11-2011 01:34:56 | More by womencantsail

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this on-tap at Pizza Port in San Clemente. This was labelled as a fresh hop pale ale on the board next to the bar. Pours a dark orange colour with a thin layer of white head that doesn't really dissipate at all. Some mild lacing on the glass. Smells of fresh citrus hops with a small amount of caramel malt. Just a small amount of bitterness. A nice enough fresh hopped beer, though not one of the better ones in California.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Pizza Port San Clemente, 301 N El Camino Real, San Clemente

11-30-2010 21:43:04 | More by kwjd

jampics2

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Fat Heads. This was one of two beers I missed out on during the Festival of the Hop event during Cleveland Beer Week and I was thrilled to see they put the rest of the barrel on tap a few weeks later.

The beer is relatively clear and is a copper color with some hints of gold and even some orange/red around the edges when held up to the November sun. There's a very nice head that sticks around and provides great lace. This is off to a great start based on the appearance.

Looks like I spoke, or wrote, too soon. Where are the hops? What happened here? This is more of an English-like toasted malt focused beer and has just hints of hops poking out. Bread and biscuit with just a note of citrus here and there. There are fleeting glimpses of grapefruit and orange, then the malt comes back. Maybe the riptide carried the hops out to sea?

The taste is also just not what I'm looking for in an American IPA, especially one from Port. Don't get me wrong, this is a pleasant enough beer without any real off-flavors, but the toasted and sweet caramel malt dominate the taste as well. There's some citrus hops that mainfest in the forms of grapefruit and orange. This just lacks any bitter punch, where's the SoCal/West-Coast/SanDiego Style love?

The aftertaste is watery when the malt stops, probably because there's no real lingering hoppiness. The body is light to medium without any resiny or sticky notes, probably because of the lack of green matter in the mix. The carbonation is low but that could be the tap system here, I've had a few issues with beers like this loosing their gusto. A drinkable beer that just falls short of my expectations from a Port American IPA. Certainly the least flavorful of the 8-10 Port IPA's and DIPA's that were sent to Ohio this year.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Pizza Port San Clemente, 301 N El Camino Real, San Clemente

11-19-2010 15:19:54 | More by jampics2

mdfb79

New York

4.15/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From 10/26/10 notes. Had on tap at the Brickskeller during its Wet Hop event with Tomme Arthur. Brought from the San Clemente Pizza Port location.

a - Pours a light amber color with one inch of fluffy white head and low carbonation evident.

s - Smells of caramel malts, fruity hops, and light citrus, Very different from the other stuff we had at the Wet Hop event, but enjoyable none the less.

t - Tastes of citrus hops, fruity malts, and is slightly bitter. Also some caramel malts and roasted malts.

m - Medium body and low to moderate carbonation, very smooth and easy to drink.

d - A very enjoyable IPA that was heavy on the malts in both the smell and taste. Very smooth and easy to drink, would like to try again.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Pizza Port San Clemente, 301 N El Camino Real, San Clemente

11-01-2010 00:36:06 | More by mdfb79

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pizza Port San Clemente Edition. On tap at The Brickskeller during its "Whet" Hop Ales event with Tomme Arthur.

Pours dark copper with a white head and bits of lace. The nose is light bread some some minor scents coming from some floral and pine hops. We were told that this used Centennial and Simcoe hops. The taste is some light citrus and pine notes along with some mild Maris Otter malt underneath. Pretty bitter and a medium body. This was quite as good as the rest of the bunch.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Pizza Port San Clemente, 301 N El Camino Real, San Clemente

10-29-2010 11:16:31 | More by Thorpe429

Gobzilla

California

3.15/5  rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

poured a light amber brown with yellow highlights that had a thin white head and left very little lacing sticking to the glass. The aroma was pretty faint for a fresh hop brew but was able to detect a little earthy grass character, mild hop notes, and slight bready malt notes. The taste was also not too potent on the hops which were also kinda leafy with overpowering malt sweetness and big malt bready character that was not quite balancing out with the hops. The brew was pretty light in body with a moderate amount of carbonation which had a bready, very mild hoppy, and thin earthy finish. Even though it was below average across the board it still managed to be quite drinkable. pizza port brews delicious hopppy beers but they can't win them all.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Pizza Port San Clemente, 301 N El Camino Real, San Clemente

10-27-2010 04:08:22 | More by Gobzilla

billshmeinke

California

2.95/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint.

Golden almost amber. Half an inch of head that dies down to a layer of sopay looking foam on top.

Smells of leafy hop fragrance. Mostly fresh cut grass, and some grain. Not really special.

Tastes of toasted grain, and cereal. Hints of bitter piney hops. Not too much hop character.

Carbonation is a little low and it feels almost a bit heavy for a pale ale due to the low carbonation.

Overall just mediocre. I expected a lot more from a fresh hop ale.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Pizza Port San Clemente, 301 N El Camino Real, San Clemente

10-16-2010 03:25:08 | More by billshmeinke

beagle75

Iowa

3.7/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Riptide Fresh Hop Strong Pale Ale

Draft pour into a shaker pint glass at Pizza Port San Clemente. I will review this beer as an American pale ale, not an IPA.

A: Slightly hazy, light amber color with no head. Light lacing remains on the glass.

S: Faint grapefruit citrus, husky grains, otherwise very clean.

T: Begins off-dry with citrus and spicy hop aromatics detectable immediately. Toasted malt is present as well, providing remarkable balance without stepping on the juicy hop flavors. The finish features restrained bitterness, with the spiciness from the beginning still lingering. Flavors remain off-dry throughout.

M: Medium-thick viscosity, chewy and substantial, with low carbonation--rather surprising qualities in a pale ale.

D: The flavors here are, by themselves, beguiling enough to warrant return visits, despite the textural anomaly and the "strong" nature (although at 6.6% abv, it won't slow down most ale drinkers much.) Still, as a showcase for the best and most special hops of the year, this beer fails to stand out from its wet-hopped peers.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Pizza Port San Clemente, 301 N El Camino Real, San Clemente

10-06-2010 16:47:49 | More by beagle75

3.03/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at the San Clemente location.

Poured a clear, dark copper/brown. Capped with a modest, light tan head.

Aroma was pretty mild. Some citrus, maybe herbs and/or grass.

Taste was very bitter. Lacked support from the malt. Character was earthy and herbal/grassy. What little malt could be picked up was crackery.

Body was light to medium and came across as too thin. Medium carbonation. Very dry.

Overall, good flavor (quite bitter), but more balance from the malt would have improved this beer from a mouthfeel and a taste perspective.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Pizza Port San Clemente, 301 N El Camino Real, San Clemente

11-06-2007 16:26:10 | More by