Pizza Port Hop 15

Brewed by Port Brewing/Lost Abbey
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
San Marcos, California USA

Poured light orange. Nose was citrus, grapefruit, pine, sweet orange, and some honey. The flavor was sweet malt, pine, caramel, grapefruit, orange, and big on hops. A very delicious aftertaste as well. The bitterness of the hops is well balanced by the sweet malt. A delicious brew.

Bottle courtesy of brentfeesh. Well depending on what part of the bottle you pour from, the appearance can either be clear copper or the murkiest shade of orange that is possible. Aroma is of hops but don’t anger me. Rather a pleasant experience. Taste is a hoppy bitter. Finishes with the sweetness of a nice IPA.

Poured orange. Nose is big grapefruit, sticky resiny pine, sweet oranges, biter lemon zest, some honey floral nots and big sweet toffee. Flavor is sweet malt, caramel, pine, resin, orange, apple, grapefruit, sweet honey, earthy pine. Beautiful IIPA!

Enjoyed from a 22oz bottle in a whiskey snifter. The beer pours a medium amber color with a small white head. The nose brings a character that seems to be a nice cross between Simcoe and Cascade/Amarillo hop aromas. A slight note of alcohol is also present, but not to an extent that it becomes a detriment. Not much malt character to the nose. The palate begins assertively bitter, with a nice melange of the aforementioned hops again coming to the fore. The mid-palate transitions to a combination of nice hop resin with a slight malt character of some high crystals. The back end gives a slight to moderate alcohol character that adds some depth, but is also a bit of an unwelcomed surprise from a beer as highly touted as this. Overall, a nice interpretation on DIPA, but certainly not life-changing.

A wonderully floral and earthy, slightly grassy with a light pine smell. A syrupy mouthful with bitter, slightly grainy flavor. A long lasting finish, that retains the hoppy, bitter floral flavor.

Pours a clear amber-orange with a large, dense, fluffy beige head that reduces to a thin cap and patchy lace. The second pour is a deep, cloudy, tan-orange. The nose is a nice, big citrus at first, then transitions to a blend of dusty blood orange, alcohol, Smarties candies, and caramel malt (in the background). Medium to full-bodied, soft and slick with a solid bitter and somewhat boozy finish that rolls into a lingering bitter and mineral aftertaste. The flavor is a big hit of citrus hops over caramel malt transitioning to a tongue-rapingly resinous and bitter finish that again includes the aforementioned mineral characteristic. This beer is truly a palate crusher. It lacks any semblance of balance or refinement. If you want a hop bomb, as the label depicts, this beer delivers in spades. Hops and alcohol, it’s got, but after reading and hearing good things about this beer, I don’t know that I could have been more disappointed with it.

Deep copper, very small white head. Tons of hops, piney in aroma but with some lighter citrus and grapefruit in the flavor. Surprisingly well balanced.

Sample while judging Alpha King 2009 Contest at Falling Rock. My choice for #1, no offense to Mountain Sun. Copper colored. Huge piney hop aroma. Extremely balanced IIPA. Sticky hops, delicious, malty balance. Great Great beer