Chico Estate Harvest Wet Hop Ale (2008)
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Chico Estate Harvest Wet Hop Ale (2008)Chico Estate Harvest Wet Hop Ale (2008)
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From:
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
American IPA
ABV:
6.7%
Score:
93
Avg:
4.21 | pDev: 8.31%
Reviews:
159
Ratings:
203
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 09, 2015
Added:
Sep 07, 2008
Wants:
  7
Gots:
  5
No description / notes.
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Ratings by prototypic:
Photo of prototypic
Reviewed by prototypic from Ohio

4.27/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Appearance: This one pours a very nice looking golden brown color. It's moderately hazy and features a very attractive head. It's frothy and vanilla in color. It easily stands two fingers tall and stuck around quite a while. A very thick, sticky coat of lace clung to the glass as it subsided.

Smell: It smells malty and sweet up front. A nice mix of caramel malts and citrus aromas blend very well. Primarily, the citrus scents are grapefruit and pineapple. Very enticing. Hops are very prevalent and are very west coast in character. There's some strong piney and citric elements to them. I have no clue what types of hops were used, but it's a very nice smelling profile. There's a slight earthy element to it which may be attributable to the infusion of some floral hops. While the hops are noteable, they don't overpower any of the other scents. It smells pretty well balanced actually.

Taste: This is really a nice beer. The citrus pineapple and grapefruit flavors are sweet and have a very fine flavor. There's a good mix of caramel and pale malts, but it tastes like mostly pale. They're sweet and add a solid base. The hop profile is indeed very nice and provides an excellent bitter flavor. It has that proverbial west coast character, but actually seems just a tad deeper than that. There are some fine piney and citric qualities, but there's a floral aspect that gives it an earthy vibe with a slight minty bite. It's very, very nice. The hops are actually more bitter than I expected and it definitely is skewed in that direction. Malts do a decent job at balancing it some degree, but ultimately the bitter taste lingers. Finishes dry and bitter.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability: It's medium bodied and is very smooth. Carbonation is well done and provides a nice crisp bite. I like that. It goes down very smooth and easy. Drinkability is very, very high. It's smooth, crisp and refreshing. At 6.7% abv, it's not strong to be intimidated. Where's my other bottle? Dammit....if only I had another.

Sierra Nevada's got another winner here. Personally, I think I might prefer this one slightly to the "garden variety" Harvest Ale. That's a close call though. There's just something about this one that I really like. Without question, it is better than Southern Hemisphere. Kudos to Sierra Nevada for growing their own hops and brewing a damn fine beer. Recommended...if you can find one.
Nov 03, 2008
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.04 by thornburyslasher from Illinois

May 09, 2015
 
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Mar 26, 2015
 
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Jan 23, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by RBorsato from Virginia

Oct 22, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Morgoth from Massachusetts

Sep 07, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by DLucky from Florida

Sep 04, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by jaxon53 from Connecticut

Aug 17, 2013
 
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Jun 19, 2013
 
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Apr 25, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by brheuer from New Jersey

Mar 24, 2013
Chico Estate Harvest Wet Hop Ale (2008) from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 203 ratings