Shark Attack | Port Brewing
Brewed by:
Port Brewing
California, United States
portbrewing.com
Style: American Amber / Red Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 9.00%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
Is it really safe to paddle out in our waters? It's impossible to know for sure. What we do know is that this is an incredibly distinctive and bold American red ale that attacks your taste buds with lethal amounts of hops which are balanced by a boat load of Crystal malt. If none of this fazes you, then maybe swimming in the shark filled waters is exactly where you belong. We'll see you in the lineup!
(2014 Winner Best of Show San Diego International Beer Festival)
Added by Floydster on 03-07-2008
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 783 | Reviews: 316
Reviews by xavier390:
More User Reviews:
3.58/5 rDev -7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
22 oz bottle. Pours a reddish brown with a creamy off white head that retains well and laces the glass.
The aroma is sweet caramel malts, melon, and piney grapefruity hops and a touch of alcohol.
The flavor is sweet caramel malts, pepper, alcohol, sour apples and tarry hops. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with a velvety finish.
Overall, almost an awesome beer. The flavor was a bit subdued and didn't do it for me.
427 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
22 oz bottle. Pours a reddish brown with a creamy off white head that retains well and laces the glass.
The aroma is sweet caramel malts, melon, and piney grapefruity hops and a touch of alcohol.
The flavor is sweet caramel malts, pepper, alcohol, sour apples and tarry hops. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with a velvety finish.
Overall, almost an awesome beer. The flavor was a bit subdued and didn't do it for me.
427 characters
3.75/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
The Beers of California
#11
Bottled Date: 7/3/12
A: Pours copper brown with a towering, resilient khaki head.
S: The nose is lively, floral, piney and aromatic; heavy on fresh hopiness, with some, but little sugary maltiness. Very activating but pleasingly so.
T: Bitter, spicy hop notes come in the mid palate; piney and earthy with a lingering citrus zest. The bittering hops overwhelm the sweet malt backbone and dominate the palate. Flashes of sugary brown bread come through but overall the hops storm through leaving little taste buds to discern anything else in this brew.
M: Some smothiness but slightly thin with good, coating linger. Appropriate carbonation which keeps thing lively.
O: A beer for the select that truly appreciate hops and the strength and intensity of flavors rather than subtlety and complexity. If the idea of being attacked by a shark could be bottled, then this is that brew.
916 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
The Beers of California
#11
Bottled Date: 7/3/12
A: Pours copper brown with a towering, resilient khaki head.
S: The nose is lively, floral, piney and aromatic; heavy on fresh hopiness, with some, but little sugary maltiness. Very activating but pleasingly so.
T: Bitter, spicy hop notes come in the mid palate; piney and earthy with a lingering citrus zest. The bittering hops overwhelm the sweet malt backbone and dominate the palate. Flashes of sugary brown bread come through but overall the hops storm through leaving little taste buds to discern anything else in this brew.
M: Some smothiness but slightly thin with good, coating linger. Appropriate carbonation which keeps thing lively.
O: A beer for the select that truly appreciate hops and the strength and intensity of flavors rather than subtlety and complexity. If the idea of being attacked by a shark could be bottled, then this is that brew.
916 characters
3.88/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Ruby red color with a minimal white head that does at least leave a ring around the glass. Lots of caramel, toffee, and pine needles in the aroma. Hops are noticeable, but I'm not so sure about a lethal amount of them, especially coming from Port. Sweet caramel, toffee, biscuits, slightly toasty tastes, and a some citrus coming through in the finish. Thicker than medium body and medium carbonation. I enjoyed this beer and have to give it credit, it was very drinkable, and alcohol was non-existant in this 9% beer. Thanks to doubleo for the bottle.
552 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Ruby red color with a minimal white head that does at least leave a ring around the glass. Lots of caramel, toffee, and pine needles in the aroma. Hops are noticeable, but I'm not so sure about a lethal amount of them, especially coming from Port. Sweet caramel, toffee, biscuits, slightly toasty tastes, and a some citrus coming through in the finish. Thicker than medium body and medium carbonation. I enjoyed this beer and have to give it credit, it was very drinkable, and alcohol was non-existant in this 9% beer. Thanks to doubleo for the bottle.
552 characters
4.21/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
22 oz Bomber poured into a clown shoes glass.Smell is grapefruit.Taste is grapefruit with a slight touch of maybe caramel.Overall a very drinkable beer.Went down really nice.I would buy this again.
197 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
22 oz Bomber poured into a clown shoes glass.Smell is grapefruit.Taste is grapefruit with a slight touch of maybe caramel.Overall a very drinkable beer.Went down really nice.I would buy this again.
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3.9/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours a hazy medium brown with a beige head that lingers. The smell is mainly malty, with some caramel and bready malts. I didn't detect any hops in the aroma at first, but as the beer warmed the hop aroma came out. The taste is caramel but also some piney hop character and alcohol. I would say the hops and alcohol are the two most detectable traits in the flavor. The beer has lots of carbonation in it, which works well for this style. For a beer that is 9%, this is pretty drinkable although I don't know if I could have more than 2-3 glasses in a sitting. I definitely recommend this beer.
595 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours a hazy medium brown with a beige head that lingers. The smell is mainly malty, with some caramel and bready malts. I didn't detect any hops in the aroma at first, but as the beer warmed the hop aroma came out. The taste is caramel but also some piney hop character and alcohol. I would say the hops and alcohol are the two most detectable traits in the flavor. The beer has lots of carbonation in it, which works well for this style. For a beer that is 9%, this is pretty drinkable although I don't know if I could have more than 2-3 glasses in a sitting. I definitely recommend this beer.
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4.25/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.52/5 rDev -9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Original name is Shark Bitten. Clear, deep red with a short off-white head. Hoppy, citrus aroma. Good pine and resin qualities as well, with very little malt. More flavor that the Shark Bite, but still nicely balanced. Grapefruit, oranges, wood, malt, and a little caramel.
273 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Original name is Shark Bitten. Clear, deep red with a short off-white head. Hoppy, citrus aroma. Good pine and resin qualities as well, with very little malt. More flavor that the Shark Bite, but still nicely balanced. Grapefruit, oranges, wood, malt, and a little caramel.
273 characters
3.54/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
A- Cloudy non transparent ice tea like color. No head at all with an aggressive pour. Lots of floaties. The review before mine states there beer was clear and mine is anything but.
S- A really tame mix between orange and grapefuit with no hint of the alcohol contained within. Some oakey vanilla notes as well.
T- Again oak and vanilla with plenty of hops and a good deal of malts to balance. Reminds me very much of an aged Bigfoot I had recently.
D- A bomber is more than enough as the booziness really kicks in . I would definetly pick this one up again another impressive beer from Port Brewing.
603 characters
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
A- Cloudy non transparent ice tea like color. No head at all with an aggressive pour. Lots of floaties. The review before mine states there beer was clear and mine is anything but.
S- A really tame mix between orange and grapefuit with no hint of the alcohol contained within. Some oakey vanilla notes as well.
T- Again oak and vanilla with plenty of hops and a good deal of malts to balance. Reminds me very much of an aged Bigfoot I had recently.
D- A bomber is more than enough as the booziness really kicks in . I would definetly pick this one up again another impressive beer from Port Brewing.
603 characters
4.35/5 rDev +12.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L: Pours hazy amber under a persistent, clingy 3” light tan foam collar.
S: Citrus rind, citrusy, resiny hops, malt
T: Starts with sweet malt, light caramel, citrus and light fruit and then this gives way to the intense lingering hops – more bitter than many to balance the malt. The hops dry the beer out in the finish but while assertive, they are not harsh.
F: Medium full body and medium low carbonation.
O: A big hop forward beer that is fulfilling and easy to drink.
480 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L: Pours hazy amber under a persistent, clingy 3” light tan foam collar.
S: Citrus rind, citrusy, resiny hops, malt
T: Starts with sweet malt, light caramel, citrus and light fruit and then this gives way to the intense lingering hops – more bitter than many to balance the malt. The hops dry the beer out in the finish but while assertive, they are not harsh.
F: Medium full body and medium low carbonation.
O: A big hop forward beer that is fulfilling and easy to drink.
480 characters
3.46/5 rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Bottle (2011)
Lost Abbey Brewing Company
San Marcos, CA
A cloudy auburn with golden edges. A thin head that falls away quickly. Leaves incredible sheets of lacing. A bigger, stiffer head would have made this beer score markedly better.
The aroma is of hops but they're very muted and distant. The nose seems balanced with plenty of malt character but it comes off as disappointing and lacking because the hops are present, but they seem so far away!
A malty red ale with a candy sweetness and a burnt sugar caramel note. The hops add a touch of bitterness, but this is a malt-forward red ale, which isn't by definition a bad thing, but the label advertises a "lethal amount of hops." I'm afraid I don't find that here.
Medium to full body with ample carbonation.
Not an overly drinkable beer. The candy sweet malt and the muted hops don't make for a great combination in my mind.
886 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Bottle (2011)
Lost Abbey Brewing Company
San Marcos, CA
A cloudy auburn with golden edges. A thin head that falls away quickly. Leaves incredible sheets of lacing. A bigger, stiffer head would have made this beer score markedly better.
The aroma is of hops but they're very muted and distant. The nose seems balanced with plenty of malt character but it comes off as disappointing and lacking because the hops are present, but they seem so far away!
A malty red ale with a candy sweetness and a burnt sugar caramel note. The hops add a touch of bitterness, but this is a malt-forward red ale, which isn't by definition a bad thing, but the label advertises a "lethal amount of hops." I'm afraid I don't find that here.
Medium to full body with ample carbonation.
Not an overly drinkable beer. The candy sweet malt and the muted hops don't make for a great combination in my mind.
886 characters
3.75/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.37/5 rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Big red and auburn color, minimal head. Aroma was heavy of wood, bitterness, not the typical hop nose, regardless of dry hopping.
Big and bitter as hell, but lacking the hop mouthfeel. Just super resinous, sticky and bitter. Underwhelmed my expectations. Alcohol was very hot. Was very challenging, and I like big brews. Not at all my favorite port offering, just hot, woody, bitter, but without any real appreciable dimensions and interplay. I might as well just take shots of hard liquor. Well, no, but this was below average for a Port beer.
545 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Big red and auburn color, minimal head. Aroma was heavy of wood, bitterness, not the typical hop nose, regardless of dry hopping.
Big and bitter as hell, but lacking the hop mouthfeel. Just super resinous, sticky and bitter. Underwhelmed my expectations. Alcohol was very hot. Was very challenging, and I like big brews. Not at all my favorite port offering, just hot, woody, bitter, but without any real appreciable dimensions and interplay. I might as well just take shots of hard liquor. Well, no, but this was below average for a Port beer.
545 characters
Shark Attack from Port Brewing
Beer rating:
3.87 out of
5 with
783 ratings
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