Pizza Port Hop 15

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

on tap-pours a retaining creamy white head and hazy gold color. Aroma is citrus-lemon/grapefruit hops (cascade, Amarillo). Taste is dry/raw citrus-lemon/grapefruit hops (cascade, Amarillo), faint malt, alcohol. Big. Sipping.

Astonishingly steady white head covers a clearish orangey golden hue. Characterful and extremely complex nose is defined by the incredible amount of aromatic hops used. They don’t focus on anything, literally transporting us into a vortex of grassy, herbal, floral, piney, perfumey, leafy nose saturating hops. More than adequate malt base gives it the necessary caramel, cookie and honey sweetness to deal with it. The blending of both monsters create a fruity and surprisingly smooth animal of litchi, tropical fruits, apricot and pepper that takes life in the form of a medium and slick body, of surprisingly engaging carbonation. Strong alcohol accentuates the oily resin feel, but the carbonation dealt with it gracefully. A masterful execution of a too good to be true undertaking.

The last bottles I’ve had from the Lost Abbey plant have left me less enthusiast. Very sweet maltiness, yet overwhelming hops which have lost their tropical nature that I adored. The alcohol also seems to bug me whereas I’ve lost the biscuity feel I adored. Dropping from 4.0 to 3.4

Having tried that a few more times since, I must say I just don’t really enjoy it, the bitterness is too much and I don’t see the remarkable integration that most Port beers have.

Bottle at ultimate glasgow tasting. Aroma is just such a pleasure, everything i love about hops, packed with resins, pine, lychee, citrus, amazing full deserves the 10. Taste is similar, i kept going back and having more of this, so delicous and juicey, georgous stuff. If i ever get the chance for more its mine!

***The re-rate***... bottle... This beer still rocks!... Tasted again at Aaron & Kathy’s Holiday Bash 2003... I found this brew to be even more enjoyable than the one tasted one year ago at the Brickskeller’s So. Cal. Strong Ale tasting.*** Draft... 2002 Brickskeller Tasting... This beer rocks!... The nose is lightly malty with a faint cookie-like aroma. However, pretty much knocking the malt flat on it’s back is the heavy hop aroma, specifically spruce and perfume. I also detected a nice apple and soapy aroma in there. Hazy, dark amber in color, this beer has a frothy, white, fully lasting head with excellent lacing. Up front, the beer is moderately sweet and moderately bitter. Very well balanced at first sip. The spruce is in the flavor as well. The back end is lightly malty/sweet, HEAVILY BITTER and a touch sour. A great combination and the duration is long. I drank this beer two days ago and I am still enjoying it. Ooops... HOP BURP. Excuse me, please. Full, creamy mouthfeel (the beer, not the burp) with lively carbonation. The finish is pretty alcohol laden, but dry and clean as well.

(On tap Real Ale Fest - Chicago) Pours a golden bronze with a sweet floral hoppy aroma. Great balance between sweet and bitter that finishes with a dry woody flavor. Very smooth with almost no detectable alcohol.

courtesy of oh6gdx - hazy orange colour with a little foam; cheesy aroma with notes of quince; chewy malts and quite oily, dynamic palate, robust bitterness and a very dry bitter and very long fruity finish - a beautiful Imperial IPA

Fully hazy orange-amber. Slight orangey rim of head. Nose, well, hops. Guess!! but also a smell of apple and even more specific golden apple peel. Bitter taste. Imagine. The balance malt-hops is gone, but not the 'inner-hops' balance. Mouthfeel is very thick. The malt wants to be felt at one point; bit oily. Only Tomme would be capable of getting this right. It's lopsided enough, but a lopsided once in a while doesn't hurt.

Cloudy orange colour with an off white head. Hoppy, piney bitter aroma with peach fruity notes. Quite hoppy flavor, again with a piney bitterness and a light fruity note.