Bridgeport Hop Harvest Ale

Bridgeport was the second brewpub I visited in Portland during our Trial Weekend (Alameda Brewhouse gets the 'We Were First!' award since it was closest to the airport and we got in past 9pm). Their Ropewalk Amber was the first sixer I bought the week we officially moved here. I like them, but I'd admit that they tend to fall by the wayside when I'm out browsing around. I tend to be a fan of their Big Brews series vs. their regular lineup, but don't get me wrong: everything in the year-round stack ranges from Perfectly Acceptable to Pretty Good.

The Big Brews lineup, however, has three killers on the roster that I dig. Stumptown Tart, a beer I've mentioned before, has been wonderful the last three years with the fruit rotating from marionberries to cherries to raspberries. Highland Ambush is another good one and I'll be jumping on the next version that drops for a review. And then there's the newest edition of Hop Harvest Ale - advertised as a metric ton of Centennial hops only off the vine for an hour before being used. I had a chance to try this last night after picking up a bomber from John's over the weekend.

Great look to the beer - orange/gold, slightly hazy, about a finger of head that stayed for awhile. Hops aplenty in the nose and the intensity increased as it warmed up. Smooth blast of near-sweet hoppy flavor on the front end, bitter white-grapefruit finish that I'm starting to associate with Centennials. This is a "My DB9 Is Only In Third" sort of hoppy. Yes, it's smooth and moderate and strolling along, but you can feel that there is some backbone here that would blow you off the road if it felt like doing so. Frankly, I like the relaxed nature of this offering and enjoyed it being well-flavored without trying to strangle my tongue. Definitely a recommended pickup if it's in your vicinity.