7.9/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
12oz bottle out of a sixer. Bottled on 12/15/25. Poured into a goblet/tulip type of blended glass by Saranac (Legacy IPA) glass that was gifted to me by a friend from Utica. Port City, to me, is the most underrated brewery in my region and , I believe, probably my fav brewery from Virginia. I have been buying numerous six packs since they have appeared in my market in Bmore. It is a winter seasonal and a $12 for a sixer of bottles, it is also probably the best deal for beer of this quality. As anyone that has drank American Belgians, especially Tripels knows, this is a tough style to do well. This version has definitely avoided ALL the pitfalls. It is not typical American sweet/sugary. I mean it is still a Belgian estery beer with all the characteristics but definitely not sweet/sugary for the style. Aroma is that doughy and biscui Belgian pie crust with a decent noble hop kick underneath. The beer seems to be filtered because it is a completely clear golden color. A small head slowly fades to a halo lacing. Nothing leftover at the bottom of the bottle. The flavor is similarly a malty Belgian dough with some lighter (for style) fruity esters and a low bitter hoppiness. It finishes rather dry leaving behind a light mineral character and a soft light ester sweetness. Not sticky on the cheeks or tongue. And it hides the 8.5% fairly well. I share this with non-beer-eek friends and they enjoy it and I buy numerous sixers annually.