Old Ball & Chain - Port Brewing Company / Pizza Port

HopHead84

California

3.58/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2/15/2011

On tap at Pizza Port Ocean Beach.

A: Pellucid burnished yellow gold with a big white head. Good retention and okay lacing.

S: Really grassy with notes of orange and tangerine. The grass profile reminds me a little of lemon grass. I also get traces of grapefruit, pine, and there's a notable nectarine presence. Light mango.

T: Grassy and slightly herbal with an upper moderate level of bitterness with pretty much no malt influence. I get some orange flesh and pith, as well as grapefruit, pine, and a touch of lemon. The bone dry finish displays a light astringency and a good deal of bitterness.

M: Light in body with upper moderate carbonation. Mouthfeel is sticky, crisp, and very dry.

Overall: A good hoppy pale ale. For me, it's a little heavy on the bitterness for the amount of backing hop flavor, but still good.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Pizza Port Ocean Beach, 1956 Bacon St., San Diego

02-16-2011 03:08:06 | More by HopHead84

womencantsail

California

3.68/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Pizza Port Ocean Beach

A: The beer pours a clear golden orange color with a finger of white head and some spotty lacing.

S: A big hop aroma to start this one off. Lots of citrus and pine to go with a bit of grass. The grapefruit notes are really nice on this one and there is just a little bit of tropical fruit in there. I don't really get any malt at all.

T: While there is a pretty solid hop flavor, this beer is overly bitter. There is tons of pine along with some fleshy grapefruit and grapefruit rind. The finish has a lasting and intense bitterness. I don't get any malt on the palate either.

M: The body is medium with a moderate carbonation.

D: The nose was really nice, but this beer was just too damn bitter. It would be nice to have a higher hop flavor to bitterness ratio.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Pizza Port Ocean Beach, 1956 Bacon St., San Diego

02-08-2011 07:51:56 | More by womencantsail