Journey Ahead
Pizza Port Solana Beach

Canned 4/3/2025:

Appearance: Pours a mostly clear, light yellow/golden color with a strong white head. SRM of 6. (4.25)

Aroma: Aromas of red fruit, orange citrus, some peach and pine. Pine resin and berries underneath. (4.00)

Flavor: Flavors of orange, pine resin, red berries, raspberry and blueberry. Pine underneath. (4.25)

Feel: Medium body, strong carbonation. Finish is smooth and moderately bitter. (4.00)

Overall: Nice showcase from Pizza Port as usual. Some New Zealand hops bring this some great flavors of red berries, raspberry, blueberry, even some peach notes. Tropical with some pine underneath. Moderately bitter, but not as much as usual. Fantastic flavors and IPA. (Rating: 4.12)

 

Appearance: Clear yellow, big head.

Smell: Stinky socks, citrus rind, mellows to citrus fruit.

Taste: Mild sweetness, then dry citrus-grapefruit and mild lemon, slight green citrus, cracker-like malt backing. Finishes with dry citrus, very drinkable.

Overall: Another beautiful west coast IPA from Pizza Port. Great balance with enough malt backbone but tons of citrus hop flavor. A winner!

Can poured into a Mountain Rambler Brewery pint glass

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

S: Spicy resinous herbal pine, citrus zest, subtle underlying exotic, tropical, and stone fruit, floral hints, bready malt, and just a touch of sweetness.

T: Zesty citrus, grapefruit, lime, lemon, and subtle tangerine, resinous spicy herbal pine, a little underlying exotic, tropical, and stone fruit hiding in the shadows, passion fruit, pineapple, gooseberry, apricot, guava, and hints of white grape, floral notes, bready malt, and just a touch of sweetness

M: Medium body, moderate carbonation.

O: I can kinda see where they were trying to go with this one, but I think some of the best elements of the Nelson had a hard time getting through the wall of pine and citrus, and I don't think the malt bill was doing it anyway favors either. Dialing the IBUs back a touch and lightening up the malt a little would probably help balance things a bit more. Like every Pizza Port rotating release, it checks the proper Westy boxes, but this one just doesn't come together quite right enough to win me over.

This is your quintessential new IPA (all zesty and tropical and shit). And Raul ain’t feeling it. It’s like Queen trying to replace Freddy Mercury and then trying to get away with it. Or The Doors doing the same with that Jimmy looking guy. It just doesn’t work.

Ah hell, I’m outta here.

16oz can. Bottom date stamp is 'CANNED ON 04/03/25 CHEERS 14:08', about five weeks in the can.
Mostly clear, pale gold colored body. Two fingers of fluffy white colored head, and this has duration, eventually becoming a fluffy cap and clinging ring. Rings and webs of lacing left behind.
Aroma of citrus, peach, and strawberry, with a bit of pine resin.
Taste is more balanced among the flavors of pine resin, strawberry, peach, lemon and other citrus (tangerine and grapefruit). Has an onion note near the end. Has some bite which extends into the aftertaste.
Medium mouthfeel. Rather soft texture, with a pine resin tingle at the end of each sip. Excellent carbonation.
Sweet, fruity, with pine IPA that hits in a lot of good spots.

Poured from a 16 oz can into a pint glass; born on 4/3/25. Pours translucent yellow with a thin head that rapidly recdes; no lacing. Tastes of hibiscus and melon rind. Great hop bitterness. A little light on mouthfeel. Good.

 

Less than 3 weeks old then into a tall tulip. Stunning appearance. Tall, borderline creamy white head of good duration. Lots of sticky lacing. Only a suggestion of chill haze. Not a lot of smell. Flavor pretty much in line with the brewer notes; mostly tangerine, much less stone fruit. Berry mostly by power of suggestion. nice mouthfeel; mild to moderate carbonation, medium body. Nice finish.

 

16 oz can.
Pretty enough for style. Straw to light gold with a bountiful white head. Good retention, scattered lacing.
Gentle whips of mango, kiwi, melon, and tangerine and a hint of grapefruit zest on the end.
Flavor starts with grapefruit pith, some tropical notes: papaya, mango, kiwi and melon.
Decent carbonation with a light bitter finish.

 

 

 

Packaged on February 17, 2025 - enjoyed on March 8th, 2025 - poured from a pint can into my Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Not quite clear jasmine liquid supports a fat fist of ivory merengue. Rocky, pearling lacing; excellent retention.

Aromas start tropical (passion fruit, pomegranate, lime, kiwi) while a dank/herbaceous edge comes forward more slowly.

Palate is suffused with fruit and resin: complex citrus/tropical/berry notes lead into an earthy/pine-kissed finish with hints of scallion. Moderate bitterness throughout - clean malt bill; neutral yeast.

Creamy yet crisp (almost biting), medium-light bodied, with assertive carbonation.

Another tasty seasonal Swami's variant with a complex yet complimentary hop profile.

Pours a pale straw with a nice two-three finger head that lingers. Nose is melon, pineapple, and slight pine dankness. Opens with a nice blast of tangerine pith, followed by some sweet melon that folds into some pineapple juice. Body is light to medium with similar soft carbonation. Ends with a lingering hint of pine sap/dankness mixed with melon. Overall another nice ipa from Pizza Port, glad I picked up a 6 pack

Spring seasonal WCIPA from draft at Solana Beach. Super tropical citrus vibes. Dank, pungent, fresh. Many IPAs can be repetitive but this really stands out with unique and delicious flavors. The best seasonal from PP in the past several seasons/quarters.

Proper hop bill:
NZ NELSON
NZ CASCADE
CITRA
CHINOOK
MT HOOD
WAIMEA