Pints And Steins

Editor’s note: This is the ninth in the Beer Advent Calendar 2015 series. Likewise, I’m going to be posting a beer review each day. Some will be Christmas or Winter ales and other selections will be beers I’ve been wanting to review for some time.

I’ve been a fan of Portland Brewing for years, before they were acquired and integrated into the Pyramid family of breweries. The brewery has a long acquisition story of being bought and sold. For the scoop on that, I’ll refer you to Wikipedia.

Portland Brewing lives on because as a group, they produce really good brews. Today, we’ll take a look at Portland Brewing IPA.

How does it taste?

Wow, where do I start? With 5 different types of hops and 5 different types of malt, there’s a lot going on with this beer. But, don’t let the quantity of that ingredient list make you believe this beer tries too hard. It doesn’t.

Portland Brewing IPA pours a golden-almost reddish color with a sizable head that leaves moderate lacing on the glass.

To the nose, this beer gives off the smells of a light caramel malt, the hops are earthy and grassy. If you’ve had an English IPA, you’ll know what I’m describing.

In this IPA, there are some hints of malty sweetness, but it doesn’t last long.

This is a classic bitter IPA. The hops are strong with thing one, overwhelming your palette from the malty sweetness you first picked up on. Finally, there are some obvious aromatic tinges, but mostly it’s just bitter.

Should I buy it?

If you love a classic West Coast IPA, then you’ll love Portland Brewing’s IPA. It’s available in 22 oz bombers and on draft.

Tags: IPA, Portland Brewing, Portland Brewing IPA