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

pheurton

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

late october red with a tightly bubbled sticky tan head. crystal clear with small bubbles of carbonation. intensely green resinous hop aroma. wow, that is some fresh smelling beer. sturdy medium body, full and creamy while retaining some crispness. ample caramel malt backbone and bucketloads of cascade hop flavor. piney with orange peel and lemon notes. delicious and highly drinkable, if not very origninal, especially for SN. high marks for freshness.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2004 17:33:34 | More by pheurton

Rastacouere

Quebec (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On at at Mugs Ale House in brooklyn. Bright clear amber. Creamy off-white head is sticky and won’t leave the pint. Very approachable and attractive C-hops aroma is well complmented by caramelic malt. Foresty. This is indeed incredibly well done, superior balance. This is almost worth its reputation and puts a shame to the existence of SNPA. Bitterness is restrained, orangey, cascade-ish. Refreshing on the tongue, the ultimate green hops/malt combination, honey notes, very fresh. Of course it’s not incredibly complex, but among the style, this has to be close to my favorite. This has quality written all over it. The culminating point for me is the mouthfeel. First sip was shouting 5 for texture all over the place. This is perfectly creamy, very airy, smooth, round.. Yum Yum, easy quaffer even.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2004 17:20:04 | More by Rastacouere

Crosling

Colorado

4.13/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Sampled at the Falling Rock Tap House, Denver, CO.

Copper.

Fresh, piney, citrusy hops accompanied well by a nice light fruitiness in the nose.

Piney, not grassy, hops like I was expecting. Fresh, sappy, piney notes along with underlying light fruit notes. This version avoided the grassy, herbal and medicinal qualities that usually turn me off with wet hopped beers. I really enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2004 06:21:14 | More by Crosling

TheLongBeachBum

California

3.93/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: Sampled on draft at Lucky Baldwin’s, Pasadena, CA on Saturday 18th September during the Sierra Nevada Beer Festival and a mini-BA Gathering. Served in a Sierra Nevada Pint Glass, $3 for the Pint.

Generic Sierra Nevada Tap Handle that had a yellowy-orange tap handle with the words ‘Harvest Ale’ on it.

Appearance: Golden color with some orangey hints, though in the darkness of Lucky Baldwin’s, with the other SN brews, it was difficult at times to work out what the exact color was. Off-white head that didn’t seem to last long, it soon broke into a thin covering, never disappeared but left a thin covering. Good conditioning though.

Nose: Incredibly fresh nose, Harvest is indeed a great name for this brew, it certainly had many attributes that had me back in England at Harvest time. Freshly cut wheat, barley and some fresh grassy citric fruits as well.

Taste: Crisp, clean, fresh and slick. A nice mix of malt and a light but zesty hop profile lend a good balance to this one, and the hops have a neat sharpness with some acidic qualities – fresh and zingy.

Mouthfeel: Average feel, but the lack of any head and a fizzy over-carbonated feel tended to annoy a little and twice caught me with a ‘Harvest Burp’ as I took a good gulp of this one.

Drinkability: Easily dispatched, the Pint of Harvest was very middle-of-the-road and easy going in drinking terms. It presents little to prevent you from pounding this in warm surroundings actually, as I did.

Overall: Another new brew from Sierra Nevada and one that I enjoyed, but at this point of the night I am not sure if I could picked this one out from its taste from some of the other SN offerings. Felt like a mix between the SNPA and Best Bitter.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2004 05:15:22 | More by TheLongBeachBum

jonnylieberman

California

4.45/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

An amber of ale of superb quality. Didn't look like much in the glass. Reddish with a weak head. But the second you get it near your face... Delicious.

Easily identifiable as a Sierra Nevada product, the hops are pronounced. Not out of balance, but they are in the start and the finish of the beer. Excellent caramel notes accent the hops and the finish is a lovely bittersweet harmony.

Though I feel as if Harvest Ale might be a little higher in alcohol than I first thought, I could drink a keg of this with out thinking.

Note: I drank this as my "control" beer along with many Belgian ales. The Sierra Nevada, while not as exotic, definately stood up to the imports. In fact, it might have stood a little taller.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2004 04:03:07 | More by jonnylieberman

GreenWBush

Oregon

4.63/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I was happy to see this on-tap at my local ... and when I asked the barkeep if this particular offering from Sierra Nevada was good, he answered with a comical "It tastes like Sierra Nevada". I can understand that, most of SN's lighter offerings do have a similarity in taste. Still, I am more than ready and willing to dive right in.

SN Harvest pours out a beautiful scarlett-ruby with a huge froth head that settles down to a respectable 1/4". There was an amazingly sturdy patch of yeast that traced each sip. I could've sworn this baby was a nitro-beer both by the silky smoothness of the mouthfeel and the laser-sharp lacing all around and through the glass.

The aroma from this ale inspired a blissful sense of hop-hunger. There is an amazingly rich "wet" floral aroma that reminded me of picking out a bouquette of roses. There is also a nice maltiness in the background.

I was amazed to find that this is one of the sweetest SN products i've encountered. I expected major bitterness along the lines of their Celebration, but instead there is a major malt presence here. The hoppiness hits you about midway through and finishes huge.

I couldn't help being reminded of chewing on cannabis stems in the middle, after the malt tones calmed down and before the hops fired up. The mouthfeel here is amazing - even better than celebration.

Like the bartender said, this is definetely a Sierra Nevada product. But there is enough difference here to keep any beer fan interested. It has the Pale ale's hop-structure and the Celebration's big hoppiness, but it doesn't taste like a simple blend. This beer is in a class of its own.

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2004 20:39:58 | More by GreenWBush

UnionMade

Colorado

3.85/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Mug's Ale House in Brooklyn.
The beer is a burnt orange color, kind of like ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie, topped with a thin ivory head. The head diminishes to a thin film after sitting for a few minutes. Some patchy lace sticks to the glass unevenly. Attractive color.
The aroma is pretty much like a sierra nevada pale ale taking vitamin supplements. Strong citric cascade hops, with a solid grapefruit scent. A bit rind-like, with very faint appley esters and some floral notes. Enough toasted malt comes through to back it up, but allows the hops free reign.
The flavor starts with moderate toasted malt, a touch of caramel and a bit of biscuit. Not as malty as I was hoping, but it's enough to stand up to the hops, which come in almost immediately. A light floral estery flavor breezes through the middle, ushering in a citric hop bitterness in the finish. Considerable grapefruit flavor, with a little bit of herbal hoppiness. The hops aren't overwhelming at all, but you can't really taste much malt. Very clean flavor, characteristic of Sierra Nevada. Medium bodied, with moderate carbonation and a relatively smooth mouthfeel.
Tasty, but not quite what I was hoping for. I've never seen this beer in CT, so I wanted to try it. With everything else on the tap list, I would have made another selection, but it was certainly a good pint. I'd get it again as a session, were it to make a local guest appearance.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2004 06:52:31 | More by UnionMade

HappyHourHero

Indiana

4.38/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A clear, dark amber colored beer. Pours a fine light tan head that rises up after the pour, and leaves a decent amount of lace. The aroma is all hops, mostly citrus. Damn smooth, very drinkable. Fresh hops dominate the flavor, but are not overpowering. This is a damn good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2003 05:02:16 | More by HappyHourHero

Weissenheimer

New Jersey

3.7/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Boy, that is one marvelous-looking pint, I thought. The huge, foamy, pillowy, tanned head was overflowing quite artfully. The lacing was quite distinctive; each time I took a swallow the head left a ring around the glass. There was quite a bit of this lacing left at the end.

When I first brought the pint to my nose the smell caught me quite off-guard. I briefly thought of licorice but the smell was far, far more astringent than that. Several sniffs yielded nothing more than vague images of bitter green plants in my mind. I gave up trying to identify the smell, hoping that the taste would provide some olfactory hindsight.

The taste was so bitter as to bring the words "sharp" and "biting" repeatedly to mind. Deeply woody and hoppy, this bitterness reminded me strongly of sage. If any beer I've ever drunk deserves to be called "astringent", it's this one. Not having much experience with IPAs and the like, I didn't associate that extreme bitterness with hops - at least not completely. Fortunately I was able to call upon the gastronomic resources of the contract brewer sitting next to me. He took a taste and confirmed that it was, in fact, just very hoppy. So now I've had my hop horizons expanded.

This is a good beer and I'll bet it would be killer with a sandwich, but it'd have to one heroic sandwich. The smell of the hops alone would make lesser sandwiches soil themselves and run screaming back to the deli. I enjoyed this pint in an only slightly masochistic way, but I can't credit it with too much drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2003 18:23:23 | More by Weissenheimer

beernbbq

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A nice cross between Pale and Celebration. Sweet with a spicy bite near the end, paired nicely with the Eggplant Rollitini I was having. Don't ever see this in bottles so I was thrilled to be able to have this one. Another fine brew from Sierra Nevada.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2003 11:47:26 | More by beernbbq

Dmann

California

4.53/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I think it is safe to say that this beer is a more palatable and less floral version of their Pale Ale. It looks allmost identical and feels quite the same as far as mouthfeel goes, but the big difference is in the taste. The hops are a bit more bitter in this beer and there are also some spicy characteristics to it that I cannot put my finger on. The malt sneaks in and gives a peek but this a hoppy beer for sure. I will definantly come back to this one if I see it on tap again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2003 04:18:32 | More by Dmann

OldFrothingSlosh

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at the Capital Ale House.

Poured a clear, deep amber color with a frothy, rocky head that was all billowy and sticky on the glass. Large amounts of raw, hoppy aromas, with citrus (orange and lemon rinds) dominating. Mixed in were a mixture of spices: cinnamon, coriander. Flavor is wonderful. Leafy hop flavor that, while intense, was not as "in-your-face" as some more aggressively-hopped beers out there. Lots of spicy zip to this. Finishes dry with just a touch of sweetness at the very end of the bitter aftertaste. Very tight carbonation and "spicy"-ness makes for a great mouthfeel. Drinkablity is off the charts. Such a great combination of flavors. I see this being a great beer for the fall football season, sitting outside of "The Shoe" at Ohio State University...enjoying a tailgate party and throwing the football around before the game. So different from the other O-fests and seasonals, and so very much better.

Now....if this were only bottled, I'd be in heaven.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2003 23:04:00 | More by OldFrothingSlosh

bmills1608

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep copper, excellent clarity, typically puffy fluffy Sierra Nevada head. On the nose was heaps of spicy hops. Spice is the order of the day here, but not really your winter ale style spices (nutmeg, cinnamon etc) more of peppery/citrus spice (black pepper, orange peel, raw hop spice) Excellent nose!

Taste was loaded with hop flavor, aroma, bitterness and spice. Backing up the hop dominance was some toasted malt, just full enough to balance the ale out nicely. Finishes with that back of the throat, back of the tongue hop dryness and more of this peppery spice.

Overall - Another excellent use of hops by Sierra. They really do it well. Most of their ales exhibit near perfect hop flavors and bitterness. This one is no exception. Picture this - 50 degrees and sunny. Farm tractor rumbling in the distance, fresh cut hay nearby, and your quaffing this tasty brew in quantity, while catching some late mid autumn rays.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2003 14:46:51 | More by bmills1608

ElGuapo

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A copper colored brew with an amber tint to it. It is covered in a mid-sized white head. As it dies, lace is all over the glass. The nose is very floral with hops and a delicious aroma of orange peels.

A medium bodied brew with light carbonation. Lots more flavor than their regular pale ale, and it is also a bit more spicy. This brew has a mild maltiness to it, but the hoppiness is the real story here. It is not by any means overpowering, but just has a nice pleasant bite to it. It is a bit refreshing, and the drinkability is excellent. This is a very solid drinker, and many people could enjoy a few at a sitting.

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2003 16:53:11 | More by ElGuapo

SheepNutz

Kentucky

4.93/5  rDev +16.8%
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

beergeek279

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served on tap at the Sharp Edge Creek House. The color was a dark amber, with good head. The smell was quite hoppy. The taste was very nicely hopped, with a caramel malt base to it. Mouthfeel was smooth. As for drinkability, could drink these all day long!

I originally called this the "Oktoberfest Pale Ale" and it seems somewhat fitting. A simply fantastic beer, and unlike the bunch of cookie-cutter Oktoberfests out there, a unique take on a seasonal beer, and I can't wait for next year for this one!

Serving type: on-tap

10-27-2003 19:38:18 | More by beergeek279

Gusler

Arizona

4.35/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Draught @ Papago
One of the beers I wish was available here in Arizona in the bottle, not because I don’t like the draught version, I’m a greedy old fart who wants to have this spectacular beer in my stash, I want it all darn it!

The beer as it’s drawn from the tap pours a deep amber to copper color, the head modest in size and the texture frothy with the lace a concealing sheet. Nose is malt dominated with a nice underlying hop floral spiciness, crisp, fresh and a treat to the senses. Malt also controls the start, the top middling in feel, finish is walloping in its acidity, spanking in its hop spicy bite with the aftertaste dry and long lasting.

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2003 15:51:36 | More by Gusler

DagFishHead

New York

4.35/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Outstanding appearance... deep copper body with a thin pollen-yellow head. Nice lacing. Name is very appropriate to the "look" of this beer.
Intense hop nose, flowery, IPA-like... wait: SN-like!
Big SN fresh, oily (in a nice way) hop taste, crisp, citrus, malt finally pokes through before a refreshing dry, slightly bitter finish.
Mouthfeel is classic dry pale (or even IPA) ale.
A very drinkable brew... think I'll order another... god, I love the fall!

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2003 23:27:27 | More by DagFishHead

ManekiNeko

Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap at RFD in a pint glass.

Appearance: Hazy orange color with a nice sized head. Retention is helped by the active carbonation. Throws out lace better than an Irish grandmother (or whatever ethnicity would have grandmothers that make lace).

Smell: Pronounce spruce smell with a good backing of citrus hop aromas (balanced between orange and grapefruit).

Taste: Nice bitter, piney hop taste with some good pale malt backing. Lingering grapefruit aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, well carbonated, and slightly astringent.

Drinkability: A nice aggressive pale ale, but not mad crazy insane or anything. I'd definitely have this again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-19-2003 04:04:19 | More by ManekiNeko

beerguy101

California

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Medium gold brown color. Small head. Aroma is malty. A medium bodied pale ale, Malts are nutty and slightly sweet. Hops are slightly spicy. Nicely balanced. Fruity. It has the sweetness of a barley wine balance with the hop bite of a pale ale. Interesting. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter

Serving type: on-tap

10-13-2003 03:16:10 | More by beerguy101

kbub6f

New York

4.47/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Fresh keg of the 2003 at the Dog & Duck, Austin. (I've been pestering them every couple of days since mid-September).

The beer is a gorgeous, amber/brown. Deep and clear, with tiny little bubbles of carbonation following each other up to the dense, creamy, cream-colored head. Very nice looking. Nose is full of citrus and flowery hops, with a sweet undertone: almost sugary, but definitely malty. Grapefruit and floral tidal wave in the front. Man that's hoppy! But the sweet caramel malt kicks in immediately for great balance. Middle is very creamy, very smooth, sweet and fruity. Hops retake the stage for the finish, but share the limelight with some nice toasted grains. Almost nutty.

This is a fantastic, fresh, hoppy, creamy, sweet, malty, nutty joy of a beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2003 18:27:26 | More by kbub6f

far333

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Ginger Man in Manhattan:
Wow, this is the best SN I've had. Copper color with a thick and foamy 1/2 inch beige head that corks the top of the glass. Light smell of citrus and hops belies the powerful flavor that lies beneath. The flavor hits the tongue all at once with a flourish of bright hops, citrus and pine. Mouthfeel is crisp and tingly. Big, fat flavor rolls all the way over the tongue and leaves a lingering hop bitter. I ripped through this pint because I needed to have that flavor constantly hitting my tastebuds. Why is this only a seasonal?

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2003 23:48:04 | More by far333

jcalabre

California

4.35/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Originally sampled on 26 October 2002. Sierra Nevada's harvest ale has a harvest gold/red color (imagine that). The flavor has lots of up front hops. However, it finishes very smoothly. It's a shame that they don't sell it year round in bottles. It is an exceptional beer. It's extremely drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2003 15:27:29 | More by jcalabre

elmocoso

Nebraska

4.1/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer was a nice coppery color with a minimal pale-white head.

The nose was all hops, with a little malt in the background. It was very citrusy and i suspect they used mostly cascade hops like most of their brews.

The hops in this beer were a blunt attack on the tounge, but a welcome attack. There wasnt much maltyness to balance it but for a hophead this is a very agreeable beer.

The drinkability is good here. Like all other SN offerings, this one is a class act.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2003 07:16:24 | More by elmocoso

mzwolinski

California

4.45/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Amber colored with an adequately sized, off-white frothy head. Aroma is mainly malty but with a crisp fruity hop presence. Medium bodied in the mouth with a *very* fresh hop presence throughout. A bit of biscuity malt struggles to make itself notices, but the overwhelming flavor is a grassy, citric Cascade hop flavor. Finish is dry, with a long lasting acidic aftertaste. Quite a treat!

Serving type: on-tap

01-13-2003 17:45:10 | More by mzwolinski