Estate Homegrown Wet Hop Ale - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

WVbeergeek

Ohio

5/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Excellent packaging, I actually had a couple bottles of last years version recently that held up exceptionally well possibly even better than they were fresh. The new 25.4 ounce bottle green wax seal adds a finishing touch. Copper amber crystal clear no haze, large foaming head rises above the rim of my pint glass. Head is light beige in color and lacing really coats the sides of my glass.

Aroma may be the best part perfect floral citric notes bound out of my glass into my nares, underlying malt base adds hints of fresh baked bread and caramelized sugars. This smells of fresh hops it's just green a bit of chlorophyll liveliness without excess vegetable or harsh accents.

Flavors simply excellent the best harvest ale I've had in years it's green with fresh hops, perfect blend of malt and hop interplay. Assertive west coast citrus/floral/a touch of earthiness. This is excellence, they weren't supposed to master the Estate ale on their second release, but they did.

Mouthfeel is resinous lively carbonation, with hop oils gliding across the palate. Stand up medium bodied ale brings it with each sip, I just had one of the most sought after West Coast IPAs yesterday and this competes and in it own right beats that heavily hyped beer. I haven't heard much buzz about this year's release and after last year's I was a bit pessimistic. I'm so glad I picked it up price range isn't bad 8 to 11 bucks locally I will find more this stuff is heroic.

Drinkability reaches a plateau of perfection other beers especially USDA organic ales are going to strive to compete with this. Ken Grossman and company have done it, they are a staple forever within the beer industry forget about the "craft" beer industry these guys have made it. So easy and enticing to drinking between sips you want another one it makes you feel good.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2010 21:10:03 | More by WVbeergeek

wojoparkcity

Utah

5/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Purchased from local liquor store at room temp in Liter sized bottle. Chilled to appx 40 degrees and poured into a chilled pint glass.

Pour gave way to about a two finger head. Great aroma! You can tell this is a fresh made organic brew. Aroma was that of an IPA... very citrisy.

Color: Amber color. Beautiful pour into pint glass with two finger head.

Taste: One of the best brews I have ever tasted. Crips, IPA taste with an Amber Ale feel. It is almost like a "Lite" IPA. Color is dark Amber, but its not too heavy drinking. Very light feel to it with the flavor of an IPA. Very natural and crisp. Definite base of fresh hops, but not overly hoppy. And I love hoppy IPA's, this had the perfect amount of hop to it.

After taste: Hint of hops on the back of tongue. Smooth finish. Again, feels like a lite IPA with the flavors and colors of a big IPA.

Bottom Line: One of the best beers I have ever drank!

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 23:18:23 | More by wojoparkcity

Johnnyfacelift

New York

5/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The first thing I notice with this brew is the rich fresh hop aroma! It's not overpowering or really in your face, just a subtle, beautiful and full, flowery aroma. This brew is a nice golden color with a bit of a haze, maybe from the hops or less filtering, not really sure but it looks tasty. And speaking of taste, great balance. You get a strong malt backbone with wonderful bitterness and the fresh hop taste keeps you coming back for more. There's a nice foamy head that travels down the glass as you drink and certainly leaves its mark behind. That bitterness sticks behind in the roof and back of your mouth while the malt flavor lingers on the tongue. If you can't tell, I love this beer. I've been waiting to drink this one and am psyched that its been worth the wait... drink it fresh though, that's the whole point! Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 00:00:18 | More by Johnnyfacelift

lsummers

California

4.99/5  rDev +20%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I've had this many times now, and I look forward to it each year. It really is great when fresh.

Poured out of a bottle, it has a bright caramel orange color, not quite see through. Two finger head that leaves some great lacing.

Smells of caramel grassy and grapefruit hops. A slight hint of sweet toasty maple from the malts.

Taste hits first with the sweet bitter caramel with grassy/grapefruit notes. The flavor sticks the entire way through and ends on a more slightly burnt malt note. Still it's an ipa, so the malts are subdued when compared to the hops. But the sweet characters come through.

Mouthfeel is perfectly balanced with some great mild carbonation ending with a more viscus note that pairs well with the ending malty sweetness.

Overall, This is and will continue to be one of my favorite seasonal ipa's. It's perfectly balanced for my tastes and qualities I like in a beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 00:31:58 | More by lsummers

blackwelma01

Connecticut

4.95/5  rDev +19%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

My favorite beer. One that I look forward to all year. What sets this beer apart is its 'fresh hop' taste. A true example of a well done wet hop ale. Color is clear copper with medium head retention. Strong grassy, citrusy notes. Hop bitterness falls squarely in to the IPA category but the emphasis is definitely on hop flavor over IBU's. Maltiness moderate and perfect compliment to strong citrus flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 15:44:21 | More by blackwelma01

JednoPivoProsim

Maryland

4.93/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 1 pt 9 fl oz bottle into a pint glass. Bottled on day 257 of 2011 (September 14 - exactly 1 month old!) 2011 vintage Estate Homegrown Ale.

Appearance: After fighting through the wax, this beer pours a light amber red with a doughy, bready, inches thick head. Tons of lacing.

Smell: Pungent citrusy hop aroma. Wet grapefruit. Fresh as a beer can smell. I could stop right here without even taking a sip and be happy I bought this beer. Magnificent!

Taste: Does anything taste better than a fresh IPA? Wow! So flavorful and light, I could drink this by the gallon. Obviously, very hoppy, but not overpowering. Mostly citrus/grapefruit.

Mouthfeel: This beer is very light. Normally I like something with a little heavier mouthfeel, but with the fresh hops, the light body is almost fitting. It lets you focus on the flavor more.

Overall: Probably the best tasting beer I have had since Celebration last year, if not better. Fresh, organic, wet hops bottled from the brewery estate grounds must make all of the difference. The fact that this was bottled 1 month prior definitely does not hurt!

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 23:40:17 | More by JednoPivoProsim

beerhan

Ohio

4.88/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A pleasant surprise to find this on tap at the Swig in Perrysburg, OHIO.

Served in a pint glass with a brilliant ruby color and creamy white lace head. Smells just straight up like sweet hops and fall. The taste of this beer is quite amazing. Very sweet and has a bitter aftertaste. The drinkability of this is incredible but at 8.50 a pint it is hard to have more. Fantastic overall.

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2010 14:44:40 | More by beerhan

darthpeepee

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - Copper/Amber with a nice head. Poured from a 750ml bottle with a green wax seal.

S - Smelled like a fresh Sierra Nevada. The hops kick right in but are not too overpowering in aroma.

T - Delicious. Not only did it smell like a fresh Sierra Nevada, it tasted like one too. The balance of the malt and hops were perfect. A very pure beer.

M - Light and smooth IPA.

D - This was one of the tastiest IPA's i've had. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was my first taste of craft beer years ago and the Estate Wet Hop Ale reminds me of why I kept drinking craft beer. Pure, clean, fresh IPA here.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2010 16:03:08 | More by darthpeepee

RickS95

Indiana

4.88/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Extremely dark for an IPA. Pours a dark copper, almost bronze color. If held to a light you can almost see through, but otherwise, it's opaque. The head is a finger of white bubbles. Creamy on the edges and craterous inside. Eventually a nice lace is left behind.

Wet-hopping = God's gift to hopping. Strong scents of pine and grapefruit fill the air, a little pineapple playing in the background.

Very Pliny The Elder like. Citrus fruits and pine flood the taste buds. There's something else in there, possibly the barley that imparts a rye-like taste.

One of the few IPAs that's smooth and creamy. Faint sweetness early on, then oily pine and acidic bitter. But it's all manageable.

Overall, this thing rivals Pliny, but it's availability is greater. It's super tasty and goes down very easily. Not sure I've had any IPAs that went down as easy as this.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 03:42:22 | More by RickS95

MinorThreat

Colorado

4.85/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served from a green wax sealed bomber. The packaging on this beer is phenomenal, very reminiscent of the Life and Limb collaboration.

A- Big pillowy white head rests on top of a amber gold, honey-ish colored beer. Very impressive appearance with great lacing and head retention.

S-The nose is really nice. Lots of the citrus hop scents rolling around with some sweet lime and light cereal grain toastyness. Not overpowering but really refined.

T-Big vibrant hop bitterness. Lots of tart citrus fruit and piney sweetness. A slight hint of toasted malt holds it together well. Big and aggressive yet well balanced and integrated. This strikes me as an ale that shows a level of refinement that other big hoppy beers do not have.

M-Nice amount of gas to keep it light and vibrant. Silky smooth and light on the palate.

D-This is an amazingly well balanced big beer. It somehow walks the line between sessionable and sipper perfectly.

By far the best beer I have had from Sierra Nevada and one of the top three IPA's I have had (IMHO). Nice work on this near perfect beer Sierra Nevada!

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2010 22:26:44 | More by MinorThreat

carpezytha

California

4.83/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served in red wine glass.

A: Deep reddish copper body with decent head with good lace traces.
S: Floral with some hay traces. Distingué traces even, as Johnny Hartman would second. There is even room for some wet wool among the floral scents.
T: Hops should really be presented the way it is in this brew, in my opinion, if they are going to be put on prominent display. The hops in this brew compared to the hops in a lot of the trendy super-hoppy stuff out there now, is like comparing the difference between an art school nude model and a stripper. You may be impressed by the stripper when she sits in your lap, but don't look in her eyes because you will see that there is no there there. There is a difference and I am glad they got it. This beer seems nuanced, attentive, and accentuating the beauty that is there in the hop plant. The many little hop bites are more seductive than one huge hop hammer blow, allowing the malts and yeast to have their say. The label says grapefruit but I do not actually get tons of citrus. More melon rinds than citrus.
M: Evenly reaching all areas of the mouth, this floral, hoppy brew has a mildly lively mouthfeel.
D: Hey, the Giants are in the playoffs for the first time in years and I cannot get it on my TV. This brew soothes whatever hurt that may have caused, and will soothe many a more. Salut!

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2010 02:34:37 | More by carpezytha

DeanMoriarty

California

4.83/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I worked an event with Eric Silverman earlier this summer where we brought in Sierra Nevada as the beer sponsorship and he was hyping this beer big time - claiming it was going to be insanely good and one of their best to date. He was right!

Picked up a 22oz bomber from Olive Tree Market in OB and poured it into a stemmed tulip glass.

A: Very clean copper, slightly reddish hue with a nice creamy head that lasted about half way through my glass, leaving tons of lace in its tracks.

S: Earthy piney hops, sweet carmel, fermented malts and some yeast in there too. Real fresh smelling.

T: Resinous piney hop flavor that coats the mouth; fresh cut grass, slight bitter citrus flavor, sweet carmel, and nice fresh grainy malt that lends a real freshness to this beer. Absolute perfectly balanced California IPA.

M: Medium bodied, dry with perfect carbonation that gives it a nice creamy aspect.

D: These are too easy to drink - at $10.99 each you'll go broke quick though.

*Can't wait to have this on tap at Toronado in SF this weekend!

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2010 02:40:56 | More by DeanMoriarty

thebrood1987

New Jersey

4.83/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This smells so fresh and pure. You instantly get a smell of citrus grapefruit and some pine hops. The taste backs up those hops with the nicest toasted malt taste I've had in an IPA in a while. The toasted sweetness really makes this beer distinguished from their other high hopped ales. Not many IPA's I've had from the West Coast that give this generous amount of malt. It mixes so well with the hops. You can really tell this is organic because of how fresh it tastes. I can definitely tell the difference between a wet hop and dry hop ale now too. The wet hop ale gives you more of a forefront hop taste where the dry hop gives more of a bitterness. This still has bitterness but captures that hop flavor so well that you can lick your lips and taste it. This is definitely a style of hopping I'm not used to. I like it very much and the wet hop and toasted fresh barley tastes really just make this such a great beer. Celebration, Southern, and now Estate are my favorite beers from this brewery. California in a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2010 01:36:35 | More by thebrood1987

molinasj

California

4.83/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Short and sweet - This beer was a GREAT drink! It smelled a little hoppy and thought it was going to be really overwhelming but it end up being really smooth. I got at great head after pouring into a glass with a nice carmel color. Great beer I wish I bought more.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2011 04:18:41 | More by molinasj

nickthetick

Maryland

4.8/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Into my Duvel tulip
A: pours a brick red-orange with two finger off white head that leaves a moderate amount of lacing.

S: citrus and grass (a lot) right off the bat with nice spicy hoppyness mixed in. Also a little peppery in the end.

T: spicy hops and more grassy notes balanced well with the citrus flavors. The flowery hops in noticeable, however not a whole lot of malt is present. Still the grass and pepper shine through more on my palate and I like it.

MF: once again with the spicy and pepper and moderately heavy. Nice effervescence and fairly smooth transitions with flavors makes you notice what is there without punching you in temple with any one.

D: as my first wet hopped beer this one amazed me, although I have nothing to compare it too. Awesome beer I will look forward to buying next time its on the shelf! Now if it only didn't cost so darn much...

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 22:46:14 | More by nickthetick

RichScherle

Florida

4.8/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - nice amber with frothy head. Quite clear.

Smell - complex hoppyness combined with a refined malty note.

Taste - the hop profile is very very unique here. Very herbal - almost like a wintergreen flavor mixed with a fresh herbal/grassy note. Delicious finish.

Mouthfeel - medium bodied. medium carb.

Drinkability - very high with the relaitvely low abv.

Conclusion - very unique hop profile is worth trying. My only complain is it could use a more abv and just more of everything. If this was the same profile but with just more extremeness - it would be out of this world. It just came across as a little too elegant (maybe that's a godo thing for some but I would like a bit more extreme here). Nevertheless i've already bought 4 bottles despite the lofty price tag.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2010 21:55:52 | More by RichScherle

EkimGram

New York

4.8/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Poured from a 25.4oz bottle into standard pint. Colour is a nice golden-brown with an almost reddish hue. Very tall head fades away to lots of uneven lacing. No visible carbonation.

Smell: Nice balanced hop profile, a little earthy with a hint of spice and grapefruity citrus.

Taste: Pleasantly hoppy, surprisingly not as much bite as I had expected for a brew from Sierra Nevada. A little bit of sweetness mixes in with a toasted malt flavour and mild citrus Finishes a little sticky and rather bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, lightly carbonated. Leaves the mouth watering for more.

Drinkability/Overall: One can consider this the superior to their Pale Ale; tastier, better balanced, a little more interesting. Would definitely be interested in seeing how this ages, I regret not buying a second bottle. An excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2011 02:36:12 | More by EkimGram

number1bum

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a clear amber color with two inches plus of light beige. It keeps a thick, chunky lace and even better it leaves a ton of beautiful webbing all over the sides. Coats the glass all the way to the bottom. Really impressive.

The nose is very fresh and quite delicate, with a soft citrus aroma as well as a spicy note. Some biscuity, lightly sweet caramel malt is here as well.

The nose was nice but the taste packs even more flavor. Hops area citrusy, herbal and slightly spicy. Has some caramel malt sweetness and a more subtle bready, biscuity flavor. For a fresh hop ale this still has a very good amount of bitterness. Not a big in your face bitterness, but certainly enough for an IPA. Extremely smooth and well balanced; it's just sublime for a fresh hop IPA.

Mouthfeel is a medium bodied, or a hair less than that, and is quite smooth. Clean, crisp, pretty creamy too.

This is a beautiful beer from a brewery that knows how to brew beautiful hoppy beers; maybe more than any other in fact. Sierra Nevada has mastered the art of the fresh hop beer and this is their best. This is the best fresh hop beer I've ever had, and even if I didn't know it used fresh hops it would still be an excellent IPA. Just a wonderful, wonderful beer. If it were packaged and priced like Celebration or Torpedo I would buy it all the time.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2010 03:01:00 | More by number1bum

rmolledo

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: Huge frothy and rocky tab head. slow fading. incredible lacing.

S: intense piney hop aroma. citrus and floral notes as well. malts.

T: wonderful interesting hop flavors. grassy, earthy, piney, citrusy, plus interesting new flavors. caramel malts, toasted malts. sweet finish.

MF: slick and creamy with little carbonation.

D: wonderful beer. too bad it is only a 1 time 1 batch. Great hop flavor yet enjoyable bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2010 21:25:03 | More by rmolledo

salvo

Indiana

4.75/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Green wax sealed bottle poured into a gold-rimmed German pilsner glass with huge fluffy white head over rich amber beer. Nose has rich malts and bitter hops, citrus (grapefruit) subtle in the background. Overall, the scents are mild and subtle with no aggressive or assertive note playing over any particular component. Well-balance and complex.

Wow: the tastes in this ale are layered and rich. Like the flavors of organic produce, tastes are richer and brighter, full of the new soil cared for and used for organic "estate" production, organic fertilizers imparting their flavors to the barley and hops. The balance of malts and hops carries through from the smell, and the hops are more pronounced in the mouth than the nose. More dry than sweet. Rich, unfolding, complex.

The mouthfeel is big: full-bodied and rich, it coats the mouth and throat, with carbonation that stays with the beer and effervescent enough to support the dense beer. Wonderfully rch and full bodied.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2010 19:28:52 | More by salvo

wolfinthemirror

Oklahoma

4.75/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First off, I want to say the presentation of this beer is absolutely beautiful. The art and over all aesthetic of the label is very pleasing to the eye and fitting with the concept of the beer.

Pours a gorgeous honey orange color with a butterscotch tinge into my tulip glass. Very hazy and translucent. generous white head of over an inch worth, leaves behind a lot of lacing.

smells very sweet and grassy, of the nectars of flowers. A sort of honey orange blossom smell. Subtle malt scents emerge shortly after.

The taste profile of this beer is unique. The first thing i notice is the signature Sierra Nevada taste. That sort of spicy, piney, deep grapefruit hop flavor. However, this beer backs off on the bitterness and leaves room for the flavors of the sweet delicate body. You can just pick it apart, there is a lot going on. The middle of this beer just has a ton of toasted, caramel malt flavors, and the soft, bright yeast tones really shine through. Reminiscent of a belgian pale ale or something.

The mouthfeel is very nice and soft, one of my favorite things about this beer. Carbonation is perfect. fluffy, lush feel.

This beer is very tasty which definitely helps in the drinkability department. A little expensive, but totally worth it. Wonderful beer, would recommend.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2010 05:18:24 | More by wolfinthemirror

shand

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 25 ounce bottle into a nonic pint.

A perfect looking IPA. This pours with a huge, fluffy, three fingers worth of head. This head is super pillowy, and retains and laces very well. The smell is, although great, probably the weakest part of the beer. There's slightly weak pine hops and citrus here, nothing all that strong or enticing, although it's well done.

The taste is exceptional. I'm kicking myself for not getting this sooner, because this could have been hands down the best beer I've ever had if I got it when it was super-fresh. It's just the citrus and pine hops thing that most IPAs shoot for, but it's just done so much better here. The ingredients are of an extremely high quality, which, to me, fully justifies the brew's high price. It's not super bitter, but isn't sweet either. It's just the sweet spot for an IPA, very balanced.

The mouthfeel is excellent, it's crisp and light, which works perfectly for the flavor profile. And it's extremely drinkable, to boot. I only had to go back to the glass four times to finish my first 12 ounce pour. Sierra Nevada really has something here. The ingredients for this beer are just on their own level, elevating a fairly simple recipe into something that's absolutely amazing.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2011 07:12:49 | More by shand

MrOH

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

deep copper with a big off-white, pebbly, head

fresh cut grass, grapefruit, earthy, honey, funk

grapefruit, pine, white sugar, earthiness, meadow, rich, touch of cocoa

mouthfilling but light, creamy, smooth, refreshing, long finish

mellow but full, very elegant, graceful and balanced

From notes, 10-21-10

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2011 01:10:46 | More by MrOH

buck1futter

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured in a Gulden Draak tulip.

A- Very clean copper. Head is very think and sticks to every part of the glass. It's like a piece of amber molded into the glass.

S- slight grapefuit coming through, more bready malt coming though than hops. Not bad but not the best.

T- The most balanced wet hop beer i have ever tried. So good. This thing coats your tongue in flavor. A lot of bread, and toasted malt on this one. Not to bitter, and slightly dry at the end. The hops will linger for a while and bring a very pleasant floral taste that last, and doesn't make your mouth sticky. One of the best wet hop beers out. kinda tangy.

M- medium body, very creamy, you can feel the resin from the hops slide down your tongue.

must try for wet hop beer lovers, does not disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 00:45:34 | More by buck1futter

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