Northern Hemisphere Harvest Wet Hop Ale - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

SheepNutz

Kentucky

4.93/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap, poured out of my growler into a tulip-style glass. It pours a deep reddish-amber color with 2 fingers of off-white foam. There is a good amount of lacing left on the glass. The smell is very hoppy with grassy and floral notes. The taste is only a little malty up front before the hops come rolling in. It has a good hop bite and is fairly grassy. It is very well balanced. The mouthfeel is very heavy on the tongue for a pale ale, very nice. The drinkability is also really good. If only Sierra Nevada bottled this one, I'd be in heaven.

A year later almost, and another growler is here. It just keeps getting better and better. I am in love with this brew (but don't tell my wonderful girlfriend, I still love her more anyways!)

Serving type: on-tap

10-28-2003 05:08:05 | More by SheepNutz

BlindPig

Pennsylvania

4.93/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A- Thick off white head on a pretty clear golden copper body. Nice thick lacing that sticks to side of glass.
S- Huge hop aroma. Smells like pure hop juice. Grapefruit and pine come through with some spice. Just a hint of caramel.
T- Like the aroma. Just tons of wet hops. The grapefruit and some grass flavors just stick all over the mouth like sticky hop juice. Just a little caramel to help balance it out just a little bit. Leaves a big bitterness all over the tongue.
M- Medium body which feels a bit thicker from the tons of sticky hops. Medium/low carbonation.
D- It is probably the best fresh hopped beer I have had. Just excellent and wish you could get it year round in regular 6-packs.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2007 03:36:16 | More by BlindPig

John

New York

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Wow! This is hopped up for 2001! Beautiful, deep reddish color. Superbly balanced. Far better than any previous years, IMHO.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2001 09:00:00 | More by John

Mryup

California

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Found two bottles mysteriously hiding behind something else....hmmmm...and when I see the last two bottles I took them like the greedy efing rat I am.

A: A very nice copper/red earthy look. Head is amazing (almost as good as the real thing). The head is tan and very significant with superior lacing.

S: Oh...my...god...The second I opened the bottle and took a whiff my nostrils received an enema of freshness. A variety of hops with malt throughout the background. I can't put my finger on a specific hop. Earthy aromas with hints of fruit and spice make this beer smell superb.

T: I don't know quite how to word this. It doesn't seem to be jammed packed with more hops, just better hops hence I guess "wet" hops. Its what it says it is. Plenty of malt throughout too in a very well thought out balance. Once again, hints a fruit and spices with beautiful bitterness coming in at the end. The head is STILL there.

M: Consistent, medium-bodied mouthfeel thats maintains its presence throughout. Carbonation is perfect. The bitterness leads to slight dryness at the very end.

D: Good thing I only got a hold of two bottles. My liver thanks me.

This beer is everything it is made out to be. Coming in I had high expectations and they were met. This is the highest review I have ever given a beer,

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2007 06:57:43 | More by Mryup

kush6875

Pennsylvania

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

nice copper color with thick white head and very nice lacing. smells as if you stuck your nose in a bouquet of the freshest hops. this beer truly has a nose like no other. this beer is a hopheads dream. minimal malt detected but the hops arent over powering it just tastes reallly really fresh, juicy and floral. i could drink this one all damn day! i cant wait to try this side by side with a fresh celebration ale. i bought 3 cases of this and am down to 1. next year i will order 5 cases. YES THIS BEER IS THAT GREAT!!!
CHEERS AND HOPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2007 01:53:07 | More by kush6875

CNeilP09

Georgia

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Sierra Nevada. My favorite brewery for one simple reason: they produce beers that ARE TRUE BEERS. And this beer is no exception. First and foremost, "Wow." This is the epitome of ale. The "wet hop" marketing is nothing short of fantastical truth. Everything about this ale is lush and exuberant, with notes of pine, earth, citrus, cinnamon, sauteed scotch bonnet (like a sniff from 20 yards), some caramel, iron, wet stone, the nuances of a forty year old barn...this beer has it all! Seriously, the nose is a damned plethora of snorfs, toss it on the palate and you are sure to be pleased. The finish is dry and creamy and explosive, which is typical of the "style" yet, wait a second for that last "ummphf" of yumm. This is an ale that should be poured in every tavern across the country as the house beer.

Physically, the beer stands as beer. The color is a deep and rich mahogany, sharp copper. The head is malted cotton on ambrose leggings, and the lacing is tighter than a spider's web.

Again, damn! Great beer. I'll do myself a favor and pull a box to sit and savor over the next few years.

Exceptional Ale!!!

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2008 08:33:55 | More by CNeilP09

nc41

North Carolina

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is really a great Ale in every single way. Pours a nice coppery color with a tremendous head that lasts to the end of your glass. My 1st glass I was almost to the bottom and still had a 1/8 layer on top. I would say this is a very full bodied hearty Ale, that has a nice hoppy bite, but also has a lot more going on. Very nicely balanced between the malt and hops. I'm a hop head, and this easily satisfies my cravings, and IMO the best I've had from SN. I would love to see this one available year round, it's a great winter brew without the quirky spicing, and would be just as easy to drink in the summer.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2008 13:16:10 | More by nc41

dacrza1

New Jersey

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Okay, this one caught me by surprise, and I am glad to see others rating this as highly as I did. (Usually) not swayed by gimmicky labels or elaborate descriptions of brewing processes, I nonetheless pronounce a simple amen after finishing the glass.... opens with a tremendously aromatic fragrance with a floral, buttery smoothness... beautiful orange-brown body in an oversized Hop Devil snifter; two-finger foam leaves wonderful lacing, the look of a limited release... medium to full-bodied, with a crunch that reverberates--a smoothness early that balances well with the grit betweent the teeth... not at all my expectations: no big Christmas tree suck of pine cone explosion, no cascade of Cascade--mellow, almost laidback to the point of sharing common ties with the creamier, more balanced English pales... start to finish, a crowning achievement... an excellent spring nightcap to a day of work, but in most (any?) settings this would work well, well enough to finish the 24oz. bottle and wish for a second...I get more of the citrus as the glass drains, but this may be misadvertised as a hophead's "wet" dream , due to the fact that the pleasure of drinking this beer is its bouquet and its flavor balance... I had to buy brother Jer a bottle before the 4th, just to share the triumph with someone...

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2009 03:48:40 | More by dacrza1

generalnotsew

Tennessee

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a very thick off white almost tan head. Color is very dark brown. The head is really strong on this one. Very strong bitter piney earthy hops in the nose. One of the strongest smelling IPA's around especially at 6.7% abv. I could live in this. Extremely bitter grassy dirty hop flavor with just a twinge of the grapefruit. Mostly just very, very bitter. Not much, if any, sweetness. How they pack the smell and taste into this low abv is crazy. Carbonation may be a bit sharp. I could lay waste to this beer. This and the Fresh hop are 2 of the best IPA's money can buy and costs way less too.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2010 03:27:47 | More by generalnotsew

MaltyGoodness

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

24oz. bottle - 2007 edition

Pours a clear copper color with a creamy eggshell head that thins. Thick, sticky lacing on the glass.

A faint hint of caramel malt among layers of fantastic hop smells. Citrusy, grassy, floral, and just extremely fresh smelling.

A nice, chewy, caramel malt base that somehow manages to survive among a complex blend of hop flavors. Citrus, floral, grassy, and plenty of IBUs to boot. Superbly balanced and fresh tasting.

Medium body, creamy texture.

Wow, what a great brew. Really showcases the flavors that can be produced with fresh hops, and does so with a masterful level of balance. The 24 ounce bottle goes down as fast as if it were just 12.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2007 03:18:24 | More by MaltyGoodness

scaaven

Colorado

4.88/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured a cloudy amber with a large head. Smelled crisp with a possible hint of banana. Tasted smooth and very inline with Sierra Nevada. It's like the SN Pale Ale "hopped up" with flavor. It's a very complex taste similar to Stone Brewery. Very drinkable, but unfortunately quite expensive. If this was affordable and mass produced, the human species could be fated to a mellow existence.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2007 02:24:18 | More by scaaven

SouljaSaia17

Massachusetts

4.88/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Right now is the time that the Southern Hemisphere Harvest is in the market. but I was able to grab the very last of this beer I could find, dating 2011.

A: Nice bright amber color with a 1-inch bright white head that stick around awhile.

S: Smell is of floral and fruity hops, slight hint of citrus and honey with some grassy notes.

T: Wow, this taste brings a kick at the front, slight coriander, honey and some hop bitterness with a dry bready finish at the end. Kind of reminds me of a Saison.

M: Cant see too much carbonation beyond the haze of the appearance but this beer is very drinkable.

O: Sierra Nevada never seems to dissapoint, this beer is bursting with flavor and I could honestly have 6 of these. Its just too bad they are $5 plus my way!

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 02:09:43 | More by SouljaSaia17

athensbeermaster

Georgia

4.85/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured this beer into a nice red wine glass. The color was pretty amber glow with a tan pillowy head. The smell of fresh pine and roasted malts. The taste is so smooth with a big presence of earth tones and fresh roasted peanuts. Great oily pine resin really cotes the tongue. The mouthfeel is med. body but the beer is so well balanced that is comes off bigger than expected. Drinkabilty is perfect. So complex so many foods this would go well with.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2007 19:53:58 | More by athensbeermaster

goochpunch

Texas

4.85/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours out a brilliant copper with a wealth of evenly distributed bubbles throughout the glass. Head is thick and creamy, kind of like this came from a nitro widget. Leaves some sticky and raised rings of lace. Aroma is of pungent grapefruit and pine, giving this a fresh angle on a classic West Coast pale ale aroma profile. Lots of hop resin fills the nostrils over a backdrop of toasty maltiness, caramel, and brown sugar. This tastes fantastic. You get beat over the head with grapefruit oils and pine sap but with only moderate bitterness. Malt is really only there to lend some soft sweetness and a subdued toastiness in the finish, which mixes with the lingering hop oils. Somewhere on the middle of this, I get some definite caramel, but it's certainly not all that prominent against the hops. Mouthfeel is light to mid weight with a bouncy carbonation. It can get just the slightest bit sticky in the mouth, but it's not too bad. This is going extremely fast, and I should slow myself down. Really great quality and the most affordable fresh hop beer available to us in Texas.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2007 02:44:25 | More by goochpunch

TastyTaste

Minnesota

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thankfully on tap at Old Chicago in Eden Prairie, MN, served in a 25 oz. mug. Very dark bronze color, nice creamy tan head that lasts for about the first half of the beer. Smell is nice sweet, fresh hops, floral and sharp, with some malty sweetness going on in the background. Taste was great, I like it better than the SNPA that has been a benchmark of the style for years. The hops are robust and tangy, this was a nice surprise to find on tap at a place like Old Chicago (Their Minnesota beer of the month was Budweiser Select...). Highly drinkable and enjoyable, I would've gotten more, but there were still a number of good octoberfests on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2005 10:51:27 | More by TastyTaste

chargerfanjess

California

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours deep red with a creamy off-white head. Immediately as it’s poured, hops aroma hits me. Spicy, floral/piney, and especially hoppy aroma is refreshing... Maybe hints of apple. Spicy flavor fills mouth with bitter hops and notes of pine. Nice bitter finish lingers. Alcohol is subdued but noticable. Malt characteristics barely noticable but present. Finishes very bitter. Extensive lacing through whole beer as head diminishes slowly. Very lightly carbonated. Excellent and refreshing beer. Light moutfeel but not watery.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2006 20:16:20 | More by chargerfanjess

WaveRebel51

Nebraska

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

There's still a lot of beer out there that I haven't tried, but Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale may be the best beer I've ever had.

The beer starts out by seducing you with its dark-reddish appearance and thin frothy foam that looks like it just came out of the fermenter. Smells sweet and fruity, with a hint of just-cut grass, no doubt from the fresh cascade ans centennial hops. Tastes like how a beer would taste in the perfect world -- no overpowering flavors, but the entire range of hop flavors are on display: hints of floral, piney flavors, bitterness and spicyness throughout each sip. So smooth, that I never noticed the alcohol. Fresh hops really do make a difference and its too bad that this is only available once a year.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2007 16:54:46 | More by WaveRebel51

brewdoc75

Minnesota

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I picked this beer up at the Four Firkins, quite possibly one of my favorite speciality beer stores.

This beer pours a clear copper to amber color. A crisp white head crowns the top. Artistic lace encases the sides of the glass as I enjoy this hoppy treat. The aromas are a definite hop fest. I get a strong grapefruit aroma at first. This is followed by a vast array of other citrus fruits. Not as overpowering as one would expect with a fresh hop ale. There is a faint sweetness from the malts as well. The hop flavor in this beer is phenomenal. You have to really appreciate the hop to appreciate this flavor. Raw floral, grapefruit flavors present initially. This is followed by a balanced malty sweetness. In the end of the my drink, I notice a nice piney bite. The hoppy bite in this beer is really present, but the bitterness really fits it well. The bitterness lingers to the next drink, but is really quite pleasant. The mouthfeel is pretty solid. Crisp and clean, just what I love about Sierra Nevada.

This is an exceptional beer. Definitely an iconic beverage. I don't think I've ever had a fresh hop ale as good as this one. Sierra Nevada has always been a symbol of quality. This beer is just another reason why they may be one of the greatest craft breweries out there. I am tempted to go pick up a case of this despite the cost at $6.50 a bottle. This beer is definitely worth it.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2008 01:14:15 | More by brewdoc75

Beerbuddha

Louisiana

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: This beer poured a nice copper color with a HUGE fluffy cloud of an off white head. Great lacing the stuck around the life of the beer.

Smell: I was hit immediately with a wonderful piney hop aroma with a nice hint of sweet maltiness. Lots of earthy aromas with wonderful citrus and spice characters.

Taste: This beer is extremely well balanced. It has a nice piney bitterness with hints of citrus but is balanced with some nice sweet malts. The citrus and spice comes through in the taste as well as the nose.

Mouthfeel: Nice oily medium body with medium carbonation. Has a nice dry bitternes in the finish.

Overall: A fantastic brew! I'm glad I picked up two and good thing I ordered 4 cases at work also since we're down to our last case. I'm not a big hop fan but this one is really making me reconsider.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2008 20:07:35 | More by Beerbuddha

TheFlern

Idaho

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

13th Release

Appearance: Lots of thick white head, good lacing. Golden amber pour. Beautiful, just wish it wasn't filtered.

Smell: Lots of great hop aromas. Its a great mixture of pine, floral, and citrus notes of hop deliciousness!

Taste: Just great. I can only expect this to get better with a little aging. The taste is just balanced enough to get a 5. Lots of hop but its not overpowering and that is nice.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth with a great aftertaste and feel. It finishes clean.

Drinkability: For the price compared to the Sierra Nevada estate brew this is a steal. This is far superior to any of the Sierra Nevada IPAs and should be experienced by any lover of good IPAs. High ABV aside this beer would be too tasty not to be drinking it as long as possible.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2009 21:34:47 | More by TheFlern

degochapa

California

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Beautiful amber color. Even with a decent pour, there was still little head.

Smell: Great aroma!! I have a soft spot for hops, and this beer smells like how an IPA should smell like!

Taste: Currently my favorite beer. I picked this up at a local Whole Foods. Now, my last three trips to Whole Foods, I have to pick one or two of these up.

Mouthfeel: Very nice, the beer, once again, does seem to be a little flat...I am not sure if I have just been purchasing an old shipment or something though.

Drink ability: For any IPA lover, very easy to drink. Great kick at the end as well.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2011 04:52:31 | More by degochapa

Paymygasbill77

Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2011
A: Poured from a bottle into a standard beer mug.
Pours a crystal clear amber color with a thick, wonderful head that sticks around.

S: This beer smells of Lemons, oranges, grass and Pine. Plenty of a fresh hop armoma. Very few beers smell this good.

T: Sweet malt up front, strong, bitter hops and a finish of clean grass clippings. This beer has a very intense flavor that lures me into the next sip.

M: Heavy but not chewy. Fantastic mouthfeel. Not thin like an IPA.

O: This is one fantastic beer. I love it!

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 04:05:26 | More by Paymygasbill77

jeremy13586

Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

2011 bomber poured in to a pint glass.

Poured a light amber in to my pint glass.Very fluffy light tan head. The head slowly cascaded into a nice rockiness. Nice sticky bubbles weere left on the side of the glass.

Strong floral and citrus hops up front in the nose. Light bread/doughy malts bring a nice sweetness.

Bitter floral hops sting the tounge at first. Bready malt and light caramel and apple follow. A grapefruity finish ends each sip. The post-sip burp is delightful.

Medium bodied that leaves a nice resiny coating. Nice carbonation. Lingering sweetness, but an overall clean finish.

I've had this in the pass and have always been impressed. This would be an amazing year-round brew, but alas, it is not. I look forward to having this again next year.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 08:28:53 | More by jeremy13586

454onbeerss

Massachusetts

4.8/5  rDev +14%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I stumbled upon this killer brew after a tip from the wobbley mail man! Any Sierrra NV beer I've had has been great, but the Harvest is the best I've had in a while. I'm a fan of IPA's, porters and stouts and I was more than satisfied with the unbeatable taste of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2007 06:30:36 | More by 454onbeerss

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

4.8/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

24oz bottle bought at Lou's in Augusta. Pours slightly hazy amber-red with a thin quickly disappearing off-white head. Smells amazing - pine, citrus, floral, herbal, mint... Hoppiest smelling beer I've ever had. Tastes similar to the armoa. Mint, pine, floral, citrus bitterness shining bright on this one with just enough malt to keep this one from being one-dimensional. Surprisingly clean finish. Medium mouth feel, making for a rich-feeling palate without being chewy or viscous. Medium carbonation is just enough to keep things clean and make this one a really easy drinker despite the big flavor and abv. Wow. A hop-head's dream. This is perhaps the finest use of American hops in a beer I have ever tasted. I would drink this morning noon and night everyday but I'd probably feel spoiled.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2008 02:59:20 | More by MrHurmateeowish