Backyard Explorer
Pizza Port Solana Beach

 

 

 

This one is straight a “Bam! Bam!” beer because Raul is thinking fruity pebbles. Like, the damn thing is overfly tropical like Toucan Sam on vacation. Duh, hops can be tropical and such; but they are so big here it’s like Barry Bond’s injected some Nectaron. Oh, and the Astros are still chumps because of 2017.

Raul is out - exit stage left.

 

Straw with one and half finger white head. Nose is full of mango and pineapple and a hint of onion dankness. Taste opens with a pop of guava and pineapple that folds into a pale malt with citrus edges. Body is light to medium with similar carbonation. Ends semi dry with a lingering coconut smoothness. Overall it’s solid, and another nice offering from Pizza Port:

 

 

 

 

Packaged on 2/19/24 - enjoyed on 3/3/2024 - poured from a pint can into my Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Slightly cloudy saffron to gold gradient with a hefty ivory cap. Rich soapy lacing, excellent retention.

Resinous hop-forward aroma, tropical (guava, passion fruit) and slightly catty with a hint of chives and oranges.

Crackery malt bill supports a wave of herbaceous hop flavors. Moderately bitter throughout with grapefruit pith, crushed oranges, hints of pineapple and passion fruit leading into a green/savory melange. Finishes fairly dry with a residual biscuit note. Somewhat muddled.

Medium-light bodied, slightly oily, and not quite refreshing.

More variety of flavor than Swami's, but not as well integrated - enjoyed the single, but will likely skip this one next time.

Pours a clear golden amber with long-lasting foam in the Saxo glass. Inviting aroma of strawberry and lime peel. Lush and sprightly on the tongue. Flavors of berries, grapes, and a touch of peach. Finishes with dark resins. Moderate bitter aftertaste with the sweet fruit still on the lips. Really good with the tasty fruit and barely a hint of citrus for a change. From the 16 oz can purchased at Pizza Port in San Clemente. Dated 2/19/24 -- less than two weeks ago.

Canned 2/19/24, poured into a modified perfect pint glass with carbonation grid on 2/29/24. 2-finger off-white fluffy head that very slowly recedes to 1/2 finger. Leaves a fair amount of lacing. Perfectly clear yellow-gold liquid with steady stream of rising bubbles (perhaps courtesy of the carbonation initiation grid). Not much smell; some faint pine, but a relatively assertive bitterness with flavor somewhat dominated by pine. Maybe a bit of lemongrass, plus a bit of citrus trending more toward lemon and grapefruit rather than orange/tangerine. Anything else is too subtle for my senses to pick up and identify. The look is the star here; and the head just keeps on going. The bitterness walks the line between being a good example of WC IPA bitterness and being too bitter to enjoy in the absence of food. Overall, a nice one but not outstanding