Ocean Air Hazy IPA
Pizza Port Solana Beach

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: New England IPA
Glass: Firestone 16-oz. Spiegelau IPA glass
Price: $14.99 for a 6-pack
From: Windmill Farms in Del Cerro (San Diego), Calif.
Purchased: May 13, 2022
Consumed: May 13, 2022
Misc.: Canned on April 18, 2022 at 10:02 p.m. PT

Was looking for a 6-pack of IPAs and went with a Pizza Port IPA. Knew going in that most likely it would be between a 3.70 and a 3.92. Not great but does the job. Pizza Port’s website called it “A clear and clean IPA featuring Simcoe and Sabro hops at 7.0% ABV. The tropical aromas of lime, coconut, pineapple, lemongrass are balanced with a slight cedar bitterness and clean malt flavors.”

Poured a medium yellow semi-hazy color with seven fingers of rocky white head. Could see just a few bubbles creeping up along the sides of the glass. Perfect foamy spiderweb lacing. Perfect foamy retention. (Sight - 4.75)

Smelled orange creamsicle, orange blossom, floral, pineapple, Sabro, cedar, coconut, guava, mango, melon, pine and papaya. Smelled better out of the can. (Smell - 4.00)

Tasted a little better than the nose. Got orange creamsicle, orange blossom, tangerine, floral, pineapple, Sabro, cedar, coconut, guava, mango, melon, pine, papaya, Simcoe on the backend and lingering peppery spice. (Taste - 4.00)

Medium body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Abrupt, juicy finish. (Feel - 4.25)

This was a pretty good hazy IPA. I was actually a bit surprised. Slightly underrated this overall. (Overall - 4.00)

4.07 | 91 | A-

 

Can poured into a Mountain Rambler Brewery pint glass

A: Pours hazy golden amber with a frothy off white head that settles to a firm layer and laces nicely.

S: Grassy, woody pine, dank herbal notes, citrus zest, a little tropical and stone fruit, biscuity malt, and caramel sweetness.

T: Citrus, tangerine leads, plus some grapefruit, lemon, and lime, spicy pine, dank herbal notes, underlying tropical and stone fruit, mango, pineapple, peach, apricot, and passion fruit, a touch of coconut that slowly emerges as it warms, biscuity malt, and caramel sweetness, and a touch of sweet cream on the back end.

M: Medium body, moderate carbonation.

O: They might need to market it as a West Coast hazy IPA or they'll catch some people off guard. While there's some haze to soften things up a bit, it still brings the IBUs and packs more of a piney herbal punch than most hazies these days. Not quite as refreshing as I was hoping for given the name, but not bad.