Showing posts with label Fresh Hops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fresh Hops. Show all posts

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Great Divide's Fresh Hop Pale Ale

We only see fresh hop or wet hop beers twice a year during the fall in the northern and southern hemisphere harvests.  To be a wet hopped beer the whole hop cones are used instead of the processed pellets in making the beer.  Unfortunately, hops are highly perishable.  In order to successfully make a wet hop beer the hops are picked, overnighted and used within hours.  This requires a bit of timing on behalf of the brewery in order to make sure they have a tank ready to go.

Great Divide's Fresh Hop gives off a grassy, citrus pine aroma.  Not as pungent as I expected, but not lacking.  The beer is amber in color with a thick white head that resulted in lacing as time went on.  There were hops up front and at the finish, with a resiny feel.  The malt balanced the beer out nicely.  Fresh Hop is very light on the tongue to the point the beer was almost gulp-able.  Bud Light could learn about "drinkability" from this beer.  I do regret only buying one, but hey, there is always next year.