335. Port 3rd Anniversary Ale

This is our fourth beer from Port Brewing; I brought this back to Dayton via my recent trip to San Francisco—after all, travel means more beer fun, right? Previous beers from Port include 2nd Anniversary Ale, High Tide Fresh Hop, and Hop-15. I’m sensing a hop-based theme, aren't you?

Pouring a hazy orangish copper, Port 3rd Anniversary Ale has a very minimal white head and a big citrus and spicy hop nose along with a light backbone of caramel and biscuit. The beer starts with a dry caramel and biscuit malt flavor before turning to a spicy hoppy bitterness in the middle—there is more spiciness than bitterness, and smaller amounts of citrus hop flavor as well. The finish is hoppy, with a spicy fresh taste and only a slight amount of bitterness. As well, the biscuit flavors from the front return, but are more bready at the finish. With warmth, there are some grassy flavors that emerges in the middle and the end. Port 3AA has a medium-heavy to heavy body with medium to light carbonation; there is a fair amount of puckering on the back of the tongue from the bitterness, and some dryness on the palate via the hoppiness. A restrained and very well balanced beer—neither the malt nor the hops are overbearing, and work together in a fantastic union. While this is not a fast-drinking beer via the body, it is an easy and smooth drinking beer. There is not much in the way of alcohol flavor or warmth, which is pretty impressive for a 10.0% ABV beer. Port 3rd Anniversary Ale is a delicious and enjoyable beer—I’m glad I brought another bottle home with me to enjoy.

From the bottle: “In your hands, you are holding yet another hop monster of a beer brewed in San Diego County. Yes, we know this is hardly original. Butm we love hops as much as you do so let’s party! This beer oozes hop oils, aromas and flavors. We hope it’s a worthy addition to the riches that is the Port Brewing family of beers. We look forward to the annual release each May and hope you will too.”

From the Port website: “A massively hopped strong pale ale brewed to celebrate our anniversary each year. Anniversary Ale is light gold to pale orange in color and offers a potent aroma of fresh pine and citrus with some warming alcohols present. The taste is a thick, chewy hop presence only barely contained by balancing malts. The finish is pure hop expression with a moderate warming alcohol sensation.”

ABV: 10.0%
OG: 1.090
Hops: Columbus, Amarillo, & Simcoe
Dry Hops: Columbus & Amarillo
Bottled: 4/28/10

(5/31/10)