Port Brewing: High Tide: Fresh Hop IPA: USA: IPA: 6.5% ABV)

Visual: Pale yellowed hazy body. Massive thick bubbled white head.  Small amount of sediment in the pour.

Nose: Resin. Pine cones. Meringue.  Dried apricots. Vanilla ice cream. As it warms adds toffee and cream.

Body: Good solid bitterness. Apricots. Resin.   Tangerine. Nettles. Light custard cream biscuits at the front. A tingly texture.

Finish:  Growing hop bitterness. Greenery. Still resin elements. Hop oils. Thick, slick texture that hangs on the tongue.

Conclusion: This thing froths up easily, if you aren’t careful on the pour it could bring a head bigger than a damn hefeweizen. Ok maybe not the most helpful start to a review but it’s definitely a true one.

The beer is an old school bitter kick. Lots of resin, greenery and hop bitterness. I half expected to find myself munching on leaves and twigs in the midst of the pint. The hop influence is very evident. Anyone who has ever rubbed hop leaves and felt the oils on their skin will recognize the feel this beer leaves in your mouth.  It encapsulates much more of the hop experience than your average beer.

Flavour wise it is surprising simple, predominantly hops, greenery and resin. It is much more about the texture than the flavour. The taste is good with nice apricot and tangerine, but it is the feel in the mouth that keeps me interested. The bitterness is bracing, the hop oils clinging and mouth freshening and the dry finish is thirst inducing.

I think these texture elements put it firmly in the fascinating beer group, if not quite into the fantastic grouping. It’s a very enjoyable experience.  If I compare it to Wipeout IPA it does badly, but that is being unfair to it as Wipeout IPA fricking rules and this is trying to be a very different type of beer.

This is more trying to be a hop experience, as mentioned not as much in flavour but in that it really expresses what a hop is in feel and oils and brings the bitterness in with it. For that I’m very glad I tried it. Not one I will return to frequently but I’m glad I had the chance to drink it.

Background: Port Brewing gained my respect heavily for their Wipeout IPA, so when I got the chance to try another IPA from them I jumped at the chance. This is brewed with fresh Centennial and Simcoe. Port Brewing is the American beer style side of the brewery also known as Lost Abbey. This was picked up from Brewdog’s Guest Beers selection.

Advertisement