BridgePort Hop Harvest Ale (2008)

Formerly brewed at BridgePort Brewing (Gambrinus Company)
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Portland, Oregon USA

Bottle at GABF 2008. Hazy golden coloured with a medium sized white ehad. Fruity aroma of hops and pine needles. Fruity flavour of hops and pine needles. Hoppy finish.

22oz bottle acquired in trade with riversideak (thanks for yet another IPA!). Poured a medium and cloudy amber color with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of floral hops, potting soil, and citrus. Tastes of floral hops, some citrus, and toasted bread. Lightly bitter.

Bottle. Hazed amber. Wet celery and mossy mint nose. The vegetal notes that I tend to find unpleasant in many harvest ales are especially strong in this one. Body is light, spritzy, soft. Flavor is fresh wet cucumber and celery flavored pine-heavy hops. Feels messy and disjointed. Little to no support for what come across as weak hops.

Bottle: Pours a hazy mahogany color with a thick off-white head and a thick sheet of lacing. The nose is fresh with lots of orange, spice and lemongrass along with a toasty malt background. The flavor is light and balanced; very little hop bitterness, a toasty pale malt note and a nice crispy hop flavor. Most of the hops are dry hops and it makes a nice San Diego style pale ale. Fresh and nice!

Bomber from Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa, CA. They’d kept it in the frig case. Pours a ruddy amber color with a decent beige head. Lots of fresh citrus fruit for aroma. Rather full bodied with lots of foamy carbonation. It’s pretty astringent and bitter. For me it’s a tossup whether I’m getting grapefruit rind or pine. Seems very fresh and lush. Finish is dry.

Picked up a single 22-oz bomber from Liquid Solutions in Oregon. Pours a semi-clear cooper amber brew with a thick off-white head that has some nice retention and spotty lacing. Aroma of caramel malt, citrus zest, a touch of apple, and dry herbs. Taste is medium bodied, very light carbonation with flavors of citrus hops, a hint of caramel malt and grapefruit. Finish has a mild bitterness and a some caramel aftertaste. Some similarities to the 2007 vintage but does not have the hot punch as previous vintages.

Bomber, and I’m thinking it must be 2008. Poured hazy, fiery orange with a nice cap of off-white head. The aroma picked up semi-sweet mango and pineapple notes on a bed of soft caramel and sourdough.. the green, fresh hops kicked up some spicy black pepper and floral as it warmed up. The flavor opened with resiny pine and quasi-sour citrus (orange and grapefruit), rolling into juicy sweeter caramel at the core.. again peppery and floral notes come on the back, and provide a refreshing finish. Medium-bodied with low-to-moderate carbonation on the palate.. dry overall and well-balanced.

Sampled on 10/21/08. This Imperial IPA pours a deep orange gold color from a 22oz bottle. Small to medium sized white foamy head. The aroma is grapefruit, orange peel, some malts and a bunch of herbs. A medium bodied Imperial IPA. The malts are caramely and fruity with a touch of sweetness. Hops are grapefruity and piney. It has that definite wet hop chewyness to it as well. Decent balance, with a good level of carbonation. Decent beer. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and crisp. Aftertaste is bitter, with a nice hop bite.