4th Anniversary Double IPA - Port Brewing Company / Pizza Port

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- I got a 1/2 inch of white fizzing foam that left after time. Some lace tries to stick but does not succeed. This one has a copper orange color to it.

S- A whole lot of hops and a malt backing to counter balance. This gives of a very pungent tropical citrus type of smell. Some alcohol in this 10%er. Getting pine and grapefruit from this with a bit of a sweet backing. Amarillo seems to be bursting.

T- The hop varieties used give off an over whelming grapefruit sense with and and not a lot of earthy flavors to back it, west coast for sure. This is hoppy and very bitter beer with malts to back. 4th while not hot gives off a semi warming sensation with the 10%, while retaining the hop bite and the malt sweet, ya dig. Pine barrens.

M- A step above Medium bodied with some warming quality from this 10% brew. This is extremely hoppy and very malted as well, you know what it is. Port has been stepping up in the carb game even though it's still not greatly carbed, but it is big beer and the yeast may not have been as strong as expected.

D- This is a lighter hop bomb than the other anniversary beers in all sense of the word so if thats not your thing look elsewhere. 4th has a balanced hop flavor came from many varieties of the plant giving citrus and pine. At 10% one draft is good with driving and all, but I could drink more.

Serving type: on-tap

06-02-2012 15:11:50 | More by onix1agr

IronLover

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Murky copper orange in color. Poured with a short white foam that quickly reduced to a light wispy cap. Tropical and citrus hop aromas with a hint of pine. The pungency of the hops was subdued by an intensely sweet maltiness beneath. The malt and hop aromas couldn't mask the boozy higher alochol content. Smooth oily feel that thinned at the finish. Tropical fruit, pineapple and orange hop flavors up front that are quickly diluted by a rush of sweet maltiness. Pine hop flavors toward the end along with an undeniable alcoholic presence through thte finish. Definitely maltier and boozier than Port's other IPAs.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2012 16:59:40 | More by IronLover

shleepy

California

3.78/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at The Hopyard in Pleasanton, CA. Drank on 7/11/2011 (going through older notes). It was just labeled "Anniversary," so not quite sure if that's the 4th or 5th... based on other reviewer's dates, this one seems right.

A: Slightly hazy golden color; medium white head with small bubbles. Decent head retention.

S: "Green" hops, very potent and overwhelming.

T: Not much of the green hop flavor prevails here, surprisingly. Strong citrus notes. Very balanced malts, alcohol (i.e., can't taste alcohol, despite the high ABV), and hops. Maybe some light berry flavors going through, as a result of that balance. Clean finish.

M: Pleasant and drinkable, surprisingly. Not light bodied, but hard to say that it's above "medium."

O: Great stuff. Like a strong Belgian IPA or a fruitier Pliny.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2012 23:28:16 | More by shleepy

Allpe45

Arizona

2.5/5  rDev -30.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

on tap at The Hungry Monk
Appears bright orange and slightly hazy, respectable but small head (I blame the pour), but little lacing after the head disperses.

Somewhat muted nose, tropical hops and solvent alcohol.

A wide range of hops in the taste, some tropical/critrusy hop flavors up front, oily/resinous hops in the middle, and plenty of medicinal hops and solvent alcohol burn. The finish resembles some kind of industrial strength cleaning product. This would be an amazing beer if not for the finish. It is definitely a hop bomb, but in an unpleasant way (i never thought it was possible).

Medium bodied with light yet prickly carbonation. The prickliness of the carbonation really pronounces the hop bite.

Despite the huge variety of hoppy flavors, I did not find this beer to be enjoyable. This is one that I would warn my friends to avoid unless a dare is involved. Luckily it is limited enough that they probably won't encounter it anyway.

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2011 00:42:55 | More by Allpe45

Phelps

Arizona

4.25/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed via tap at Tops, served in a small weizen-shaped glass.

Gorgeous orange-gold with the slightest bit of haze, topped by a puffy head of pancake batter consistency and color. The bubbles droop but never leave, and I don’t doubt that they’d still be there if I left this beer sitting here until tomorrow. Bubbles grip the glass in walls of fluff.

Citrus in the nose — mostly orange peel, with hints of more bitter grapefruit. Some grass also emerges, along with mango, rose petals and crackers.

Smooth, sweet flavor. I get far more tropical fruits here than I did in the nose, with mango and pineapple dancing on the tongue amidst grass and some dankness. A bit of alcohol. The finish is like simple syrup, but pale malts add a cracker-like sharpness.

Alcohol heat burns through the nose after each sip, and the bitterness is substantial. Carbonation is light yet prickly, and the body has a heavy, syrupy quality that seems to coat the tongue and really works with the sweeter flavors.

A nice blend of tropical flavors. I don’t like it quite as much as their regular DIPA, Mongo, but this is a damn fine way to celebrate an anniversary.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2011 01:29:25 | More by Phelps

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a tulip glass)
A- This beer has a hazy pale orange body with a thick bubbly off-white head supported by a gentle carbonation of tiny bubbles.
S- The full green hops have nice pine qualities with some tropical fruit punch hop aromas to finish.
T- The apricot notes blend with more full green hop flavors and a sour earthy note finishes the hops. The pungent hop bite in the finish has a woody character and the bitterness clings to the mouth after each sip.
M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with no alcohol heat noticed. There is a soft fizz the enhances the hop bitterness in the finish.
D- This beer has a big hop flavor that is earthy and a bit fruity which is nice. The pungent bitterness in the finish seem to grow and overpower all the other hops and each sip gets a little more bitey than the last.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2011 03:43:55 | More by rhoadsrage

armock

New York

3.85/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Poured a golden color with a white head that leaves lacing behind

S - Is a nose full of grapefruit hops with a hint of alcohol

T - Follows the nose this ia a grapefruit hop bomb with some alcohol in the finish

M - This beer has a medium body with medium carbonation to it

D - For a DIPA hop bomb I like this one quite a bit I would go and get this again worth getting if you see it around

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2010 17:25:29 | More by armock

fear025

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Bavarian Lodge in Lisle, IL.

Aroma:Lots of citrus, a little grapefruit, some malt, and alcohol.

Appearance:Golden in color. Nice head, ok lacing.

Taste:Tons and tons of hops in this beer. It tastes like it has mostly piney hops, with a little citrus. Very sweet malt flavor backbone.

Mouthfeel:Medium to thick body, a little hop astringency.

Drinkability:This is a very pleasant hop bomb of a beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-25-2010 16:16:16 | More by fear025

GJ40

North Carolina

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Sampled on tap at Monk's in Philly.

A - A light golden, almost yellow color with a small white head and a slight haze. Great well defined rings of lacing.

S - Lots of citrusy hops.

T - A mix of citrusy hops, rich hop oils and alcohol. The alcohol seems to stand out more and more as you go on.

M - An oily, creamy consistency with a low to moderate carbonation.

D - Good but the alcohol is a bit too strong and apparent for my taste.

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2010 11:22:28 | More by GJ40

zoso1967

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served up one of the more orange ambers I have seen in a beer. The head is slightly off-white and very sticky. It fades to a ring around the glass and leaves random globs of lace.

The aroma is super sweet with tons of citrus, giving it a sort of candied orange smell. It has a really sugary malt aroma that seems to color the flavor of the hops. It also has a tropical lean to it that is nice, but it just seems a bit too sugary.

The flavor is also quite sweet with plenty of sugary malt and notes of caramel. The hop flavors are definitely right in there as well with grapefruit, orange and citrus pith. More herbal notes also appear as it warms and becomes a bit hotter alcohol wise. I keep wishing that it had a little bit less sweetness in it.

The mouthfeel is on the fuller side of medium and is very smooth, but a bit sticky in the finish. There seems to be a lot of pine and pith citrus in the long finish.

This is a bit too sweet and boozy to be considered super drinkable, and I think overall it comes up a little bit short. It is an anniversary beer though, so I will cut it a bit of slack for going big.

Serving type: on-tap

09-07-2010 23:24:43 | More by zoso1967

Seanibus

California

3/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours hazy dunny golden with vigorous carbonation and a small fluffy head. Aroma is sweet and candy-like with huge citrusy hops. Flavor disappoints, though. It is bitter and hoppy but with no malt backbone - like sucking on a big hop plug. The bitterness is out of balance. The mouthfeel is rather thin but prickly.

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2010 14:59:37 | More by Seanibus

JTahoe

California

3.83/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - brassy yellow-orange, chill-haze, and fairly minimal off-white head...some sticky pathes left on the glass...not bad for the ABV.

S - mellon (cantelope, etc.) and faint grapefruit with some biscuity undertones and a whiff of lemon peel.

T - sharp and bitter character embedded in bready body. Pine and sharp citric hops with pineapple and with green herbs and a hint of lemon pith in the background supported by some nice grains (for the style). Quite a bit if bready malt for the style.

M - moderate, perhaps a bit light for the style. Carbonation is moderate, leaning a touch light, but appropriate. Lightly creamy.

D - enjoyable to be sure. An appropriately interesting take for a special brew. Nicely done, though this isn't a grand slam. Try it.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2010 00:49:31 | More by JTahoe

oglmcdgl

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A pint on tap at mc menamins in mt airy. Yikes that's a lot of a 10 abv beer.

A- comes to me filled to the brim so no head. Hazy sunset orange in color. After a few sips and a swirl a small cap of head build and leaves a nice cascade of lace.

S- big bold lemony citrus hops and powered sugar sweetness. Grapefruit and tropical fruit galore.

T- citrus hops upfront with tons of grapefruit, satsuma orange, and all the tropical mangos and papaya. Hitns of pine start to show with some warming. Malts play second fiddle but are never lost. The caramel and powdered sugar sweetness balance out the epic hopping very nicely. Honey whole wheat bread and a dry biscuit. Long linger.

M- a touch less then full bodied and a mid level carb. It does coat the palate a bit with a hop resin slickness.

D- well for a 10 abv brew its tough to tell it. And that pint seemed to go down rather easy. Great stuff and it goes to show on draft tomme stuff is always a hit.

Serving type: on-tap

07-01-2010 00:34:20 | More by oglmcdgl

Chico1985

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Sierra Grille into a snifter. Looks like I am one of the lucky few to actually have had this carbonated.

Pours bright glowing orange with 1-finger white head. Head shrinks just a bit after that, leaves really good lacing. Great looking beer.

Big hops, pine and fruit in the scent.

As expected, taste is extremely hoppy and bitter. Tons of pine and grapefruit. The booze stayed decently hidden for the first few sips but is very noticeable after that, eventually being on par with nail polish remover, takes over the beer unfortunately. Reminded me of Hop 15 but way less solid. Very oily. Took a while just to finish one glass. Flavors were good but got tiring fast.

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2010 12:12:31 | More by Chico1985

flexabull

California

3.78/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Was shocked to see this at the Alehouse in Redding.

Pours a bright gold color with a decent white head.

Aromas are very hop forward, a mix of citrus, grapefruit, orange, and lemon. There are also hints of resin and candies.

Taste if also very hop forward, but seems to be lacking a malt backbone. Lots of grapefruit up front, with a bone dry mineral hop finish. But like I said, the malt flavors are lacking, there are some creamy sweet flavors, but they are kind of buried under the hops.

Mouthfeel is good, nicely carbonated, and pretty smooth.

Drinkability is not bad. This is a hop bomb, but it needs some balance. Good beer, glad I tried it, but I was hoping for a bit better.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2010 05:30:27 | More by flexabull

largadeer

California

3.98/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Draft at Gourmet Haus Staudt, served in a pint glass. Sunset hued and topped by a substantial head that refuses to quit. The nose is boldly aromatic, displaying notes of candied grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple - heavy on the fruity, tropical hops, with only a touch of sugary malt lending balance. Hop flavors are equally huge on the palate, as is alcohol; this is surprisingly solventy. Pine and grapefruit flavors are prevalent, and there's a touch of tropical fruit in the mid-palate. It finishes with a light sugary malt flavor before the resiny bittering hops and alcohol wipe away any trace sweetness. This is good - rough, but good. The hop aroma is exceptional, but it's slightly harsh on the palate.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2010 00:11:07 | More by largadeer

snpub540

California

3.88/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Live review at The Bottle Room.

Poured a slightly hazy light amber hue. Came with a small white head which ended up leaving no lacing whatsoever.

Smells like straight hop juice. Smells very resiny. Pine and tropical fruits bring about a very enticing smell.

Taste is very much a reflection of the aroma. If there is a sweet malt backbone it is quickly killed by a strong resiny smack of hops. Mango and pineapple upfront with a nose piney finish.

Mouthfeel is slightly thin for my taste but the hops make it almost sticky. Drinkability is alright for an IIPA. Could be smoother but I'm not complaining.

Serving type: on-tap

06-03-2010 22:59:42 | More by snpub540

SShelly

California

4.15/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On draft at blue palms.

Pours is cloudy yellow with bright white bead, tons of lacing and nice tight bubbles.

Aroma is awesome, sweet citrus and some pine.

Big burst of citrus bitterness upfront with a lot of sweet malt on the back end of the sip. Leaves a bitter tingle on the tongue, pretty tropical though predominantly bitter.

Tasty but not quite mongo tasty, I like it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2010 01:59:24 | More by SShelly

SDHoffers

California

4.55/5  rDev +26%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

So excited to get this on tap at our place. Appears a little hazy and murky. The smell is so nice and dank. You really know the second you take a nose full what a gorgeous hoppy beer this really is. Taste is excellent with a lot of boldness. Mouthfeel is good and exactly what I would expect from a west coast dipa. I really couldn't see having too many of these even though the alcohol isn't too high. I made the mistake of having a Union Jack after this one and even though I dig U.J. I really couldn't taste much after the Port 4th explosion. I would recommend this beer to anyone that is looking to experience a hop rush and feel the power of a hoppy San Diego double IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

05-26-2010 22:41:42 | More by SDHoffers

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Interesting coloring--seems golden on the edge but deep amber in the center. Cloudy. Small, but lasting head. Leaves some ring lace after each sip.

Strong grapefruit (with a touch of pine) hop aroma. Attractive and inviting.

Classic DIPA flavors, with a sizable malt presence. One expects the the hop wallop, but this brew has a solid barley start. The hop does overwhelm in the swallow, leaving a near hot pepper feel to the tongue and roof of the mouth. The alcohol is strong and subdued, if that's possible. Traditional body and carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 01:35:59 | More by smcolw

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.25/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Filling in the old vintages seemed fair before writing the review on the new one. Orange pour, nice small thin ring of white head on it. Depending on which bottle we're talking about (fresh v. 2/4 months on it) the aroma can be vastly different. Its merely nice when fresh, after 60 days its way downhill and in 4 months it was deeply disappointing, for such a big beer, the hops are really lacking a strong constitution.

Taste, massively bitter at all stages, regardless of freshness. Ultimate feeling was that this beer lacked the beautiful touches in most Port hoppy beers. This one just is a tongue blast of bitterness for the most part, everything else, malt, sweetness remains in the background. Pretty hot too for Pizza Port. I buy less and less of this beer every year.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 22:41:05 | More by Beerandraiderfan

andrewinski1

Maine

3.8/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip. Date on the neck says April, 23. The color is hazy orange, there is a tiny off-white head.

The aroma has some caramel-like malty aroma with some pine and a bit of mango.

The taste starts out with candy sweetness. The finish is loaded with intense piney hops that assault the sides of my tongue, but the sweetness stays throughout.

This is a big beer; very viscuous. The carbonation is amplified by the pine flavors.

This is really good. I wish I had found it a few weeks ago, but the hop flavor is delicious.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 19:53:33 | More by andrewinski1

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Great foam, great lacing. Color is a hazey copper with sluggish bubbling. Looks great.

Super citric, resiny, oily hop aroma. Smells fresh though. A little toasted biscuit mlat and some warming abv..

Clean, but resiny and oily palate from start to finish. The finish is pretty warm as the flavor lingers. Lots of resiny orange rind hop bitterness bomb. The abv. accentuates the bitter hop profile. This is a good sipping DIPA. The finish is warm both abv. and bitterness wise.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 01:08:27 | More by scruffwhor

ChuckS

North Carolina

3.18/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A - pale yellow-orange and cloudy with a tall, thick pale yellow head that rapidly dissipates leaving a laced glass.

S- sweet with strong resin and citrus hops.

T- a hop explosion with grapefruit citrus and pine resin against a sweet background. Sweetness disappears with a warmth of alcohol and a lingering bitterness (almost like rubber).

M- smooth and creamy with a nice balance of carbonation. Coats the oropharynx with a layer of aromatic hops.

O- even for a hop-lover this may be too much. Strong and pungent. Lacks the balance and complexity of top scored DIPA. Careful or you may not remember the evening after a couple of bombers of this brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 01:22:00 | More by ChuckS

cjoc83

Pennsylvania

2.83/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a hazy golden amber color, massive 3 finger head that dissipates after a while but leaves excellent lacing.

Wow...big grapefruit in the nose, pineapple, pine, floral hops...basically just a hops explosion. A little booziness.

Taste follows suit closely. Huge grapefruit rind and pineapple, very sweet in the beginning, but that quickly gives way to a bold and unforgiving bitterness that will undoubtedly polarize many an IPA fan. I myself find it to be a bit much. The tropical fruit flavors that I love are there, but it's clouded in a brew that is somehow cloyingly sweet, too bitter, and too hot. A lot of alcohol in the finish on this one.

Creamy mouthfeel with low carbonation, very hot finish, lots of alcohol. Seems very heavy, sits heavy in the stomach. This is kind of hard to drink.

Hmm. Part of me really wants to love this beer. A big, super hoppy DIPA. But it's all just a bit too much. Too much alcohol hotness, too much sweet malt in the start, way to bitter in the finish. It ends up tasting like solvent. It's taking me over 45 minutes just to finish about 12oz. It's drinkable, but not easy or even very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 21:23:03 | More by cjoc83