Estate Homegrown Wet Hop Ale - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

brewdoc75

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Beautiful deep amber. Crystal clear. Moderate carbonation. Lovely 1 inch, ever-lasting head in my Duvel tulip. Sierra Nevada can truly craft a beautiful beer. This looks like something epic. I love deep amber color the most.

S: Grassy, citrusy, and plenty of floral aromas. If you have ever smelled a hop on the vine, you will get a little of that same aroma in this beer. Some tea-like and herbal aromas too. But wait, there are some malt aromas as well. Light caramel and a sweet grainy aroma is present. Very nice aromas, but would have liked a bit stronger hop presence.

T: Wonderful flavors here. The hops are the main showcase with plenty of citrus, some grassiness and even strong tea-like herbal flavors in the end. The citrus fruits are more of the grapefruit variety. Maybe even a hint of pine. The malts balance this out nicely with solid caramel malt flavor. It ends with a touch of breadiness that compliments the tea-like hop flavors. Bitterness is spot on and not too overpowering.

M: Light-medium bodied. Crisp and clean as ever, just like every other SN brew I've had. Finishes with a slight resinous feel in the back of the throat from the hops. A little less dry than some IPAs, but pretty damn solid.

D: What can I say, this is another great Sierra Nevada beer. I really like some of the tea-like and herbal flavors from the hops. As always, Sierra Nevada doesn't forget about the malts and balances this out nicely. If the price tag wasn't $9.99 a bomber, I may be after this one more often. An excellent beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2010 00:28:19 | More by brewdoc75

searsclone

Arizona

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%

05-21-2013 04:05:24 | More by searsclone

touchmeimsac

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%

05-20-2013 17:32:52 | More by touchmeimsac

jmtpi

New York

4.75/5  rDev +14.2%

05-15-2013 03:17:56 | More by jmtpi

MCDub

North Carolina

4/5  rDev -3.8%

05-10-2013 14:33:09 | More by MCDub

cadaugherty

Illinois

4/5  rDev -3.8%

05-09-2013 00:10:04 | More by cadaugherty

Joshgonzales79

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%

05-08-2013 23:54:43 | More by Joshgonzales79

Dr_S

Alabama

5/5  rDev +20.2%

05-07-2013 03:25:06 | More by Dr_S

scottbrew4u

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%

04-30-2013 00:08:45 | More by scottbrew4u

jibbyvonjibb

California

4.24/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Drank a couple months ago.
A: amber color. Bit hazy w sediment that swirl then settle. Frothy head.
S: earthy hops. Caramel sweetness. 
T: caramel. Earthy hops. Hint of peppery spice. Apple cider. Figs. Tangy finish.
M: medium body, more than usual for ipa. Some butteriness.
O: A malty, earthy ipa. Not like regular westcoast, but more earthy. Caramel sweetness makes this more of a Scottish Ale with more hops. Still amazingly drinkable, never cloying. Serve on special occasions, maybe with an apple pie.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 16:54:30 | More by jibbyvonjibb

slickerryan

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -3.8%

04-25-2013 02:41:00 | More by slickerryan

timontheroad

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%

04-21-2013 14:12:06 | More by timontheroad

drgonzo2k2

California

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%

04-20-2013 14:01:42 | More by drgonzo2k2

jreindl

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%

04-20-2013 05:35:53 | More by jreindl

MacStinson

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +14.2%

04-15-2013 01:26:39 | More by MacStinson

NickSMpls

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -3.8%

04-14-2013 23:52:18 | More by NickSMpls

Skott1123

Ohio

4/5  rDev -3.8%

04-13-2013 21:04:05 | More by Skott1123

Cdunk11

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%

04-12-2013 23:48:19 | More by Cdunk11

Hopheadjeffery

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%

04-07-2013 15:42:23 | More by Hopheadjeffery

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.48/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: It has a beautiful hazy golden/orange color to it. It has a nice off-white head that dies down very slow and leaves nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of piney resin, grapefruit, citrus, floral hops and sweet bready/caramelly malts.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a some nice grapefruit and citrus notes, with some piney resin, sweet caramelly malts and a touch of breadiness. Great balance.

Mouthfeel: It has a medium carbonation with a very nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with great flavors and aromas. This beer has held up very well considering it's age, I can just imagine it fresh!

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 20:45:18 | More by SebD

metter98

New York

4.14/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: The beer is hazy orange in color and has a light to moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high beige head that gradually died down, consistently leaving a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and some lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of pine resin, earthy and grapefruit hops are present in the nose.
T: The taste has flavors of ruby red grapefruit and earthy hops along with a light to moderate amount of bitterness and hints of underlying caramel malts. The hop flavors linger though the finish, which also has some notes of herbal hops.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a little crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer has an interesting profile of fresh hop flavors and is quite drinkable because it isn't overly bitter.

Note: 2012 vintage

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 01:58:16 | More by metter98

hustlesworth

Ohio

4.74/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

A- that unfiltered ipa stuff really gets me goin. It's all murky and muddy and rusty colored but held up against a light it's a warm, glowing, bright orange apricot. The hat on the fella is sensational, cream colored and uniform, wrinkly and hoppy membranes surface and a crazy beautiful amount of sprayed lace. Cool label art with birdies and butterflies and a cottage and shit.

S- even at almost a year old, vibrant hop aromas are jumping right out at my face with grapefruit, orange, mandarin, lime, mango and pineapple with deeper herbal notes of mild pine and passion fruit. Toasty malt and biscuit notes make me very happy as well. Nice lemony grassy bite as it warms. Another swirl releases cheddar cheesy type aromas.

T- I take the first sip and say "oh man" with foam all in my mustache. Resinous hoppy herbal cheesy meatiness hit immediately, tar-like and bitter yet incredibly soft and smooth. My buddy grows hops and believe it, this is what it tastes like when you pluck one and pop it in your mouth. The tropical fruits from the aroma take a backseat to smashed grapefruit peels, mild peppery spice, and bitter orange with layers of herbal resin like thyme and bay laurel. Cheese notes continue on with sharp cheddar and nutty emmentaler and although it sounds crazy, it's amazingly good and it is indeed what fresh hops taste like. It's like peeling off a bract and licking up the yellow powder like a cat drinkin milk. Though the sublime bitterness persists, malt nudges in with toasted biscuit, very mild sweetness and nothing more. Malt complexity is not necessary here. The slightest hint of alcohol transforms the grains into maduro wrapper and cured hardwood. So all in all, it's an overtoasted biscuit smeared with hop resin then topped with melted cheese and a dash of pepper dressed like a pirate holding an unlit cigar in its mouth, about to walk the plank. Finishes with lingering... Awesome... Cheesy hop bitterness.

MF- this really blew me away. So creamy and finely carbonated its like some big ass beer but it's not. Adding the second half of the bottle the half empty glass, the head becomes nitro creamy and is like a happy pillow for my lips. The bubbles are tight, velvety, and complimentary to the rich feeling medium body and though they seem understated, they provide plenty of giggling hop filled burps. The combination of sticky lips, pleasant dryness and alpha acid astringency has me sittin here makin faces like an old timer.

D- well. Safe to say this was worth it. One of the best IPAs I've ever had and further evidence that Sierra Nevada is BAD AS F when it comes to the hops. 6.7%? Not so bad. This is sheer drinkability with a hop monster attitude. I love the 'wet hop' idea and process and I get a hard on for organic beer and locally sourced food, local businesses etc. (even though I'm in Ohio, you get the point). Things made at the source feel better, and this beer feels like pretty girls, flower petals, well worn jeans and a beat up baseball glove.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 04:08:27 | More by hustlesworth

brn9000

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%

03-31-2013 15:17:30 | More by brn9000

BigTrubble

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -9.9%

03-30-2013 17:20:35 | More by BigTrubble

swetsastonic

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -9.9%

03-28-2013 04:56:29 | More by swetsastonic