Campgrounds
Pizza Port Solana Beach

Enjoyed three weeks after canning date. Classic west coast appearance, with bright white foam. Light aroma, although did I get a whiff of sage? Definite opens as it warms, with that lemon sage and dank green note becoming more prominent. More dank hop notes come forward on the sip.

 

More like drinking the dirt in the tent at a campground than a fireside brew. This is not one I will drink again. Wish I picked another beer that didn’t taste so gritty.

L: Copper hues gold. Filtered with a short lived three finger head and minor spotty lacing.

S: Sweet, highly herbal in the hopping, and even a bit vegetal. I get pine and mild citrus too, but don’t see how some tasters are listing every fruit on the planet.

T: Follows my nose. A touch medicinal.

F: Solid middle weight, too sweet and resinous to be crushable but spot on for the ABV.

O: This is a good but not great offer from Pizza Port. They have more stand-out beers.

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: American IPA
Glass: Melvin 14-oz. Spiegelau IPA glass
Price: $2.34
From: Trader Joe’s in La Mesa, Calif.
Purchased: April 24, 2020
Consumed: May 11, 2020
Misc.: Canned on April 8, 2020 at 8:03 p.m. PT

Had Rachel pick this for me on a recent Coronvirus trip to Trader Joe’s. Not really a fan of Pizza Port IPAs, but I keep trying them all. This was had me a little intrigued lately as the hops mentioned were Strata, Cashmere and Rakau. Three relatively new hops to me, although most recently I really enjoyed a single-hopped Strata beer just two days prior. The full description for the beer was, “Campgrounds IPA is a light bodied, full flavored brew perfect for pitching a tent or wandering the trail. The grain bill of 2row and Carahell give subtle notes of honeysuckle, which lay the perfect foundation to showcase the big hop profile. Using a combination of Strata, Cashmere, and Rakau; expect bursting aromas of passionfruit, strawberry, and pear and rounded out with flavors of fresh citrus and grapefruit. This IPA will serve as the perfect kindling to spread good cheer across the campground! Every can of Campgrounds IPA is contained in a special glow in the dark can, so you'll be able to see it whether the campfire is lit or not!” That’s a hell of a description.

Poured a golden-to-light yellow clear color with two fingers of frothy white head. Just a few bubble streams coming up from the bottom of the glass. Decent spotty watery lacing. Decent retention. (Sight - 3.75)

Smelled pine, Strata, passion fruit, grapefruit, light coconut, herbal, strawberry, pear, green grape and light apple. (Smell - 4.00)

Taste followed the nose, but not quite as good. In order got bitter pine, Strata, passion fruit, grapefruit peel, herbal, pear, green grape, apple, strawberry and light coconut. (Taste - 3.75)

Medium body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Long, bitter, slightly bitter finish. (Feel - 4.25)

Might have underrated this overall at 3.75, but very good at least. (Overall - 3.75)

3.86 | 87 | B+

 

Fairly nice IPA from the great Pizza Port. 3/30/20 date printed on can. Pours a darker golden color with some fluffy white head and small rings of lingering lacing. Aromas of crisp orange, pineapple, grapefruit, guava and some weaker malt, vanilla and floral hops. Taste follows the nose, nice and crisp, has that slight bitter finish typical of West Coast IPA styles. Smooth, clean, mild mouthfeel, great carbonation. Nice and easy to drink, higher ABV was well hidden.

 

Can poured into a Mountain Rambler Brewery

A: Pours golden yellow with a frothy eggshell white head that settles to a light layer and leaves a little nice lacing.

S: Piney, grassy, herbal, floral, citrus, underlying fruity notes slowly poke through, faintly toasty bready malt, and a touch of caramel sweetness.

T: All kinds of different fruits (stone, tropical, citrus, berries), apricot, peach, mango, passion fruit, strawberry, lemon, lime, grapefruit, and hints of papaya and melon, some spicy pine, grassy and slightly dank herbal notes, floral side shows through on back end, faintly toasty bready malt, and a touch of caramel honey sweetness.

M: Medium body, moderate carbonation, ever so slight creaminess.

O: Pizza Port throwing down a really solid modern IPA. New school hops bring some cool stuff to the party, but there's still some classic dank piney citrus vibes keeping it nicely balanced. Would be super enjoyable to tilt back around a camp fire.

Pizza Port keeps the good IPAs coming. This one has a nice light golden color, and a pleasant aroma, too. When I tasted it, the first thing that stands out is that it is notably floral. There are definite citrus notes that are noticeable as well. Moderate carbonation, with a clean, pleasant aftertaste as well. Will want to have again and again.

 

 

I’ll say one thing: this beer is really clean like you hired the Brawney Man to clean up your place after a bender. That being said, what if he uses a cleaner with a scent that I don’t like? What the Raul man is getting to, is he knows that this beer is quality, but doggonit I just don’t know if I like Strata. It’s clean, crisp, and bright like Einstein after a shower…

Yeah, I think I’m comin’ around…

 

 

Pours a clear bright yellow with plenty of sticky foam in the tall Pilsner glass. Tangy and lively on the tongue. Aromatic with melon and something like strawberries. This is an interesting mix of hops with a distinctly nutty flavor. I am at a loss to describe flavors of these unusual hops (Strata, Cashmere, and Rakau) but there is some distinct citrus peel and dark grapes.

Moderate bitterness lingers in the aftertaste. From the 16 oz can which PP sells in six packs, thank you very much. Purchased at Trader Joes.

Another great IPA by Pizza Port. This one is right up there with their best. From the first mouthfeel to the lingering flavors at the end this IPA is solid. Gonna go have another one now cheers!

Good overall IPA. Stoked on this new beer. The beer tastes smooth and packs a great punch. I would highly recommend this beer after my 2nd 6 pack. Cheers!