Port Brewing Mongo

From TheFullPint.com –  If you have ever visited Port Brewing/Lost Abbey, you will notice they have two brew cats to keep out the rodents.  These two cats, Amarillo and Cascade had a litter of kittens last year. After giving away most of the litter, one kitten stayed behind. This kitten was first named Columbus and turned into quite the gigantic cat. He even took on his first football player like nickname C-BUS due to has presence. Later nicknamed Mongo, this cat became the unofficial owner of the brewhouse. Mongo would straight jack patrons for their beer, and when a patron would get back their beer, Mongo would then take their snacks. This cat let it be known that it played by its own rules. Often times, this cat even enjoyed a ride around the bottling line. There was no stopping this cat! When the Lost Abbey crew came to work the weekend after Thanksgiving, they were shocked to find that Mongo had died. No doubt this cat died doing something awesome, we just don’t know what.

In honor of Mongo, Mike Rodriguez made his first Double IPA, as he loved the cat and wanted to honor him with this beer. This 8.5% abv beer was made with Columbus hops (Mongo’s Birthname), Cascade for the Mama cat, and Simocoe because that is Mike’s favorite hop.  If we aren’t lucky enough to try this beer before you do, please send us some tasting notes.

Port Brewing – Mongo Double IPA – On tap at 38 Degrees in Alhambra, CA 8.5% abv. (Mongo is the big gray cat sitting up in the picture)

Appearance: Pours a clear yellow gold with an inch of dense off white head. The head subsides to a mere cap of film.

Aroma: Faint citrus.

Taste: Bitter pine, honey and orange.

Mouthfeel: Thin with modest carbonation.

Overall: I am impressed this is off the beaten path of double IPAs for Port, but at the same time, I was looking for that obnoxious hop nose I get from High Tide, Wipe Out, Hop 15, and Anniversary Ale. I didn’t get it, but still enjoyed it.