Review: BridgePort Brewing Trilogy 2 and Hop Czar Topaz Copper IPA
“Oregon’s Oldest Craft Brewery” is back with two new installments in its Trilogy and Hop Czar series of beers. (Find reviews of the first edition of each one here.) Trilogy is a series of three beers celebrating BridgePort’s 30 years in business. Hop Czar is a series of single-hop IPAs.
Thoughts on both beers follow.
BridgePort Brewing Trilogy 2 Aussie Salute IPA – An American IPA made with Cenetennial and Chinook hops, which is then dry-hopped with Australian Galaxy and Ella hops. If you like your beer like you like your ex-wives — extremely bitter — you’ll thrill to BridgePort’s 2nd installment of its Trilogy series. What it lacks in fruit it makes up for with notes of cedar wood and fresh mushrooms. This IPA is nearly overpowering thanks to its bitter edginess; it’s a brooding and almost chewy brew that is at first daunting but which slides toward enjoyability as you finish the bottle. I’m a fan, I think. 5.8% abv. A-
BridgePort Brewing Hop Czar Topaz Copper IPA – IPA made with Topaz hops exclusively. This is a “copper IPA,” offering a muddier experience than you might expect, but laced with notes of sherry, mulled wine, and darker fruits. The finish meanders toward the earth, with touches of muddy grass and cedar wood. Plenty bitter, but it’s easily manageable even by IPA standards. Lots of unusual character here for an IPA, but that does make it an intriguing, quaffable brew. 6.5% abv. B+
$8 per six-pack
BridgePort Brewing Hop Czar Topaz Copper IPA
$8
Sipping on the Bridgeport Trilogy #2 right now!
Maybe it’s because I’m 3/4 towards finishing my bottle, but I think it’s got a nice strong hop profile without being too bitter. Comparable with the Stone IPA (which ranks as one of the best in my books). Goes down smooth and the flavor holds onto the tongue a long time.
Great beer.