Surf Stop Pale Ale
Pizza Port Solana Beach

 

 

 

 

Appearance: Pours a golden rod with some minor cloudiness and a well-defined one-inch head that gives with heavy lacing throughout.

Aroma: Aroma dominated by citrus and tropical fruits, but carries a sweetness, akin to bubble gum and a hint of resiny hops.

Taste: Follows the aroma of juicy fruit, especially peach with a minor tropical fruit flavor. While hoppy and dank it is not overpowering with leaves a dry rye finish.

Mouthfeel: Smooth with a nice hop profile and a dry finish.

Overall: A nice American pale ale which comes in with a nice combination of fruit and hops to create a smooth drinking craft beer.

16oz'er canned on 1-4-18

On draft at the Ocean Beach location. Served in shaker pint glass

Clear dark golden color, foamy white head. Good head retention. Aroma of earthy hops. Taste is fairly bitter, some pale malt. Piney earthy spice hop flavor. Thinner bodied.

16oz can, tulip, canned 1/16/18.

The color is yellow to golden rod and very clear. Head-wise we're talking fluffy, tall, and off-white, boasting good retention.

Gum ball, peach, and citrus combine for a sweet, hoppy, and distinct aroma.

Once I take a sip, it's betrayed to be more rough and tumble, with the gritty west coast hopping. It's also more citrusy, exhibiting bright lemon and yellow grapefruit flavors before revealing the stone fruit and peach gummy ring. There's something tropical, lychee, and then a very dry, clean, moderately bitter finish.

The mouthfeel's medium-high carbonation and clean bitterness support the scale of hop flavors. It's so crisp and perfectly bitter that it's like cracking glass. Every crack allows funky flavors through that just want to have fun!

Pizza Port again shows their mastery of the American Pale Ale/IPA. From the look, to the hops, to the feel, Surf Stop was everything I wanted it to be.

Canned 1/3/18, consumed 2/13/18

Poured clear honey-colored with a large head that left tons of thick lacking.

Aroma is fruity, floral, bread, and sweet malt.

Taste is fruity, dank and pine hops, great balance.

Mouthfeel is medium, clean finish, very easy drinking.

Overall a great pale ale, perfect meal beer. Tastes and drinks bigger than the ABV.

The beer pours out a light hazy medium golden color, with 2 fingers of off white head---------------- the aromas are of grapefruit, guava, papaya, basil and sweet Carmel malt------------------- the flavors are of grapefruit, orange, dank weed, pine, soap, light pineapple and light coconut, the beer has a thin mouthfeel with a pithy bitterness on the finish------------------ overall this beer was nice, it's a solid pale ale with good tropical and citrus flavors and a little pine thrown in--

Pours a light honey color. It's a little bit hazy with fine particulate. Foamy off-white head sticks around, leaving chunky foam behind.

I can really smell the bready sweet malt, and some piney hops. Perhaps a little rye spiciness. Mostly that pale ale toasty bread thing.

Medium carbonation, full creamy body, lingering bitterness. Toasted brown bread. Piney and floral hops aren't popping, but it's a month old can. More rye in the taste than smell. Smooth and easy to gulp down, but also nice to enjoy in sips. Long-lasting bitterness leads into some astringency.

I wish the malt were a touch deeper and had more caramel, but overall a fine pale ale with a light easy-drinking body. Tempted to look for a fresher can.

 

16 oz can from Beercraft. Medium golden with a small foamy head. Aroma is citrus, hoppy, fruity. Taste leans more on the hops than the malts, nice crisp bite,but light on the palate. Everything you's want out of a pale.

Pours a mostly clear orange gold with a small white head. Smells of malt, hops, and citrus. Tastes of sweet bready malts, slightly bitter hops, citrus zest, some light caramel, and other fruits. Medium in both body and carbonation. Overall a pretty good APA.

 

 

Can dated 01/03/18 into a tulip glass.

L: Pours bright golden copper with 2+ fingers of frothy medium density white head with moderate retention and left ringed lacing. Gorgeous looking beer.

S: Very floral, grassy undertones and perhaps some passion fruit and mango. Very enjoyable and dynamic.

T: Departs from the nose, definitely notice the rye spiciness, also some citrus fruits, very little of the floral profile on the nose, subtle dankness. Finishes with some bitterness with accompanying mild astringency, both linger a bidarkness.

F: Medium bodied with medium carbonation, slightly lively on the tongue.

O: It's an interesting APA. Felt that the nose and taste were a bit disconnected for my palate and preferences. I'd get again, but likely only a single vs. a 6er.

 

Type: 16-oz. can
Glass: Clear 16-oz. Bruges beer glass
From: Trader Joe’s in La Mesa, Calif.
Price: $12.99 for a 6-pack (I think)
Purchased: Jan. 13, 2018
Consumed: Jan. 13, 2018
Reviewed as: American Pale Ale
Misc.: Canned on Jan. 3, 2018 at 8:16 a.m. PT

Picked up seven singles and this 6-pack of Pizza Port, all beers I had never tried, on a recent trip to Trader Joe’s. Had seen this at Bine & Vine, but thought I’d wait to see it cheaper at Trader Joe’s so here I was. Description online read, “A refreshing, uber hoppy pale ale with a touch of rye. Boasts citrus fruit notes balanced with pepper, malt, and a slight biscuty earthy rye finish. The hop profile gives this beer its grapefruit and peach aromas. Hops: Idaho 7, Amarillo, Callista, Melon, Denali, Polaris. Surfer and Photographer Steve Sherman discovered this classic sign while searching for a secluded, warm water surf break deep in Baja. The sign represented the excitement & adventure ahead... we hope this beer will inspire you to explore the unknown, too.” Familiar with Idaho 7, Amarillo and Denali, somewhat familiar with Melon, no idea about Callista and Polaris.

Poured an amber-to-medium amber clear color with three fingers of frothy white head. Lots of bubbles coming up from the bottom of the glass. Excellent spotty lacing. Excellent retention. (Sight - 4.25)

Smelled a lot of malts initially, followed by the hops. In order got toffee, caramel candy squares, Motueka-like hops, Amarillo, light Denali, peach, spoiled orange rind, red grapefruit, rye spice and Werther’s candy. More tropical flavors in the nose from the can. (Smell - 3.75)

Taste followed the nose. Actually got mint up front. Also Werther’s candy, caramel, toffee, Motueka-like, Amarillo, spoiled peach, red grapefruit rind, rye spice, pepper, Idaho 7 (not my favorite), orange rind and pine. (Taste - 3.50)

Medium body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Abrupt finish. (Feel - 3.75)

This was very good, but I think I overrated it overall. (Overall - 3.75)

3.68 | 83 | B