Mongo - Port Brewing Company / Pizza Port

harrymel

Washington

2.83/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottled 2/22/11

A: Pours a dull apricot ale. Single finger off white foam caps the beer. The head recedes on a couple minutes and then a thick sheet of the same resides. Then, the lacing is spider-web like.

S: Wow! Hop-tasm! Theres lots of fruity hops around the nose here. Grapefruit, lemon rinds, mint, pine. Hints of cardboard (oxidized?). Good, bready background. As the beer warms a bit, some cat piss comes thru.

T: The IPA is very much bitter - good IMO, unfortunately this isn't complimented with flavor. This is like chewing aspirin. Ouch. Having a tough time with this.

M: Medium to heavy with moderate carbonation. Drys the palate on the finish.

O: Unfortunately I don't find the balance very good. I admittedly enjoy a more bitter IPA, but I also like some flavoring hops in there as well. The nose here is also on the feline side.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 07:02:39 | More by harrymel

SirSketch

Massachusetts

2.95/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Large, clumpy white head with Brussels lace. Very cloudy orange color.

S - Raw, hop pellet aroma of pine tree and tangy orange. A little like pine-sol cleaner, but not necessarily bad. A straw-like aroma, too. Smells very yeasty and 'alive,' much like a freshly fermented or cask conditioned beer.

T - Sort of an astringent orange zest or pithy taste at first, followed by a big, harsh bitterness with little else to back it up. Some vegetable (broccoli stalks?) flavor, too. Not much else there.

M - Thin to medium bodied and very dry.

O - I honestly can't believe this beer made it into the top 10 beers of 2010. Harsh, hard to drink and lacking in complexity.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2011 02:34:10 | More by SirSketch

kbrady9

California

3.03/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Got this at Distillers Outlet in SD. The guy at the store told me there was quite a bit of hype about the beer and that he had only one bomber left after the rest of his stock had been sold.

A-Golden color, like any regular IPA or DIPA. Very small head with little to no lacing.

S-I got a very citrusy, orange peel smell from this beer. The hops were not very apparent on the back end, although a little of the alcohol did come through.

T-Not as sweet as the aroma promised. The alcohol came through immediately and overshadowed the malts with an average hop profile at the end. It tasted like a DIPA, but the hop character was a bit messy to me. Came through tasting like just too much alcohol.

M-Average body at best, maybe a little overcarbonated. Does not go down very smooth.

O-Not a beer I would try again. I don't know where the hype came from exactly, possibly from the Port Brewing name. Not one of the better beers I have had from them.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 00:19:44 | More by kbrady9

n2185

North Carolina

3.03/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a hazy honey color with four fingers of billowy white head that recedes into a nice white cap with good lacing.

S: Pineapple and grapefruit aromas make up most of the nose of this beer. There are some dry pine aromas as well.

T: The flavor is dominated by resiny pine. There are some grapefruit rind flavors in there as well, but it's mostly dry, bitter, earthy pine. The bitterness lingers quite a bit.

M: Medium body and carbonation, this beer is a bit oily feeling.

O: Not a bad beer, but even at 3 months old this bottle is still very bitter. I've had far worse, but the flavors just don't do it for me and the bitterness lingers well after each sip.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 00:59:55 | More by n2185

capeannbass36

Massachusetts

3.08/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Cloudy copper with big off white head. Chunks of sediment throughout...huge turn off for me.

S- Definite sweet pink grapefruit.

T- Far more bitter than it smells.

M- O.K. Good carbonation...still horrified by sediment.

O- Perhaps I should have drank this without looking at it. Tastes better than it looks, for sure. Just cannot get over the amount of sediment. Feel like I am drinking from a filthy glass.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 13:43:48 | More by capeannbass36

KMDouds

California

3.08/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This review was probably hurt by the tasting being second sequentially to a glass of Pliny the Elder- this reviewer's quintessential DIPA. But as it was a second chance for the Mongo, it seemed fair enough. As a big fan of Port's Wipe Out IPA, I was definitely invested in experiencing this as an enjoyable, if not enthusiastic 'thumbs up!' Alas, as one of my sampling buddies shared; "if it was the only option, it would be just fine..."

Decent appearance but almost none existent piney-citrusy fragrance I've come to enjoy in my favorite IPAs (again possibly an 'unnecessary roughness' penalty in the wake of Pliny). Grapefruit and more grapefruit. By the end of the glass, I had everything but the special spoon for cutting into the bitter fruit. Everything else was okay but again with all the quality options available, Mongo is unlikely to get a third chance, unless it's my sole option.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 21:00:36 | More by KMDouds

kbnooshay

New York

3.1/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a gorgeous orange straw gold with a gigantic fluffy rocky white head. Now that's head! Yo can play in it and it holds amazing shape. Crazy spotted random lacing. What an aroma! Pure fresh and juicy citric hop amazingness. Smells tropical and fruity. Now what's up with the taste? It's hoppy but slightly over bittered. There is an odd and overpowering caramely sugar element to this beer that messes everything up. This doesnt taste fruity and fresh like it smelled. Cloying and bitter. Feel is moderate and tingly. Dissapointing. Give me some wipeout ipa!

After reading the other reviews I'm thinking this was past it's prime. Just acquired it a week ago. I will have to revisit this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 04:05:32 | More by kbnooshay

mactrail

California

3.18/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Light amber in the pint glass, not much in the head department. Big fruity, piney hop aroma, and very intense hop flavor. A one note hop that just goes on and on. I could not find any fruity flavors under the hood.

Hop obsessives will want to gulp this one for sure. Very harsh aftertaste. Medicinal. Would be quite useful as hop flavoring. It really is a very nice aroma and flavor would be fine, it's just so over-concentrated with no breathing space. So I find this virtually undrinkable, even with spicy food. I like to think that some semblance of balance is a virtue in any style of beer.

At the Neighborhood in downtown San Diego.

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2011 04:02:43 | More by mactrail

rhartogsq

Virginia

3.2/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Shared a bomber
A. Looked yellow/gold. Not as dark as other double IPAs.
S. piney, slight citrus.
T. Was ok, if I did a blind taste test, I would have guessed it was a normal American IPA. Mostly hoppy, no citrus favors that I smelled.
M. Well carbonated, a little dry and raw.
O. Nothing spectacular here. Not a bad beer, but nothing for me to return to.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 23:57:05 | More by rhartogsq

GodTheHamster

California

3.23/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22oz Bottle. poured (carefully into a pint glass)

First off I noticed alot of sediment in the bottle. Had to pour carefully to keep the mud in the bottle. No head to speak of and lacing was almost not mentionable. Good color aside from the floaties. (my fat tire I just finished has more lacing)

Smell, Lots of citrus, good smell, grapefruit, lemons, slight pear (maybe, possibly influenced from previous reviews), not to mention HOPPS! lots and lots of hops.

Taste, well nothing special i noticed. Hops, hops, some citrus, more hops. bascially hops...some dirty hops, more hops. Im not thrilled here.

Mouth feel, Bubbly, nice. good. Sticks a bit, not bad.

Drinkability, heh 8.5%, flavor not super awesome, but after about 12oz you're not minding so much. Kicks the hell outta bud :p.

Im not trying to scathe here, but i was not impressed here. Was expecting more.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 09:42:54 | More by GodTheHamster

stricklandia

California

3.25/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I guess I'm in the minority here. Was looking forward to trying this one since hearing about it on the BA forum, but I was a bit disappointed. I'm a hophead, and love me a good DIPA, but the hoppiness on this one was really bitter, WAY too bitter for my taste.

Nice appearance, and nice aroma (piney hops exploding from the glass), but the taste and mouthfeel just left me wishing I'd ordered something else.

Had it on tap at Toronado SD.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2010 22:26:49 | More by stricklandia

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.25/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured on-tap at the Port/Lost Abbey Brewery. The beer has a musky, dark gold color. There was no head on the pour. The beer had a hoppy and cedar/pine nose. Very intriguing. Unfortunately the beer was very empty on initial flavor; kind of a letdown after the nose. Sharp, bitter forward tongue flavor. The beer is somewhat front to finish, with nothing of substance in between. Heavy hops finish, with a slight citrus aftertaste. I had been looking forward to this beer from what I had heard and read in reviews, but I wasn't overly impressed. It's an average IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2010 05:09:07 | More by GarthDanielson

RBassSFHOPit2ME

California

3.3/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Mongo bottled 2/4/2011

A - Very cloudy but bright bright light orange - looks like the colorof an orange creamsicle. Sticky lacing clung tightly to the tulip I poured it in.

S - Subdued. Muted. I kept swirling in the tulip and it seemed fresh fruit juice wanted to shine through but just didn't. Some pineapple notes with some orange and lemon but smelled weak.

T - Same as the nose. Was like it wanted to shine but I just got a dull taste of citrus with as close to overwhelming bitterness as possible without calling this beer overly bitter. Enamel is coming off my teeth. Very dry finish. Just a wee bit over carbonated. As the beer warmed much of the same. Very mediocre.

M - A bit over carbonated and a bit too bitter. The bitterness would have been welcomed with open arms if there were more flavor in this beer.

D - Look to mouthfeel. Finishing the bomber wouldn't be hard but this beer is lackluster so I already would prefer a different IPA half way into the bomber.

Big disappointment. Will not be buying more of this beer, especially with Blind Pig, PtE, Sculpin, Union Jack, Double Jack, Racer 5, and Celebration still on shelves next to it.

Please Port, bottle Poor Man's DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 23:48:00 | More by RBassSFHOPit2ME

brotherloco

California

3.33/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on 2/4/11

Pour is a bit lackluster, pale orange, but a decent foamy head sticks around.

Smell is subdued. Getting some expected citrus, mostly orange, and a tiny bit of pine.

Taste is pretty much the same, and seems watered down. Bitterness is a tad harsh, but the hop to malt balance is good, not too sweet. Middle is the best part of the flavor with a bit of hop resin. Carbonation is high and helps the mouthfeel. The finish is kind of thin, and leaves more of a bitter feel than flavor. ABV is pretty well hidden, have to give it that.

Not a real big fan of this one, and since it's a pretty fresh bottle, I think I've judged it fairly.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 03:40:57 | More by brotherloco

rtaps

California

3.33/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

poured into a tulip, it was a golden (straw like) in color. with a big 2 finger width frothy off white head. with a good amount of retention, leaving behind spotty lacing.

has a big nose, floral some tropical fruit with a citrus. and is pretty hop dominated.

a lot of hops found here, somewhat floral up front and it has a black pepper bite to it that lingers throughout. some grapefruit is found

light-medium bodied, highly carbonated and leaves the mouth dry making you feel like you need another drink

overall the nose was the best part of these brew IMO, taste wasn't bad but the pepperyness kind of turned me off of it.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 18:41:33 | More by rtaps

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in a La Chouffe Tulip.

A- Bright golden orange. Good lacing on the glass and large foam head.

S- Lots of orange, grapefruit and other citrus notes.

T- Some sweet malts come through before a mouth puckering bitterness overtakes the beer (and not in a good way). Super bitter grassy/pine hops dominate this beer.

M- Good medium balance. Medium carbonation with a semi-dry finish.

O- Had this fresh at Port around Thanksgiving and really like it, but the bitterness overpowers the beer and you don't get the citrus notes like in the nose.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2011 22:28:35 | More by kawilliams81

beertunes

Washington

3.43/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into 10oz glass. Poured a cloudy, hazy orangeish gold color with over 2 inches of white head that had good retention and moderate lacing.

The aroma was full of piney hops and didn't really have much of a malt note. The taste was pretty good, lots of pine upfront, a citrusy finish and not much sign of malts.

The body was average for the style. Drinkability was pretty good for the style. Overall, a decent example of the style and one of the better beers I've had from this brewery. Worth trying when you see it.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 23:00:20 | More by beertunes

chugalug06

Colorado

3.45/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Amazing "looks". Cloudy peach color with a thick foamy head. Artistic lacing remains on the glass. With a gentile "swirl", brew quickly builds an amazingly "tpuffy" head

S - Smells of strong Cascade hop. Very dark citrus. SUPER amount of Hops. Very unique schedule with a late hop definitely added

T - My first taste was offensively bitter, I tried it straight of out the fridge, in a glass, of course... But, once I let the brew warm up a bit, everything mellowed out. However, the bitter taste still remains, a little.

M - Very smooth texture, distributes flavor wonderfully.

D - Not very easily drank, very rough around the edges. Bitter, i will try another one in case I was unlucky enough to get a bad batch... All-in-all, not too impressed with this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 01:33:48 | More by chugalug06

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours golden yellow and slightly cloudy with a beautiful 2 fingered off-white head that had great retention. Lots of lacing was observed.

S: This beer has a very strong nose with lots of grapefruit and citrus aromas.

T: Quite bitter though not in an unpleasant way with lots of citrus and grapefruit hops - the grapefruit flavors really stand out.

M: Medium bodied and crisp.

O: I enjoyed this beer but I could see it be a real palate destroyer depending on the food it was paired with... I would find it difficult to enjoy multiple of these in an evening.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 23:23:16 | More by dbrauneis

kaseydad

California

3.48/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Consumed at the 2010 Hayward Bistro DIPA Festival.

Straw yellow colored ale with small white head. German hop smelling aroma with some citrus fruits and maltiness. The taste starts off with a shot of hops but quickly turns astringent and bitter. A lot going on with each sip....but not overly good. Almost like it's confused on what it wants to be. The sharp bitterness is rather distracting and consumes each mouthful. Thin mouthfeel. Drinkability for most would be easy but the taste just threw me off and therefore is knocked down a notch.

Overall I had high hopes for this since I am a big fan of Port Brewing, but this just didn't hit the spot for me. I will try it again and hope this review was due to a bad batch.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2010 04:09:03 | More by kaseydad

Zorro

California

3.48/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Clear IPA orange colored ale with a tall off-white colored head.

Smells is sweet and strongly hoppy. Strong grapefruit and pine with some mango and papaya in it. Even from a distance this beer spreads it's perfume through the air. Strong citrus here mostly grapefruit and lemon. Slight eucalyptus and mint. I haven't smelled a fresh dreadnaught in a while but this is in that class.

Starts out sweet and woody. Strong bitterness takes a little extra time to adapt to it. Pineapple and pine bite the hardest here. Sadly the bitterness is getting in the way.

Mouthfeel is good.

Drinkability is hurt by the bitterness. I'm no amateur hop-head but this one has an annoying bitter note. Really sad too this looks and smells like heaven.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 23:41:33 | More by Zorro

jrnyc

New York

3.48/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had this in a 22oz bomber poured into a pint glass.

A -Huge head on this, maybe I poured it too quickly, but far too much head.

S: As soon as I popped this one, I loved the smell of it. I had high hopes after smelling it.

T: Hmmm, not bad. With each sip, I kept hoping to like it more, but it just didn't happen. I actually felt a bit of a pilsner taste in it, maybe that is just me.

M: Goes down pretty easy.

O: OK, I know Port is highly regarded, I have had a bunch of their beers, they just don't do it for me. I was hoping after the great smell, it would have a taste I loved, but unfortunately not a taste that suits me.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 21:08:15 | More by jrnyc

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.48/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

650ml bottle pretty fresh (for illinois/port standards, just arrived not too long ago). Served around 55 degrees.

It pours a murky orange. One of the hazier beers out there. The head is wild and shoots up pretty high. It is foamy and white and leaves some lacing.

This one is not that aromatic to me. The main scent is tropical fruit with some herbal notes.

The flavor is pretty good. It has a nice bitterness but not over the top. Surprisingly the mouthfeel is the best thing about this one, odd for a Port beer. The fruitiness isnt as prevalent in the flavor, it is like those sweet orange tomato like fruits mixed with pine.

Pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 22:47:35 | More by crossovert

WOTO97

California

3.5/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bright orange in color with a thin cream head. Big hop nose with some citrus and noticeable piny bite. The alcohol is pretty overt on this fella and overwhelms the finish. Some orange citrus on the front of the palate is immediately overwhelmed by huge hop bitterness and alcohol. Big sticky mouthfeel lingers in the throat with a very hot finish.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2010 20:04:48 | More by WOTO97

Retsinis

California

3.5/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a Bruery Tulip glass.

The beer pours a clear, bright glowing orange, with about a quarter to half inch of white colored head. No lacing.

The beer smells of tropical fruits, such as orange, tangerine, mango & apricot, along with a bit of pine.

The flavors are of grapefruit, big bittering hops, orange rind, pine, and last some toasted malt. The heat is there, but is not distracting, however, the finish is overly dry, which I don't like, and the malt backbone is not as strong for my preference in DIPA's.

The mouth feel had medium carbonation, a tinge of oil, and a sharp bitter dry finish. Too dry for me.

Nothing was particularly foul, it was just not refreshing for me. I think I would pass on this one, personally. I've had it on draft, and in the bottle now, and there are better in this category for me, though I'm sure many will love it.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 01:03:42 | More by Retsinis