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

stewart124

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into an imperial pint glass. Copper color with white head an gorgeous lacing.

Quite the nose. Grapefruit and pine power through.

Medium to full mouthfeel. Plenty of light caramel notes with loads if bread. Chewy to say the least. Oh and the bitterness...perfectly balanced. Some vegetal character but pine resin and citrus really hit home. So easy to drink.

I know that SN is easily passes up for not pushing the envelope enough but the never come up short. This is a great beer that is overlooked.

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2012 23:20:18 | More by stewart124

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.23/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from tap into nb globe at crescent in Omaha. Pours. A brownish burnt orange with lots of sticky thick head. Nice fresh hop and biscuit aromas. The taste is mild bitter biscuit malts at first but finishes with a great fresh pineapple citrus hop. Really nice finish. This is a great brew and they seemed to capture a fall feeling in an ipa. Nice.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2012 00:56:07 | More by DrinkSlurm

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a shaker pint glass at Durty Nellie's.

Been dancing around this one for years, figured it was time to finally take it down. It pours a clear brass-amber topped by a finger of lightly sandy cream-white foam. The nose comprises pine needles, caramel, sweet toffee, and a bit of lemon zest. This isn't to say that it smelled old or anything, but rather it smelled more balanced than I imagined a wet hop from SN to be. The taste holds notes of pine resin, light cedar, mild caramel, light menthol, and a kiss of spearmint. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fluid feel. Overall, a nice wet hop, one that maintains a healthy balance without disregarding or canceling out the wet hop addition. Still, it is a bit one-sided in terms of hop flavor, but this isn't a total negative, as it works well with it.

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2012 19:42:02 | More by TMoney2591

Hoptometrist

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap into a nonic glass at Sixteen Tons

A- Poured a pretty clear and dark copper color with frothy khaki colored head that left webbed lacing

S- Big floral, citrusy, piney, and grassy hop aroma. Some sweet malts almost like an imperial red ale. Very aromatic and fresh

T- Big grassy, leafy, spicy, and citrusy hops. Big sweet red malt backbone and lots of bitterness

M- Medium body, highly carbonated, dry, effervescent

O- So fresh, complex hop profile, and big malt backbone. Sierra Nevada does it again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2012 15:47:58 | More by Hoptometrist

lsummers

California

4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this one on tap at my local bar.

Appears a copper golden color and is a little dense but still clear. Head is a bright tan that dissipates to a rim and leaves some nice lacing.

Smells of slight hops, but I'm getting some maltiness coming through. To me it's not the typical ipa flowery citrus hoppy smell.

The pleasant subdued hops hit you straight away and really come through in the middle. There a bit of burnt caramel with a slight bit of orange grapefruit. The backend mellows out and let's the sweetness come out.

Mouthfeel is pleasant and actually very refreshing at the front, the sweet stickiness comes through towards the end. I wouldn't mind it having even less carbonation just so I could get that initial taste more. Overall I would definitly get this again. I'm excited to try this bottled as well.

Serving type: on-tap

06-13-2012 03:45:41 | More by lsummers

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.43/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On Tap at Taco Mac Decatur January 5 2012. 16 Ounce Pour.

(Appearance) beer arrives a medium copper tone with a light white surface cover. Carbonation is spritely. Beer is the slightest bit hazy. Lacing is poor in quality and quantity. An on-par appearance. 3

(Smell) aroma consists of very light floral and spicy hops and a hint of citrus fruit, some wet and some dry hopped. Malt body is mild as well. Pleasant light aroma to this beer but no off smells. 4

(Taste) Tastes of a light malty body with a mildly hopped bitter backbone. Malt character is complete with pale malts and a touch of caramel. Bitter hops most prevalent in the finish, rounding this as a slightly more bitter beer. Balance is close, but this could improve with more malt substance. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Very light texture, with a mild level of carbonation and a slightly sticky and resinous texture lends a hand to the laid back approach the taste creates. Light body and a mild alcohol astringency here and there are discernible. One of the blander aspects of this beer is in the mouthfeel. 3

(Overall) This was an alright IPA but with so many alternatives on the market there's plenty of other options, even if you're going for a milder-tasting IPA. While its got it's character and enjoyment here and there, there's nothing standing out about this beer. 3

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2012 00:17:38 | More by Jadjunk

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

on tap at khyber in philly - review from notes

Pours a brilliant deep amber color with some burnt orange glow. Frothy beige head rests on top, retaining well throughout the pour, leaving splotchy lacing behind.

Grassy and hoppy in the nose with citrus peel. Bready malts, touch of sweetness and faint spice.

Nice bitterness up front, piny with grapefruit juiciness and rind. Very bitter throughout, but not without some malt balance. Caramel seeps in with toasted malts and some bready notes. Hint of sweetness washed away by another wave of ruby red grapefruit hoppiness and faint warmth.

Medium body, well carbed, very dry and lingering on the tongue. Really tasty wet hop beer, I forgot how good this was.

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2012 01:37:37 | More by xnicknj

williamjbauer

West Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap served in a pint glass

A - Clear amber with 1.5 finger off white head with good head retention and good lacing

S - Excellent hop profile with aromas full of citrus grapefruit, lemons, oranges and pine as well.

T - Light and sweet and follows the aroma with a abundance of hops, a hint of caramel, well balanced, nice alcoholic taste and dry finish.

M - Full body, moderate carbonation

O - Great IPA chock full of Cone hops, I'd get this anytime.

Serving type: on-tap

02-06-2012 16:24:04 | More by williamjbauer

chilly460

Virginia

4.2/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Light amber body with a huge rocky white head. Great tiger striped lacing all the way to the bottom of the glass.

S - Big piney hop nose hits first, with quite a bit of grapefruit smelling hops. Very fragrant beer for sure. Some dry maltiness, but not really apparent through all the big hops.

T - Surprisingly balanced compared to the aroma. Huge floral hops flavor hits first, tart but not overwhelming, very nice. Some citrus flavor on the end. Malts are a bit different then standard flavors, comes in almost a bit roasted like wheat toast, but not going into sweet like a caramel. Nice.

M - Very nice, solid medium body, medium to low carbonation.

O - Really nice balance, interesting malt profile, huge hop aroma...good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2012 13:52:11 | More by chilly460

Doppelbockulus

Florida

3.3/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This is a copper colored beer that smells like a citrus grove and candy.

Taste is simple, light pine and bitterness at the start fading into an oily bitterness. I am pretty biased against hoppy beers, so I will stop here.

Mouthfeel is airy with bubbles but not a lot of fizz. Swish it around and you will get a cloud of foam in your mouth but not a bunch of tingling.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2012 22:15:36 | More by Doppelbockulus

devinoconnor

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very nice orange hued copper color. And then this IPA immediately makes its presence known. The Cascade and Centennial hops create a strong, citrusy and pine smell that rushes to the nose.

Taste is again, hoppy enough for me as a hop head, but so well-balanced with the malts. A hint of spice, maybe nutmeg or pine comes through in the taste as well.

One of my favorite all-time IPAs. Worth finding. And growler'ing.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2011 23:22:26 | More by devinoconnor

dannydetox

California

4.22/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A choice offering from a little brewery in chico, ca....nicely done sierra. Pale copper color on the pour with plenty of lacing left in my glass. I get tons of pink grapefruit in the nose with a bit of floral/piney qualities as it goes down. Smooth mouthfeel leads to a crisp, dry finish with more grapefruit aromas and pleasing bitterness. This is the kind of beer I could sip on all day.

Serving type: on-tap

11-22-2011 03:15:08 | More by dannydetox

Durge

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another nice brew found at "Plan B" in Milford. Clear copper coloring with a decent off-white head and a mess of lacing! The aroma is piney-citrus hop and yeasty malt. Taste is also pine and citrus hops over mildly butterscotch malt. Apple pumpkin and sweet vanilla. Solidly medium bodied with pleasant carbonation and a fairly luscious feel. Very beautifully balance with IPA qualities that are highly drinkable. Another bravo to SN!

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2011 06:34:14 | More by Durge

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap into a pint glass. You mean it, a whole pint for me?!

A- pours a clear shade of orange with a one finger white head. Looks great

S- mild citrus aroma. Not very pungent

T- juicy, strong hop flavor. Lots of citrus. Bitterness is very mild

M- medium bodied

O- liked this slightly more than the Southern Hem. Very good beer

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2011 00:26:03 | More by bigfnjoe

woemad

Washington

4.22/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pint consumed at the 2-7 in Spokane. One of the better $2 kill-the-keg specials I've had there.

Vaguely hazy orange/amber color, with an off-white head that didn't hang about for long.

Floral, piney, grassy and spicy in the nose, with a little bit of biscuity malt scent.

Piney and grapefruity hop taste at the beginning. The malts unobtrusively provide a balancing undercurrent. Things end with a satisfying dry zap to the palate. Rather tasty!

Medium bodied, with a slightly resinous quality.

A very tasty and drinkable beer that I was quite happy to have a couple of, regardless of price.

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2011 04:35:03 | More by woemad

orangesol

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at The Fridge into a standard pint.

A - Pours deep amber orange with a nice two finger tall white head leaving concentric rings down the entire glass.

S - Smells of toasted caramel malt, citric and grassy hops, and some dulled citric fruit. This one is pretty malty already and it doesn't seem to be dieing down...

T - Starts off with quite a bit of sweet caramel malt slowly giving way to a mix of dulled citric hops, light fruit, and some light spice. The sweetness is really starting to take over but the hops are still trying to hold on. The finish is a mix of sweetness and light hop bitterness, lingering on the pallet for some time.

M - Medium body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Sweet, slightly bitter, malt that clings to the pallet.

O - I have always enjoyed this beer but when it goes down hill it goes down quick. Luckily this one was still teetering off the cliff so it was still pretty good. It is still a little too sweet for me but, when fresh, it is a very good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2011 20:59:21 | More by orangesol

ehammond1

California

4/5  rDev -5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On Tap

Pizza Port
Carlsbad, CA

A deep, glowing, beautiful amber with golden highlights near the edges. Thick, frothy, off-white head that lasts. Incredible lacing down the glass. Perfect!

Not particularly aromatic and actually relatively malt-centric aroma. I smell crystal and caramel malts predominately, followed by pungent and citrus hops, but the malts are certainly front and center here...
I
...though that all changes with the flavor! This is hop-centric! And so, so delicious! Rich, bitter, pungent, citrus, and piney hops! Oh my so good! Along with the perfect hop flavor is a nice balance of bready and caramel malts; it all comes together remarkably well.

Rich, creamy, thick, luscious mouthfeel! Sierra Nevada does this as good as anyone!

Great IPA!

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2011 15:01:23 | More by ehammond1

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very clear straw color. Decent one inch head.

Smells of a ton of herbal hops. I really like the fact that it smells as good as it tastes. It is extremely bitter and aromatic at the same time. A small bit of citric hops are in the smell and taste, but its all aromatic. Usually wet hopped beers have a slimey, skunky smell to them, but SN seems to have figured out how to wet hop a beer.

It sits like a good AIPA should. The bitterness destroys your palate, yet isnt a bad thing. it toes the line between too bitter and just right.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2011 00:12:43 | More by VncentLIFE

57md

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours copper colored like a fall leaf. There is almost a finger of head that leaves a nice trail of lacing behind. Fresh hop spice is the name of this game. The smell, upfront flavor and finish are all a testament to the holy hop. Too bad this can only be a seasonal.

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2011 20:46:20 | More by 57md

Pintofbrown

Iowa

4.13/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

App- A very cool amber-copper body with one finger of puffy, white head. I can't make out any carbonation.

Smell- Wow citrus notes! It reminds me of grape fruit and tangerines. What a great general hop profile, also some grassy hops in here too.

Taste- This has a really strong hop bitterness at the beginning of the drink that is actually very floral. It isn't until mid drink and the finish that the citrus hops start to come through. They taste like passion and grape fruits. I really enjoy that buried underneath you can make out a solid biscuit malt character. That is always appreciated in an IPA.

Mouth feel- The feel is medium to light with a little carbonation. It is definitely a drier finish from the nice amount of hop character.

Overall- A really swell wet hop IPA, my first in fact, and I really dig it. My main gripe is the mouth feel; it's just a little light for I like this style. And as good as the hops are, it could have been a little more explosive on the palate, but by all indications, this is a must have.

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2011 18:04:56 | More by Pintofbrown

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tap takeover at alley bar poured into a pint glass.

Pours a deep autumn color with a sticky white head. Leaves load of sticky lacing the whole way down the glass.

Smell overload. Lots of fresh pine, grass and grapefruit/citrus in the nose. Just a light supporting malty backbone.

This is one smooth brew, yet completely bitter at the same time. I love the taste of fresh hops. Starts out with a bit of malty sweetness alongside grapefruit/melon flavors, finishes very crisp with a dry pine bitterness.

A little sticky and good carbonation levels.

Loved this beer and just as good as I always remember it. The Southern Hemisphere was a huge unbalanced mess, but this is a great beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2011 16:59:22 | More by jmarsh123

znichols

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pauls club in madison, wi.

A-light auburn. A bright white head that was gone fairly quick. Looks clean and resinous though.

S- dirty fruit and dank herbs. A touch of biscuit. Very nice aroma.

T- bitter right away potent spicy hop flavor. Almost a dill quality to it. There is a delicate sweet bread malt flavor that plays a role as well. Nice and different taste here.

M- somewhat heavy but the somewhat heavy combination eases it up. Pretty sticky and resinous as expected.

O-as iconic forthe wet hop pale ale stle as snpa is for the regular pale ale style. Inoffensive and tasty. Spicy and dank with great hop flavor and a great and unexpected biscuit malt taste.

Serving type: on-tap

09-02-2011 03:53:05 | More by znichols

kylehay2004

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: 1.5 finger foamy head. Murky dark amber with golden hues.

S: earthy, floral, sweet, bready and mildly hoppy. Many aromas mixed in.

T: apricot sweetness up front. Somewhat piney hop finish. Floral, sweet malt and earthy notes.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: the aroma and taste with this one is very complex. Some of these conflict but others mesh. Very interesting beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2011 01:34:13 | More by kylehay2004

StJamesGate

New York

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Bull and Castle, Dublin.

Rocky creme anglaise head over glowing tangerine. Floral and resin straight hop flower nose.
Scrap of Wonder bread, some toffee, orange Starburst and mango up front; then resin, tangelo and evergreen hops. Orange hard candy end and bittersweet linger.
Medium, big chewiness, sticky.

The many faces of hops, with just enough caramel behind it. We know what this does, but don't we just love it. What an American IPA is.

Serving type: on-tap

08-01-2011 22:15:37 | More by StJamesGate

CHickman

New York

4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Tasting notes from 7/9/2011 - Harvest Ale 2007 on tap at the Lark; pours hazy amber orange in color with a 2 finger creamy beige head that faded slowly and left good spotty lacing; a good looking beer out of the tap.

Smells of citrus hops, grapefruit, orange peel, caramel, sweet malt, floral hops, piney hops, brown sugar, grains and some spices like pepper and coriander; nice hoppy aroma with a sweet malty balance.

Tastes of citrus hops, grapefruit, orange peel, lemon, caramel, sweet malt, floral hops, piney hops/pine cones, brown sugar, flowers, herbs, grains and spices like pepper and coriander; very well balanced and extremely drinkable, as the fresh hops only add nice oily juices to the mix.

Mouthfeel is creamy and slick, with mild carbonation, a medium body and a nice easy flow; this goes down smooth and easy considering the ABV. Another fine Sierra Nevada product, which I highly recommend trying as it was tasty and to me a session beer on tap.

2012 bottle: pours a slight hazy amber reddish color with a massive 2 finger foamy beige head that faded extremely slowly and left magnificent lacing with rings as it went down; the head was so thick I ran my finger through it and the cavern remained as it slowly dissipated. A great looking beer that had a foamy layer on top and left a mustache after each sip. 2012 batch raised the appearance rating from 4 to 4.5.

Smells of fresh citrus hops, grapefruit, orange peel, piney hops, pine cone, herbs, floral hops, grass, light malt, some caramel sweetness and mild spices like pepper, mint and coriander; a nice hoppy aroma that was strong and hop dominant, but still had the sweet malty balance.

Tastes of citrus hops, grapefruit, orange peel, lemon, piney hops/pine cones, biscuit, caramel, sweet malt, floral hops, light brown sugar, flowers, herbs, toasted grains, wheat toast and light spices like pepper, mint and coriander; very well balanced and extremely drinkable, the fresh hops are oily but the malt backbone kicks ass and makes this just about perfect to drink. I would go on more, but this needs to be drank to appreciate.

Mouthfeel is creamy and buttery smooth, with mild carbonation, a medium body that’s almost chewy, and a nice citrus pucker and slight bitterness that one would expect from a fresh hop IPA. 2012 batch raised the mouthfeel rating from 4 to 4.5.

I liked it better this year out of the bottle (I’ve had 2 so far this year), and look forward to next year’s batch; a very high recommendation as this was delicious and very easy to drink. Another Sierra Nevada session beer for me. 2012 batch raised the overall rating from 4 to 5. Yeah, it was that good.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2011 03:52:17 | More by CHickman