Hop 15

Hop 15 is a Double IPA from the Port Brewing Company of San Marcos, CA. Their San Marcos location was once occupied by another famous San Diegan brewery - Stone.



Port Brewing, one of San Diego's earliest craft brewers. It is an award winning, group of breweries and brew pubs that have dozens of beers under the name. They also own Lost Abbey. Hop 15 has won several medals at the Great American Beer Fest.

Hop 15 is named after the 15 hops that are added every 15 minutes during the brewing process. Which hops are used is the colonel's secret recipe. Although I'm not sure they have a colonel. This beer has been around for over a decade, when many breweries had yet to even brew a DIPA.

I found this at Taylor's Market in Sacramento for $8.49.

The aroma has big tropical, citrus hops and piney, with whiffs of alcohol, biscuit malts and caramel. The flavor is a hop punch to the face with the tropical fruit followed by pine and grapefruit, which lingers. Somehow the caramel malts break through and some sweetness. The alcohol pops up at the end and calls out the 10% ABV. A creamy mouthfeel, although the alcohol pops up and adds dry notes. It's a thick body, but with enough carbonation to not make it heavy.

Overall, this is a great in your face hoppy DIPA. All the of the big hop flavors are found here, tropical fruit, bitter citrus rind, and pine. These are the types of beers to finish your session with, as the hops ruin your pallet for anything the follows. For a DIPA that's been around a while, this one still packs a punch. With a lot of DIPAs to choose from, this certainly ranks high on the list. This is a Must Have It.