Derecho | Port City Brewing
Brewed by:
Port City Brewing
Virginia, United States
portcitybrewing.com
Style: California Common / Steam Beer
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.80%
Availability: Summer
Notes / Commercial Description:
Mid-Summer 2012, a violent derecho windstorm barreled through DC, leaving one million people without power. Our brewery was out of power for five days, which left us unable to control the fermentation temperature of a tank of lager. We were determined to save our beer, the tank fermented at a higher temperature than intended. As a result, the beer changed from a lager into a California Common beer.
The storm’s gift was this DERECHO COMMON™.
DERECHO COMMON™ is deep golden in color, and has toasty, biscuity malt flavors. It is medium bodied with an assertive hop profile. It is hopped with Centennial hops, which give it a spicy, citrusy hop kick on the finish.
Added by Huhzubendah on 08-05-2012
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 99 | Reviews: 24
3.85/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.74/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Hazy and golden in color with a 2 1/4 finger off white head and plenty of carbonation and light lacing,
Aroma is lemony with spice and biscuity malt.
Taste of lemony citrus and light sweet malts.
Medium bodied and rather sticky. Great retention.
Another good beer from Port City. I knocked the taste up a notch from my initial rating. It gets better as it goes. I'd definitely try this again.
401 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Hazy and golden in color with a 2 1/4 finger off white head and plenty of carbonation and light lacing,
Aroma is lemony with spice and biscuity malt.
Taste of lemony citrus and light sweet malts.
Medium bodied and rather sticky. Great retention.
Another good beer from Port City. I knocked the taste up a notch from my initial rating. It gets better as it goes. I'd definitely try this again.
401 characters
3.67/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Centennial
10 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Centennial
10 characters
3.79/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Decanted from a 12 oz (355 ml) bottle into a conical pint glass; bottled on 6/26/14.
A: Cloudy amber color with a peach hue. Brief quarter inch head with no retention or lacing. Yeast remnant evident in the beer and glass bottom.
S: Very floral bouquet with a distinctive rose aroma with a clearly peach note. Biscuit becomes increasingly evident as it warms.
T: Definitely pitted fruit, nectarine especially, and citrus flavors. Spicy, with fresh bread/toast flavor in the background and bitterness becoming evident late but lingering (perhaps too long).
M: Medium bodied with lower carbonation. Feels gritty.
O: I really like the back story behind this beer, having been stuck without power for 10 days myself after Hurricane Sandy. That said, after a very exciting nose, and up front solid flavors, the aftertaste was a bit too bitter and lasted to long. I will not say I did not enjoy it, but it's a far cry from, say, Anchor Steam.
942 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Decanted from a 12 oz (355 ml) bottle into a conical pint glass; bottled on 6/26/14.
A: Cloudy amber color with a peach hue. Brief quarter inch head with no retention or lacing. Yeast remnant evident in the beer and glass bottom.
S: Very floral bouquet with a distinctive rose aroma with a clearly peach note. Biscuit becomes increasingly evident as it warms.
T: Definitely pitted fruit, nectarine especially, and citrus flavors. Spicy, with fresh bread/toast flavor in the background and bitterness becoming evident late but lingering (perhaps too long).
M: Medium bodied with lower carbonation. Feels gritty.
O: I really like the back story behind this beer, having been stuck without power for 10 days myself after Hurricane Sandy. That said, after a very exciting nose, and up front solid flavors, the aftertaste was a bit too bitter and lasted to long. I will not say I did not enjoy it, but it's a far cry from, say, Anchor Steam.
942 characters
4/5 rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours golden, mostly clear, lots of head and visible carbonation
Smell is strong floral and biscuit malt. Taste has a nice bitter kick to it, but balanced. Lots of flavor for 4.8%. Almost IPA-like.
202 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours golden, mostly clear, lots of head and visible carbonation
Smell is strong floral and biscuit malt. Taste has a nice bitter kick to it, but balanced. Lots of flavor for 4.8%. Almost IPA-like.
202 characters
3.52/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.52/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.74/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Quite a story behind this beer.Pours into a becker a very light golden with a nice bone white one finger crown that sticks around for awhile.A decent shot of spicy and floral hops with a bit of toasted grain underneath,to me somewhat German in the nose.It's a bit light in the feel department but honestly was expecting that.Toasted malt flavors with a bit of lemon spritz and earthiness in the finish,quite dry.Almost a perfect late summer outdoor grilling beer.
463 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Quite a story behind this beer.Pours into a becker a very light golden with a nice bone white one finger crown that sticks around for awhile.A decent shot of spicy and floral hops with a bit of toasted grain underneath,to me somewhat German in the nose.It's a bit light in the feel department but honestly was expecting that.Toasted malt flavors with a bit of lemon spritz and earthiness in the finish,quite dry.Almost a perfect late summer outdoor grilling beer.
463 characters
4.03/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Shorty review: Undated 12 oz bottle. Pale cloudy gold. 3F head with lacing and a ring. Nose is light biscuit malts and light citrus and floral scents. This isn't too old then. Taste is orange and grapefruit, light, with biscuit malts to balance. Light bodied, medium carbonation, good drying. Decent summer beer.
312 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Shorty review: Undated 12 oz bottle. Pale cloudy gold. 3F head with lacing and a ring. Nose is light biscuit malts and light citrus and floral scents. This isn't too old then. Taste is orange and grapefruit, light, with biscuit malts to balance. Light bodied, medium carbonation, good drying. Decent summer beer.
312 characters
3.59/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.87/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Pilsner glass.
L - Poured a pale Amber color with a nice white head. No visible lacing.
S - A little lemony.
T - I'm getting a light citrus and maltiness.
F - Light to medium body with decent carbonation.
O - This is a very enjoyable summer beer.
280 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Pilsner glass.
L - Poured a pale Amber color with a nice white head. No visible lacing.
S - A little lemony.
T - I'm getting a light citrus and maltiness.
F - Light to medium body with decent carbonation.
O - This is a very enjoyable summer beer.
280 characters
4.1/5 rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a pint glass from a bottle. Pours cloudy yellow with a fluffy white head. Smells of sweet grain with piney and floral hints. Tastes of piney hops with great grain that add sweetness. Beer is also quite balanced between the bitterness and maltiness, very nice for the style. Beer is light bodied with good carbonation and very easily drinkable. Overall a very good beer.
385 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a pint glass from a bottle. Pours cloudy yellow with a fluffy white head. Smells of sweet grain with piney and floral hints. Tastes of piney hops with great grain that add sweetness. Beer is also quite balanced between the bitterness and maltiness, very nice for the style. Beer is light bodied with good carbonation and very easily drinkable. Overall a very good beer.
385 characters
3.5/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.31/5 rDev -9.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.09/5 rDev -15.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
3.89/5 rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A: Pours a hazy pale to medium golden yellow in color with light to moderate amounts of active visible carbonation along the edges of the glass and moderate straw + lemon yellow highlights. The beer has a two finger tall foamy white head that reduces to a mottled thick film covering the entire surface of the beer and a medium thick ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.
S: Moderate aromas of biscuit malts with a light aroma of toasted malts. Light to moderate aromas of citrus/grapefruit pith hops + herbal hops.
T: Upfront there is a moderate flavor of biscuit malts with a light flavor of toasted malts. That is followed by a light to moderate flavor of citrus/grapefruit pith and herbal hops which impart a light amount of bitterness which does not linger for too long.
M: Just shy of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.
O: This would make a really enjoyable daily drinker for the summer here in the South - easy to drink, refreshing, and enjoyable. A little different flavor profile than other California Common/Steam beers but very nice.
1,109 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A: Pours a hazy pale to medium golden yellow in color with light to moderate amounts of active visible carbonation along the edges of the glass and moderate straw + lemon yellow highlights. The beer has a two finger tall foamy white head that reduces to a mottled thick film covering the entire surface of the beer and a medium thick ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.
S: Moderate aromas of biscuit malts with a light aroma of toasted malts. Light to moderate aromas of citrus/grapefruit pith hops + herbal hops.
T: Upfront there is a moderate flavor of biscuit malts with a light flavor of toasted malts. That is followed by a light to moderate flavor of citrus/grapefruit pith and herbal hops which impart a light amount of bitterness which does not linger for too long.
M: Just shy of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.
O: This would make a really enjoyable daily drinker for the summer here in the South - easy to drink, refreshing, and enjoyable. A little different flavor profile than other California Common/Steam beers but very nice.
1,109 characters
4.21/5 rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a Creature Comforts slim pint glass. Bottleneck says Bottled On 07/09/15.
A- Pours a semi-hazy medium golden color with a 1/2 inch white head that retains well before becoming a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a mostly full sheet of sheer surface foam. Semi-resilient lacing leaves a broken ring behind.
S- Pretty hoppy for a California Common. Mild grassy hop aroma with some bready malt to balance.
T- More grassy/vegetal hops with a moderate bitterness for the style. Decent complementary malt presence. So very drinkable but also quite flavorful for a lager.
M- Crisp, clean and bright. Medium carbonation and a lightish body.
O- Color me surprised. I've had one or two of this brewery's beers before both of which were unmemorable, but this one is very good. I'm not a big lager guy but I could drink this all day every day in the summertime and be plenty satisfied. Honestly, it's the above average hop presence that makes it so enjoyable for me, but I'll take it!
1,010 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a Creature Comforts slim pint glass. Bottleneck says Bottled On 07/09/15.
A- Pours a semi-hazy medium golden color with a 1/2 inch white head that retains well before becoming a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a mostly full sheet of sheer surface foam. Semi-resilient lacing leaves a broken ring behind.
S- Pretty hoppy for a California Common. Mild grassy hop aroma with some bready malt to balance.
T- More grassy/vegetal hops with a moderate bitterness for the style. Decent complementary malt presence. So very drinkable but also quite flavorful for a lager.
M- Crisp, clean and bright. Medium carbonation and a lightish body.
O- Color me surprised. I've had one or two of this brewery's beers before both of which were unmemorable, but this one is very good. I'm not a big lager guy but I could drink this all day every day in the summertime and be plenty satisfied. Honestly, it's the above average hop presence that makes it so enjoyable for me, but I'll take it!
1,010 characters
4.03/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.29/5 rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.98/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
You don't see a lot of love for California commons. Barely any review even graces the number four. It's a very simple ale but I'm not surprised. This is a good cc, nothing crazy but the fruity esters abound within this ale.
224 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
You don't see a lot of love for California commons. Barely any review even graces the number four. It's a very simple ale but I'm not surprised. This is a good cc, nothing crazy but the fruity esters abound within this ale.
224 characters
Derecho from Port City Brewing
Beer rating:
3.67 out of
5 with
99 ratings
0 characters. We love reviews! Turn your rating into one with ≥ 150 characters.
Explain why you're giving this rating. Your review must discuss the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) and your overall impression in order to indicate that you have legitimately tried the beer. Nonconstructive reviews may be removed without notice and action may be taken on your account.