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Port City Brewing Company


jandres374

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Had a glass of their pale ale from a growler somebody brought to a Super Bowl party yesterday. At least they said it was the pale and not the IPA. If so it was quite hoppy for the style, but nicely balanced. Good to have another micro up and running in the area!

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I like the porter, but I tried the Monumental IPA from the sixer I bought and, regrettably, I have to say I'm not a fan. It's more of a pale ale, meaning it's not hoppy enough for an IPA and it finishes way too sweet. I'd love to know what the finishing gravity is. I couldn't finish my second beer due to the cloying sweetness and the fullness factor. Trust me, I can drink a few good beers, so it's not like I'm a rank amateur. I've heard the wit is very good and the porter's had great reviews, too. I love the locavore factor and I hope they keep growing and tweaking.

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I like the porter, but I tried the Monumental IPA from the sixer I bought and, regrettably, I have to say I'm not a fan. It's more of a pale ale, meaning it's not hoppy enough for an IPA and it finishes way too sweet. I'd love to know what the finishing gravity is. I couldn't finish my second beer due to the cloying sweetness and the fullness factor. Trust me, I can drink a few good beers, so it's not like I'm a rank amateur. I've heard the wit is very good and the porter's had great reviews, too. I love the locavore factor and I hope they keep growing and tweaking.

I've had the wit from bottle so far and thought it was very clean, I usually find them to be too cloying in the wrong hands. That said, what are people paying for 6-packs around town? I've only seen them at the P St. WF and I believe they were $10.99. That is steep, even factoring in the overhead of a small operation just starting up. Buy local, small independent business, blah blah blah. They're going to have to be competitive on price to find a niche.

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Don't forget you can stop by the brewery to fill up a growler, enjoy a tasting, or take a tour*. I haven't been yet, but hear from friends that the tour is worth the time.

They're located at 3950 Wheeler Avenue in Alexandria, not far from where Quaker Lane intersects Duke Street.

*Tours are offered at 12:30pm and 2pm on Saturdays.

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I've had the wit from bottle so far and thought it was very clean, I usually find them to be too cloying in the wrong hands. That said, what are people paying for 6-packs around town? I've only seen them at the P St. WF and I believe they were $10.99. That is steep, even factoring in the overhead of a small operation just starting up. Buy local, small independent business, blah blah blah. They're going to have to be competitive on price to find a niche.

It seems these days that most 6-packs of microbrew are selling at the $9-$12 range. or maybe I'm just buying my beer at expensive liquor stores!

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It seems these days that most 6-packs of microbrew are selling at the $9-$12 range. or maybe I'm just buying my beer at expensive liquor stores!

There's been a general trend of increasing prices lately, between fuel costs and hops shortages and etc etc etc.

$10.99, IMHO, ain't bad for a micro. I don't really hit sticker shock myself until around $14-15.

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There's been a general trend of increasing prices lately, between fuel costs and hops shortages and etc etc etc.

$10.99, IMHO, ain't bad for a micro. I don't really hit sticker shock myself until around $14-15.

No doubt shelf prices have been rising steadily, but my point is that there are plenty of good-to-great micros to be had in the $7-9 range (on sale maybe, but I can usually find a tried-and-true beer in that range). It will be interesting to see what price point DC Brau hits when they come to shelves next month.

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I've only seen them at the P St. WF and I believe they were $10.99. That is steep, even factoring in the overhead of a small operation just starting up. Buy local, small independent business, blah blah blah. They're going to have to be competitive on price to find a niche.

I thought the exact same thing when I bought the beer. I think it was 9.99 or 10.99 at Whole Foods in Vienna. I thought it'd be less expensive than beer that needed to be shipped from CA or PA or OR. Apparently, it's expensive to ship from Alexandria. B) If this is as good as it gets, then I'll be buying beer for the same price that I enjoy more that's made in PA.

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When we buy the stuff from Hop & Wine, it is in the range of other micros... the cost of shipping the brew from Alexandria to Lorton is just a small part of the cost factor. The cost of Lorton to 3435 Connecticut dwarfs the other shipping element {it the cost of the ticket the truck gets if it cant park legally etc.}. That being said, I find the IPA tobe a clean, table IPA. IPA's these days seem to be a sport of who can make the hoppiest brew. Port city's is not in that contest. It has a niec bit of hops without the citrusy elements of an Enlglish Pale Ale style so I think it deserves to be called an IPA but one admittedly at the low end of the hop scale.

The Porter is amazing and the wit is again very clean and not excessively spiced. They do great with food in all three categories which is why I am buying them.

I htink its great that with the micros, we are getting a wide range of variation within the styles which encourages exploration and allows for a great rage o taste.

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When we buy the stuff from Hop & Wine, it is in the range of other micros... the cost of shipping the brew from Alexandria to Lorton is just a small part of the cost factor. The cost of Lorton to 3435 Connecticut dwarfs the other shipping element {it the cost of the ticket the truck gets if it cant park legally etc.}. That being said, I find the IPA tobe a clean, table IPA. IPA's these days seem to be a sport of who can make the hoppiest brew. Port city's is not in that contest. It has a niec bit of hops without the citrusy elements of an Enlglish Pale Ale style so I think it deserves to be called an IPA but one admittedly at the low end of the hop scale.

The Porter is amazing and the wit is again very clean and not excessively spiced. They do great with food in all three categories which is why I am buying them.

I htink its great that with the micros, we are getting a wide range of variation within the styles which encourages exploration and allows for a great rage o taste.

Thanks for that info, Dean. I did forget that there's a middleman that tends to affect costs, even from breweries down the street from you (essentially). I still contend that the IPA finishes too sweet. I'd be stuffed after a meal and a Monumental IPA - I wouldn't get desert at the restaurant. You wouldn't want that, would you? B)

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It seems these days that most 6-packs of microbrew are selling at the $9-$12 range. or maybe I'm just buying my beer at expensive liquor stores!

Magruders had cases of Port City on sale last week for 31.99

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Thanks for that info, Dean. I did forget that there's a middleman that tends to affect costs, even from breweries down the street from you (essentially). I still contend that the IPA finishes too sweet. I'd be stuffed after a meal and a Monumental IPA - I wouldn't get desert at the restaurant. You wouldn't want that, would you? B)

Hey, it was Burger & a Brew for $12, not Burger & a Brew & a Tiramisu! I have not thad that feeling of fullness that you describe after their beers, butt heir style is higher alcohol than many. Again, its great that the rangeof beerscoming our seems to be widening in style after a narrowing for a while.

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Sampled the Porter (bottle) over the weekend and the Wit (on tap at the Iron Horse), we were impressed with both beers. I would say a very successful opening salvo as the area brewing market heats up this year. Now I'm interested in what the folks at DC Brau will offer up. According to the Post's food blog, Brau's The Public has been a hit at Meridian Pint.

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Sampled the Porter (bottle) over the weekend and the Wit (on tap at the Iron Horse), we were impressed with both beers. I would say a very successful opening salvo as the area brewing market heats up this year. Now I'm interested in what the folks at DC Brau will offer up. According to the Post's food blog, Brau's The Public has been a hit at Meridian Pint.

DC Brau's pale ale was on tap at Lost Dog Cafe in Arlington Sunday afternoon. I wasn't in a beer mood (a very rare event) so I didn't try it, but I considered asking for a taster.

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I like the porter, but I tried the Monumental IPA from the sixer I bought and, regrettably, I have to say I'm not a fan. It's more of a pale ale, meaning it's not hoppy enough for an IPA and it finishes way too sweet. I'd love to know what the finishing gravity is. I couldn't finish my second beer due to the cloying sweetness and the fullness factor. Trust me, I can drink a few good beers, so it's not like I'm a rank amateur. I've heard the wit is very good and the porter's had great reviews, too. I love the locavore factor and I hope they keep growing and tweaking.

Sadly had a similar experience with the IPA. Wanted to love it but found it a little funky smelling, too bitter, and not hoppy enough. Looking forward to trying the other beers when I see them around but I don't think I'll be going back to the IPA.

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I have some Monumental at home right now, and I would agree: this and their Pale are just OK. Same complaints I have with DC Brau: just too damn aggressively hopped. I was hoping they would both come in with a session ale and then bring out the big guns, but I guess market trends had them jumping in with both feet from the get go. Here is a tiny voice from that market: Give me a locally produced session ale!

Optimal Wit, on the other hand, continues to impress and grow on me with each tasting. This is looking to be my beer of Summer '11. They just nailed it, not too in-your-face estery, not cloying, quite crisp and they left room for some hop characteristics to show through. For me this is approaching Celis White territory, a previously untouchable benchmark for American wit beers. I just wish it was still around for an A/B comparison; taste memory on that one is fading B)

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Optimal Wit, on the other hand, continues to impress and grow on me with each tasting. This is looking to be my beer of Summer '11. They just nailed it, not too in-your-face estery, not cloying, quite crisp and they left room for some hop characteristics to show through. For me this is approaching Celis White territory, a previously untouchable benchmark for American wit beers. I just wish it was still around for an A/B comparison; taste memory on that one is fading B)

I agree. I thought Optimal Wit was outstanding, and I don't even like Witbiers all that much!

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Don't forget you can stop by the brewery to fill up a growler, enjoy a tasting, or take a tour*. I haven't been yet, but hear from friends that the tour is worth the time.

They're located at 3950 Wheeler Avenue in Alexandria, not far from where Quaker Lane intersects Duke Street.

...

With storm-dodging luck reminiscent of Thor, we biked over to the brewery yesterday. It was our inaugural visit and highly, highly recommended for anyone who:

  • wants to to learn more about technical aspects of brewing
  • is a supporter of local, small businesses
  • is seeking an impressive, low cost, hour or two diversion for an out-of-town guest
  • wants the giddy pleasure of cycling past a major police department after sampling five beers

$7 buys you five beer sampling tickets, and includes a thirty (or so) minute tour. The quality of information on the tour, coupled with the admiration and knowledge of the guides, and exceptional attention to craftsmanship detail throughout the facility makes the trip worthwhile even if you do not sample a thing.

Growler prices vary, we paid $13 to fill our metal-handled two liter with the Tartan Scottish ale. Which was easier to schlep around in a backpack than you might imagine.

Their website lists tour times, including the phrase "The Pineapple Means Business": Eureka! As we locked up our bikes, we had noticed a ripe pineapple on top of the sign out front. We theorized it was the Pineapplevangelist, of local legend, once again making a political statement about equal rights for herbaceous perennials. From the website, however, I now understand that when the pineapple is out front, the good stuff is flowing inside.

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Tried their Oktoberfest last night, a traditional Märzen style lager . I found it weirdly flavorless...maybe I need to try another bottle. I didn't dislike it, just not much to rave about it.

Hmmm. That's usually what I say to their regular/standard beers. I don't dislike, just nothing to rave about. I don't buy them anymore. Many more choices, even of local beers, that are better and less money. But I have been regularly impressed with their specialty/seasonal selections. I thought their Tartan and Derecho Common were outstanding. They'd be crazy not to try to brew the latter again, even though there were strange circumstances for how they got it in the first place. Will have to try the Marzen to see if it echoes what you found.

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Yeah, I don't mind drinking the Oktoberfest, but as stupidusername says, no real distinguishing factor.

As I have posted multiple times while commenting on the various local brews, I think Port City Porter is the best of what I have sampled so far, especially in terms of main product line (haven't tried the Tartan and Derecho Common yet). The rest of Port City's main production beers not that crazy about. But the Porter has become one of my main go to beers.

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Bought some of their limited edition Down Right Pilsner over the weekend. Nicely hopped up front (not too strong) but nothing on the follow through and fell flat on the finish. I thought it paired nicely with some chili I was eating but didn't really stand out on its own. The percent alcohol is fairly low at 4.8%, so I could see spending an afternoon drinking this at a summer BBQ. But not really a beer you want to sit back with and contemplate.

I would place this in the middle of the pack for their offerings. Better than their pale ales, not as good as the wit and porter.

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