Scenic Loop
Pizza Port Solana Beach

 

Can poured into a Mountain Rambler Brewery pint glass

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

S: Overripe tropical and stone fruit, earthy spice, citrus, bready malt, and honey sweetness.

T: Citrus, mandarin orange hits first, plus a little lemon and lime, followed by plenty of tropical and stone fruit, candied pineapple, honeydew, guava, apricot, peach, pear, and mango, a hint of coconut that grows as it warms, earthy herbal notes, a bit resinous and spicy (definitely getting the dried chili thing from the Strata), bready malt, and honey sweetness.

M: Medium, moderately lively carbonation.

O: This is a rare beer that did the opposite of growing on me as my glass emptied. Feels like the flavors are fighting with each other and never quite come together. You end up with almost over ripe fruit clashing with spicy earthy notes with some coconut floating around because why not. My can wasn't obnoxiously old, but also not as fresh as I'd prefer, so I'll give it a slight benefit of the doubt. Overall, I just don't think the hop combo came together right. Oh well. Rare miss. Next!

 

Handsome pour with clear amber brew and abundant foam in the Chimay chalice. Lush and sudsy mouthfeel. Clean and crisp, with a slight malty sweetness that lingers on the lips. Aroma of ripe melon, straw, alfalfa, and a whiff of citrus. Flavor is mildly lemon-lime with more green melon and a touch of mango. Really a nicely balanced and friendly sort of IPA. So tangy and prickly on the tongue. Yet another excellent West Coast style hoppy brew from Pizza Port. From the 16 oz can purchased at the San Clemente restaurant. Dated 11/16/22.

 

Pours how I like it, crisp clear and clean. There’s lingering hints of sandalwood and guans atop a bright citrus and pine forward foundation. Mild bitterness.

Pours a mostly clear golden yellow with a finger plus of foamy head that slowly settles to a nice ring and cap were some lacing. Faint pineyness with a bit of citrus on the tail. Medium to light body.

Sent my way as part of a ninja strike from @2beerdogs during NBS BIF#16

Crisp clear gold coloured pour, with a nice solid finger of soft foamy head. Slow dissipation, moderate lacing.

Nose is sweet and piney. Maybe some citrus as well. Maybe not. More on the earthy/piney/spicy side of things but with a little bit of sweetness. Smells nice but unremarkable.

Flavour is similarly pleasant and a nice throwback to a previous era of IPAs. Moderately bitter, with that same earthy/piney range from the hops. A light caramel malt underneath.

Sharp carnonation and a moderately oily body. The finish is bitter and fairly sweet. I quite enjoy this, as a good old school WCIPA. Honestly not hte flavour profile I would have guessed looking at the hop-bill, though.

Overall I dig it. Wouldn't necessarily seek it out or make it a priority but I am happily enjoying the glass in front of me and would happily drink another if it was offered. Thanks, Derek!

another hoppy ipa from this brewery; sttrata, loral, cashmerre and cryo=pop hops adifferent hop flavor than normal

 

Canned 10/19/22. Poured into a tall tulip glass 11/15/22. The highlight is the appearance; 2 finger brilliant white head of good longevity giving way to a ring of thin foam and big island of sudsy foam. Lots of sticky lacing. light yellow/ gold color with slight chill haze. very little smell.Some indistinct flavors that I can’t define. Not fruity, at least not a nice one one that I can pick out. Maybe over-ripe guava and/or near rotten pineapple? Maybe some bitter grapefruit rind. Not pine. Moderate body, mild carbonation, but not a particularly clean finish. Imagine all that sticky lacing coating your mouth and throat. Definitely not one of their better efforts. In fact, among their least impressive releases.

 

Packaged on 10/5/22 - consumed on 11/1/22; poured from a 16oz can into my Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Not-quite-clear maize body with two fingers of off-white stiff peaks. Rich, rocky lacing; superior retention.

Garlic scapes, lime, and lemongrass in the nose. Some delicate earthy/spicy/herbal hop notes emerge along with some ugli fruit.

Herbaceous, fruity (tropical/berry with low pear and stone fruit notes), and complex hop profile with moderate bitterness throughout. Clean, crackery malt bill. Hints of onion (not quite catty), cannabis, and lemongrass. Medium-dry finish.

Medium-bodied, well carbonated, and fairly refreshing.

With Strata, Loral, Cashmere, and Cryo-Pop all joining forces, there is almost too much going on at once here, even though the aromas/flavors are individually subtle.