15th Anniversary Triple IPA
Port Brewing Company

 

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: American Triple / Imperial IPA
Glass: Pure Project 16-oz. brandy snifter glass
Price: $4.29
From: Windmill Farms in Del Cerro (San Diego), Calif.
Purchased: May 3, 2021
Consumed: May 15, 2021
Misc.: Best by Oct. 5, 2021

Went over to Windmill Farms to pick up a few beers. I’ve had a few of these, giving the following on Beer Advocate: No. 6 a 4.16 on June 25, 2012, No. 7 a 4.00 on Aug. 2, 2013, No. 8 a 3.79 on May 12, 2014 and No. 10 a 4.22 on June 15, 2016 and No. 13 a 4.10 on June 7, 2019. So that’s an average of 4.05. Their website described it as “Using Amarillo, CTZ, Citra, Centennial, and Mosaic hops and dry-hopping with CTZ, Citra, and Mosaic, Anniversary Ale has an intensely hoppy body with fresh tones of pine and citrus. A seasonal release that will satisfy any hop-head who has the pleasure to try it. In addition, we don’t want to make people “wait in line” to try an amazing IPA, so we also can it!” Not going to look at any of my notes before and see what this comes up to.

Poured a medium amber clear color with 2-to-3 fingers of frothy off-white head. Plenty of bubbles coming up along the sides of the glass. Perfect foamy spiderweb lacing. Excellent cloudy lacing. (Sight - 4.75)

Smelled sappy pine, chewy caramel, bitter orange rind, Amarillo, CTZ, herbal, menthol, lime and lemon zest. Getting all that 11 pct. ABV. (Smell - 4.00)

Tasted a little better than the nose. Got sappy pine, chewy caramel, bitter orange rind, tangerine, Amarillo, CTZ, herbal, menthol, lime and lemon zest. (Taste - 4.00)

Medium body. Chewy texture. Average carbonation. Long, bitter finish. (Feel - 4.50)

Really liked this. Still holds up for the style (West Coast TIPA). (Overall - 4.25)

4.15 | 93 | A-

Apparently, hops don't add as much to the visual as they do the aroma. Not in the traditional BA order of observations, but this one hits first with hoppy aroma from the crack of the pint can. They're dank and earthy, yet somehow also dry. They dominate the smell. Back to the visual, it's a lightly hued golden amber, remarkably like Victory's Dirt Wolf and it also has the same translucency. The white head billows, then rapidly recedes, leaving sparse lacing in the glass. The hops are wonderful here, as they run the gamut. It’s sharply piney, part earthy and finishes clean and dryly. This is a must have for hop heads. The body is both light across the tongue, yet supple enough to carry the very high ABV. The malt helps carry a wonderfully sweet counterbalance to the bittering hops. Only an over the top taste of pure alcohol keeps this from being an all-time great; but, when the ABV is 11%, that's easily forgiven.