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

udubdawg

Kansas

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

22 oz bottle.

pours a copper orange, with barely a wisp of a head present. Clarity is decent though it isn't what I'd call vibrant.

Big hop explosion in the nose, green, fresh, pine and underlying grapefruit present in abundance. Pale and bready malts are fleeting, but a steady alcohol presence makes itself known immediately and strengthens upon warming. Smells a little too "hot" for my taste but appetizing nonetheless.

It is impossible to have this beer hit the mouth and not note the utter lack of carbonation first instead of flavor. So I'll oblige - yes, it's flat. However as full as the flavor is there is no stickiness here - this would be a very good drinker with some fizz. Medium light body with some alcohol warming that quickly becomes a bit obtrusive.

The flavor is a highlight, plenty of hops and bitterness building and lingering everywhere. No fruitiness other than background citrus among the hops. Malt flavors are limited to pale and a light bready flavor, very complementary without being anywhere near the strength of the hops...or the alcohol. The hops are not harsh or astringent, which is a plus, however the level of alcohol heat is more like a barley wine that is begging for some age.

Basically this beer seems to have the simple malt backbone, relatively light body, and ample hops of a DIPA, but the high gravity and rampant alcohol of a fresh barleywine. If the brewer intended it as the latter, then I'd love to see a little more malt flavor, higher FG, some age...and well the carbonation goes without saying. As a DIPA, I'd prefer this beer to be a bit smaller and again, carbed.

Without the fizz and with all the burn I'm being generous with the drinkability score. I COULD see this beer scoring a 4 here with a couple tweaks, so I went with a 3.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2011 00:07:32 | More by udubdawg

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

Wiessmonkey

Nevada

3.88/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle

A: Unfiltered honey small white head. chucks in bottom.

S: Citrus, yeast, milder than expected and very little hop.

T: Hop, citrus, pine, . Very little bitterness or effervescent of hops. Good balance, not too sweet but.

M: Medium bodied.

D: Overall balanced but not my idea of Double IPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2010 22:37:50 | More by Wiessmonkey

farrago

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Wispy finger of a head, light tan, mostly larger, quick to pop, bubbles, delicate in appearance, very little grip to the lacing. Full-on cloudiness and opacity, pumpkin orange, little but more of banana skin yellow further out, any light that punctuates the surface gets trapped well. The nose comes across as chunky, "nimble" not the word gliding off your tongue, apricot, peach, pineapple, apple scents with a dried fruit edge, tangerine, tangelo, pink grapefruit notes as sweet as sour, pine sap, floral musk, the malts are cast in a supplementary role, mocha and hard toffee, by the same token close to absence of herbal, grassy bite. Full-bodied, layered on the tongue, choose to go for maximal sappiness over brisker pacing. Glazed aspect to the grapefruit, orange, lemon citrus. Carbonation has a tighter weave but little staying power. Sugary apricot, peach, nectarine, guava fruit flavors. Pine, flowers, tea leaves all sappy, has the texture of a skin moisturizer. White pepper, clove spice clumsy like a dull butcher's blade. The creaminess through the finish helps extend the whole. Some breadiness, whole wheat and sourdough. This is one relentless beer, however, subtle nuances ain't on the menu. Just trying too hard.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2010 04:21:02 | More by farrago

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

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.63/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I suppose for the extreme hop heads this is great, but for me, it's too over the top. Pours with a great, foamy, frothy, thick, very light tan head that lasts a long time and lots of lace. Color is a hazy medium amber with lots of tiny bubble trails. Aroma is mammoth hop and a little malt. Flavor is like aroma and lots of alcohol. Body is full, with good carbonation. Finish is like flavor and some solvents at the end. Not really for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2010 04:59:32 | More by drpimento

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

CHILLINDYLAN

Washington

3.33/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Consumed June 2, 2010

Poured aggressively. Clear copper with tangerine highlights. Small forced white bubbly head. A little bit of foam sticks to the sides.

Grapefruit, floral, herbal, slight pine, orange/tangerine. Sweet biscuit.

Hop resiny, Grapefruit, pine, floral, and herbal. Slightly toasty biscuit, some caramel. vanilla and a touch of booze. Resinous bitterness. pine and bitter citrus aftertaste.

Sticky and drying, but completely flat.

Very tasty, but so flat that it hurts the beer tremendously across the board. Could have been an awesome beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2010 01:08:31 | More by CHILLINDYLAN

mgoblue5743

New Jersey

3.15/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This beer is extremely hoppy, It wasn't remarkable to the point that I would get it again. I drove down to Philly and saw this and it looked interesting. It was Eh. Not terrible, but not worthy of a $10 bomber.

Comes with a very bitter aftertaste, I wouldn't call it "refreshing" at all; but if you like hoppy beer, you may enjoy this.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2010 20:15:30 | More by mgoblue5743

NCSUdo

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle

A: Hazy golden body under small white head. Little retention, no lace.

S: Citrus hops, grapefruit, hint of pine and that's about it. Don't get me wrong, what's there is nice, but compared to the description on the bottle, this is rather tame.

T: Hops again, citrus, pine, some sweet hints of malt. Bitterness is just a touch over medium, not overwhelming. Good balance, still a little tame but offers more than the aroma.

M/D: Medium bodied, carbonation about medium. Drinkability is fine. Overall a so-so beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2010 00:17:40 | More by NCSUdo

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

JLeege

Illinois

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

Appearance- a bit lighter than expected. Pours a very light orange color, with a two finger head. Good retention and lacing.

Smell- a blend of citrus and pine hops.

Taste- This is pretty well balanced. A blend of hoppy bitterness, with some caramel malt in the middle.

Mouthfeel- medium carbonation, though a bit thin for the style. The hop bitterness stays with you, but it is a quick finish.

Overall- this is not bad, but it just feels like it is missing something, but not really to sure what that may be. I guess I just expect a little more from an anniversary ale, I want to be "wowed" by one of these.

Edit: nearing the end of the bomber, this beer is starting to grow on me. maybe its the 10%, but I am bumping my scores up a bit.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2010 02:52:29 | More by JLeege

dragonWhale

New York

3.38/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Yes, it does have hops, but balance, unfortunately, it does not. There is a surge of hops, offering some hope, but quickly the bitterness dashes my dreams against the rocks of the beach upon which it is brewed. There is a sort of mangled hope to it, and each sip provides reason to believe, yet it is all in vain. She does not quite come through.

Mostly bitterness and a very dry finish with the malt. Usually I'd like this very much, but on the heels of the Rocket Dog, this leaves me little to be excited about.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2010 04:42:24 | More by dragonWhale

brentk56

North Carolina

3.35/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Despite a hard pour, the beer pours a cloudy apricot color with a very modest head that still leaves some dots and dashes behind

Smell: A pine forest on the nose; underneath, there is a slightly bready base

Taste: After a slightly bready start, the piney hops take over, with an excessively bitter character developing by mid-palate; after the swallow, the resinous hop bitterness overwhelms the palate, with a bit of sticky sweetness bringing up the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a fairly low level of carbonation

Drinkability: Needs more carbonation and a bit more balance; not as bad to my palate as others have suggested, but still not something that would rank in the top echelon for me

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2010 06:20:44 | More by brentk56

roccotuna

California

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

A - poured into sam adams perfect glass. amber/orange with small head even with heavy pour. dissipates quickly. suspended particles. some lacing.

S - citrus orange. floral and chalky/soapy hints.

T - bready malt that I dont get on every sip is quickly overwhelmed by bitter citrus. warm alcohol that i can feel in my stomach after only 6oz. piney burps and aftertaste.

M - medium. almost "fluffy" mouthfeel.

D - heavy lingering bitterness and big alcohol mean I probably wont want to drink more than a bomber.

all in all an interesting brew. for $5 a bomber I'll definitely revisit this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2010 02:31:37 | More by roccotuna

SirSketch

Massachusetts

3.23/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Cloudy orange color and a bright white, clumpy head.

S - Freshly squeezed orange, peaches and a grape-like hop aroma. Pretty boozy, too.

T - Very bitter, without the malt sweetness to back it up. The hop profile is nice with a hint of pineapple.

M/D - A little thin for a beer of this magnitude. They need to rethink this one for next year.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2010 00:47:14 | More by SirSketch

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Port's 4th Anniversary Double IPA pours a hazy amber with a small creamy, white head on top. The foam dissolves quickly to a thin ring around the beer leaving only a few spots of lace on the glass.

The aroma is very hoppy with lots of orange and grapefruit citrus. There's also a strong presence of alcohol in the aroma.

Each sip of this full bodied beer is slightly chewy and slick on the palate. The flavor begins with a syrupy sweetness before lots of bitter citrus hop notes take over. Notes of pine, orange and grapefruit are present. It finishes with an alcohol burn. Once gone the citrus hop flavor and some of the sweetness lingers on the palate.

This is definitely a tasty beer, but definitely a sipper. The alcohol makes its presence known in each sip.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2010 21:59:32 | More by WanderingFool

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

asabreed

New York

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

Bomber into a Samuel Smith 12 oz. nonic.

Appearance: By the time this gets down to the last pours of the bottle, it ends up looking like a Hefeweizen with all the yeast, which I'm not complaining about. Initially, however, the head is a string presence, always there, leaving nice rings, remaining thick and frothy at always about 1/4" above the body, which early on is a mildly hazy copper-peach color.

Smell: Wet gymsock hops, with plenty of fresh good weed aromas -- the spiny, wet bright earthy and herbal aromas -- caramelized orange, and nice bright fruit esters and citrus.

Taste: This is a little raucous and unrelenting, but I do like that, as its brash and it seems like it wants to be brash. That said, there are enough fruit esters and malt aromas going on that the hops, though front and center, aren't off-kilter, yet they aren't as balanced as they could be. That said, again, I'm not sure this was supposed to be a balanced brew in that refined sense of the word, as they claim on the label that they did indeed want a lot of hops going on. Finish is long, earthy, with mild caramel, fresh herbal and bright hops bitterness.

Mouthfeel: The best part about this beer, very creamy and rich, which is very surprising for a style like this. It not only works well, but I think it lets the flavors develop and adds to the lingering finish.

Drinkability: This brew really surprised me, though I'm not sure how accurate that statement is, as this is only my second Port brew I've ever had. It seems, to me, like a non-typical west coast DIPA (there's no way this can be any semblance of a Pale Ale in my opinion), as there's a lot to admire, a lot of risk taken, and to me, a lot going on that I like with a lot of reward in the end. Hoping I can continue to get more Port brews in the future.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2010 02:34:58 | More by asabreed

silentjay

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

pours out a murky orange with a decent almost-white head that retains ok and leaves a bit of chunky lace on my Portsmouth Brewery Tulip.

aroma is of bitter grapefruit with a bit of pine. pretty standard aromas for the style, yet rather faint. Did they not dry hop?

oily, resiny, sticky. those words should be used to describe the mouthfeel, but they actually accurately describe the flavor. hop oils, hop resin, and some sticky sweetness dominate. lots of grapefruit and a huge booziness. meh.

oily, resiny, sticky. a bit syrupy. carbonation is relatively low, which I actually like. medium bodied overall with a sweetness that sticks around after the swallow and a warming in my gullet.

very boozy with an initial bitterness that gives way to a syrupy, sticky sweetness. Not my favorite example of the style. It's ok, and I would drink it again if it was given to me, but I'll probably only have this the one time and be fine with that.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2010 06:34:08 | More by silentjay

DovaliHops

California

3.45/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a very murky, golden-orange color with a m edium white head. The scent on this beer is VERY SWEET. Tons of grapefruit and orange come through very strongly. Also get a lot of alcohol in the nose. Upon first sip, I get so much thrown at me at once. Not very well balanced I must say. The hops are a bit overwhelming, as well as the booziness. It's a shame because there's so many great flavors...but they're just not as balanced out as I was hoping. The grapefruit taste on this one is just delicious though. Others have complained about carbonation problems, but this one is nicely carbonated. Somewhat thick, chewy mouthfeel which was expected for such a big DIPA. Drinkability, I must say, is not very impressive.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2010 07:15:20 | More by DovaliHops

gueuzer

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bomber

This drinks remarkably similar as PtE. It almost seems as if they attempted to clone it. Not quite as good because the malt sweetness that Russian River does such a good job of balancing with the hops is lacking a bit in this one. Very good though, but I would buy a PtE first (CO luxury).

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2010 20:33:39 | More by gueuzer

riored4v

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed on 8/13/10

Aggressive pour into a tulip only lead to a 1/2 finger white head that quickly faded to a ring around the outside. Very hazy orange.

Aroma had a lot of citrus and bitter fruit. Pine present as well. Resiny with some mild maltiness.

Mild bitterness up front that slowly increases thru finish. Very citrusy with strong grapefruit notes. Resiny hop oil in the finish that lingers on the tongue. Some mild tropical notes as well. Mild caramel along with mild maltiness. This one was low on carbonation even after me storing it at 70* to try and guarantee it wouldn't be. With some carbonation I could see this being a lot better.

Mouthfeel had medium body, low carbonation with a mildly dry finish.

Drinkability was decent. Good flavor with no real sign of abv. Low carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2010 02:30:03 | More by riored4v

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle purchased somewhere in MA.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a1/4" beige head over the cloudy golden amber brew. What head there is quickly just a swirl, with lots of legs but fleeting lace. Aroma is whoa grapefruit!

Taste starts almost syrupy sweet, strong citrus in the middle, and then goes boozy at the close. Mouthfeel is smooth, although a bit rocky at times when the alcohol rears its head, and drinkability is good as well. Nice brew, maybe a bit over the top, but for an anniversary brew, you do what you have to.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2010 01:10:57 | More by ppoitras

TCgoalie

Michigan

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

Courtesy of zoso1967 in a beer trade.

I took the bomber out of the fridge and poured it into an oversized wine glass. A quarter finger head appears and quickly fades. Small bubbles stick to the sides of the glass in an almost transparent manner.

Orange and pineapple lead the smell with just a slight malt backbone. A bit mild in the nose, but what it does have is nice.

With a big orange maltiness, I am looking for more hops in the taste. This borders on a barleywine but has more fruitiness than a BW. It tastes good but misses the mark slightly.

The mouthfeel is nice, big, rich, and soft in the mouth with a bit of pine aftertaste.

This is as drinkable as a 10% ABV will be.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2010 02:38:00 | More by TCgoalie