Vibrant Views
Pizza Port Solana Beach

 

16 oz can canned 9/9/24 into a Becker glass.
L: SRM 3.5 pours 95% clear caramel color with lush carbo bubbles, a thin domed eggshell white head that has good retention down to thick frothy, medium-heavy complex lacing.
S: Fruits, caramel malts, distant honey with warming, a light candy note.
T: A balance of citrus, pear, apricot, zest, sweet grain notes, lemon zest, pine resin, a hint of plum skin, it is moderately sharp, subtly bold, I find a faint hint of white pepper with warming.
F: Brisk, plush, medium to med-light bodied mouthfeel with a slightly full center and a medium length drying finish.
O: Impeccably brisk, flowing mouthfeel and a brilliant taste. One of the finer examples of a WCIPA. It is excellent in its style.

Pint for an awesome $4 (pint/pitcher special at the time) at the Bressi Ranch location. I believe this was their fall rotational IPA. Same base beer, different hop profile. As tasty as their other WC IPAs. Dank, fresh, clean. A bit skunky. Good stuff.

Clear amber brew with long-lasting foam in the Troubadour tulip. Cedar and lemon in the nose. Boldly flavored with a fruit basket of tastes. Some peach and papaya, with pine and resins. Then mango and berries, some sweet caramel. HInts of citrus. Not all that bitter, but very hopped up. Some have described this as "herbaceous" and unpleasant, but I find it more fruity and just a little on the dank side. Quite drinkable, in any case. From the 16 oz can purchased somewhere in southern Calif. Dated 09/09/24.

Canned 7/24/24 (2 months ago)

Appearance: Pours a mostly clear (80% clarity) medium to deep orange color with a strong white head. SRM of 6. (4.00)

Aroma: Strong aromas of orange, tropical, melon, mango, lemon, sorbet, with dank pine notes. (4.00)

Flavor: Flavors of grapefruit, tropical, melon, tangerine, peach and lemon sorbet. Pine and resin underneath. Bitter and clean on the finish. (4.25)

Feel: Medium bodied, strong, carbonation, finishes better and clean. (4.25)

sCompared to Pizza Port Swamis 10/24: Pours darker, stronger head. Stronger aromas. More tropical sorbet, peach, melon. Less grapefruit, citrus peel, and bitter pine. Similar.

Overall: Slightly more tropical flavors. Bitter, but a bit more fruity and not quite a puckering. Excellent west-coast/tropical IPA. (Rating: 4.13)

 

Awesome clear yellow color pour with light hazyness. Lots of head and it persists.
Strong lemon & fruity like aromas, really enticing.
Wow! Really juicy tasting with nice light bitterness. Lemon like tastes but not sour, but nice bitterness.
Light feeling in the mouth, but overall smooth drinking.
Overall a really excellent beer.

 

 

16oz can. Bottom date stamp is 'CANNED ON 07/25/24'.
Mostly clear, pale gold colored body. Two fingers of fluffy white head, and this stays around as a meringue. Leaves behind extensive lacing webs.
Aroma is citrus and tropical fruits - orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, pineapple, and mango.
Taste is bitter in the way that citrus fruit rind and tropical fruit skin is. Flavors of lemon, lime, mango, grapefruit, and pineapple. Sweet and bitter extend into the shorter aftertaste.
Medium mouthfeel, with a soft texture. Dry finish. Very good carbonation.
If this wants to be a West Coast IPA, it lacks clarity and any pine resin bitterness.

From a 16oz can:

Appearance: Mostly clear yellow, big head.

Smell: Citrus with a side of berries.

Taste: Some sweetness to start, then a nice berry fruitiness in the mid-palate. Finishes with a dry citrus that makes you want another drink. Low-moderate bitterness.

Overall: Another Pizza Port beer from the first drop here in MN. A nice modern IPA, interesting mix of citrus and berry-like flavors with nice drinkability.

 

A pizza chain that brews excellent beers.

I remember early on when I was getting my school on, we watched the film “Run, Lola, Run”, in some basic film class. And as my class continued to groan as the silly repetitive nature of the film continued on and on, it reminds me of today’s West Coast IPA scene. Tropical! Citrus! Juicy!! And no pine, resin, or chronic! I mean, it’s a well crafted beer, but unlike Bambi’s hopes of her mom coming back, I’ve quit believing in what once was long ago.

 

I love Pizza Port IPA's and while I prefer Swami to this one this is good in its own way. A fresh floral, piney aroma....flavor is lemons and limes just like in their description.. I often find the average brewery descriptions lacking but this is spot on with how they described it..

Reminds me a little of Deschuttes Fresh Squeezed......Good beer but I'll go Swami all day and every day if choosing between them.

 

Packaged on July 17, 2024 - enjoyed on August 10, 2024. Poured from a pint can into my Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Lightly hazy saffron/gold body with a fist of ivory up top. Rocky tendrils of lace; good retention.

Gentle hop aroma, earthy, citrus-kissed, with hints of papaya. Light malt sweetness.

Wonderful synergy between the light sweetness of the malt and the earthy/spicy Chinook flavors. Citrus comes forward ranging from tangerine to a hint of lime. Finishes medium-dry with hints of forest floor, loam, orange zest, Negi, and a vague tropical presence. Moderate bitterness throughout.

Medium bodied, not quite sticky/oily, restrained alcohol, good carbonation.

Another seasonal/rotating Swami's variant with Idaho 7, Citra, Chinook, and Simcoe 702. More earthy/balanced and less bright than many of their similar beers. Enjoyable WCIPA, though I imagine this won't be to everyone's tastes.

 

I will revisit this beer and edit as warranted, but beyond the looks the smell/ flavor were unremarkable. Nice head/ nice lacing. Crystal clear. Not much smell and flavor was difficult to identify. Moderate to low bitterness. Not one of their better offerings, IMO.