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

Sark

Montana

4.13/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance- Mid-orange copper. Head retention minimal leaving minimal lace around the glass edge.

Smell- A bit weak. The wet hops let some earthy tones come out with some floral notes on top.

Taste- Hop attack isn't too strong up front but hits more mid and back mouth. There is a good balance and the hop oils become prominent here.

Mouthfeel- Medium/full bodied leaves a decent malt note for a wet-hopped beer.

Overall- Sierra Nevada can still pull off it's pale ales, even when they are a bit more than pale.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 04:02:50 | More by Sark

doktorhops

Australia

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

After the reasonably OK 'Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest Fresh Hop Ale' (let's get some shorter names happening from now on Sierra Nevada), I was hesitant to purchase this ale with its hefty $11.99 price tag, that's $12.46 in US dollars right now (yes we pay far too much for beer in Australia), however it has some very solid reviews and who knows I might actually like it.

Poured from a 710ml bomber into a nonic pint.

A: Presents with a classic clear amber/rust body and typical chalk white centimetre head.

S: Hoppy on the nose, as expected, floral hops with a touch of citrus, orange blossom in particular makes a surprise appearance. Pine notes in the background, and a finishing hint of honey and a toasted malt base, though the hops rightfully dominate the aroma. Top marks for hop pungency in an American IPA.

T: This is one that really jumps straight out of the gate. Flavours are: Pine/citrus/spicy/orange blossom hops all the way from beginning to end. There is a touch of honey at the start and a toasted malt/bread yeast base in the middle but it really is floored by the hops which steal the show. It ends with a surprising medium bitterness considering the amount of hop flavour that has been extracted overall. Pretty damn hopalicous brew this!

M: Oily from all the hops, with a medium body and mid to light carbonation it's an easy one to drink.

D: Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest Wet Hop Ale takes a big greasy hop-flavoured dump all over the Southern Hemisphere Harvest Fresh Hop Ale its so damn good. If you ask me it's a touch of Northern Hemisphere favouritism on display from Sierra Nevada, yeah alright we get it - the Northern Hemisphere is better... damn anti-antipodeans! Regardless of this SNNHHWHA (Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest Wet Hop Ale - in case you were wondering), which is like the sound one makes when they're about to sneeze, is an ale worthy of my affections.

Food match: I could fiercely hook into a super hot vegetarian Korma or Rogan Josh with basmati rice and papadum right now.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 10:44:37 | More by doktorhops

TheSixthRing

California

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

Appearance - Pours a fairly clear, bright burnt orange color with an off-white head that peaked at just under 2 fingers. Good retention. Leaves a fine lace that borders on spotty, with good stick.

Smell - Lightly toasted biscuit malt, leafy, fresh almost mint hop character with traces of pine and citrus.

Taste - Hits on the lightly toasted malt briefly to start, then pounds you with a nice array of hop character; grassy bitterness, pine, and citrus notes. Finishes with a faint touch of peppery spice and a lingering bitter-sweetness.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Slick on the tongue. Finishes with fair smoothness.

Overall - Had this on tap just last week, and I enjoyed it a bit more than what I'm having out of the bottle. There's no bottling date, so I can't say how fresh this is. Still, it's pretty damn good.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 05:44:38 | More by TheSixthRing

allforbetterbeer

Colorado

4.28/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2012 bottle into a snifter.

Pours a slightly hazy bright-copper/orange body under a beautifully creamy looking finger of off-white head. The head looks so soft and appealing.

The nose smells literally like wet hops. Reminds me of right after I add hops during the boil. Before they even mix in, and they are just absorbing the steam. Evergreen sap, pine needles, sweet grass, and light citrus all wrapped up in earthy fresh hop goodness.

Wow, this is a hugely flavored beer. An outstanding (and unexpected) wall of malts is built in the first seconds after the sip, and then is riddled with holes as the fresh hop flavors come through and shine. Fantastically rich in both hoppy and malty dimensions. Sticky, bitter, sweet, thick, rich. The hop oils are just making me crazy.

The mouthfeel is packed with bulk and carbonation. This is how an American beer that isn't trying to be continental in any way should be. I don't usually love the mouth filling carbonation, but when paired with a feel and flavor like this one, it nails it.

Conclusion: A really epic beer. I don't know how I have not had this yet. Inspiring. Drinking this lends the feeling of partaking in something special. Well done SN! Maybe my favorite of your beers yet.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 07:15:39 | More by allforbetterbeer

RickS95

Indiana

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

It looks great. If you spilled copper, orange and brown in a snifter, this is what you'd have. A bit dark, but still quite attractive. The head is moderate and fleeting, but a light shade of tan that eventually dissipates leaving nothing but a lacy mess on the glass and a ring around the edge.

Very floral nose. Lots of pine, a good mix of citrus against a backdrop of bready yeast scents.

Packed with Pacific Northwest flavors. Malty with some pine are the keys. Grapefruit and cracker. Very Earthy and woody taste.

It's clean and crisp up front. Complete lack of sweetness, but no bitterness either til the beer reaches the back of your tongue. Then a hop explosion takes place. Carbonation is strong giving plenty of bite in the finish, part of a tag team effect with the hops. Oily finish and the bitter sticks with you. Medium-bodied.

Overall, one of the best IPA's I've ever had. I typical like to drink beer with chips or crackers, but this was so good I went beer only. Another stellar beer from Sierra Nevada.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 04:28:31 | More by RickS95

divineaudio

Michigan

3.78/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

bomber into a wine glass.

a - pours a gorgeous, nearly transparent copper color. when held to the light you can see some finer yeast particles floating around. gave me a finger thick, dense, sudsy, tan head that calms to a film and leaves rings of lacing behind.

s - herbal, toffee, hay.

t - big, spicy hop character over a toffee malt base. has an earthy undertone and faint citrus notes. a piney bitterness grabs the tongue and hangs on for a while. finishes slightly spicy.

m - medium in body with adequate carbonation. co2 profile is a little coarse for my liking.

o - well crafted, but honestly not doing much for me. of all the hop harvest beers i have tried this season (founders harvest, broodoo, millking ray, hopivore) this ones near the bottom, and i prefer the southern hemisphere version over this one. maybe i'll try again next year.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 21:42:41 | More by divineaudio

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

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

24oz bottle into a wide flute

A: This is a beautiful beer, it pours a very clear amber color with three fingers of head. The head retention on this beer is better than any other beer I've ever seen. The lacing is equally good. It doesn't get better than this for IPAs.

S: Spicy and grassy hops are most prominent here along with some citrus and pine. This beer has a ton of complex hop aromas. Lots of bready malts in the background as well.

T: Again, very spicy and grassy, just like the aroma. Bready malts are also quite prominent to help balance the intense hoppiness. Bitterness is moderate to strong, but certainly well balanced by maltiness.

M: Definitely on the thick side for an IPA with a nice carbonation.

O: Sierra Nevada's hoppy beers never cease to amaze me. This beer is intense, balanced, and absolutely delicious. I'm very impressed.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 00:43:56 | More by coreyfmcdonald

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

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

Bomber from Party Source Syracuse NY for 6$ - 2012 Edition

Appearance - Clear dark copper colour with an above average size frothy/fizzy beige coloured head. There is a lot of carbonation showing and there is some great lacing. The head lasted for over 5 minutes.

Smell - Malts, caramel, hops, grapefruit, oranges

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste caramel and malts mixed with lots of bitter hops. There is also some grapefruit/oranges mixed with something along the lines of rye. It ends with a malty sweet aftertaste with quite a bit of lingering resin/hop bitterness.

Overall – This one lives up to it reputation. Another wonderful beer from SN. It reminds me of a more complex and hoppier version of their celebration ale. Now I just need to track down the Southern version when that rolls around.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 01:12:48 | More by spinrsx

AmitC

Indiana

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

So excited to open this, and that too on a friday night.

Poured from the 1pt 8 fl oz bottle into my large snifter.

Clear red amberish color. One finger thick off-white head that dissipates and turns into a thin persisting head. Excellent lacing. Quite a large number of bubbles. Very clear reddish ruby tint. Perfect.

Aroma: Citrus upfront. Grassy and fresh hoppy aroma. Pine notes are abundant as well. Good, rich and complex aroma that fills your nose with aplomb. Malts take a backseat.

Taste: Bitter hops upfront. Very clear wet hopping. Malt just lessens the effect of hops and otherwise is non-existent. Dry bitter finish. Should not be very high on IBUs but is delicious. Lingering hop taste in the mouth that is very distinct from dry hopping. Some grapefruit after taste.

Mouth feel :Medium bodied. Oily feel. Very resiny and extremely smooth finish. Moderate carbonation.

This is a phenomenal beer. With SN, you never are disappointed. Good bang for the bucks. I just love it.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 00:23:54 | More by AmitC

Danno48

West Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Great head on this beer. Really thick and fluffy. Also a nice clear amber color.
Smell is amazing. Smooth pine and a slight alcohol smell.
Taste is so so so so smooth as far as the hop notes are concerned and the balance of the malt is extremely perfect. Although I have ti say it isn't as intense of a flavor as the southern hemisphere harvest.
I actually think that it is smoother in the mouth than the southern one though... Crazy drinkable.
Love this beer... wish it came in six packs of bottles that were twice as big.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 03:07:18 | More by Danno48

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

4.78/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Into a pint glass (also for some odd reason also put in another bottle in a chalice, no changes):

A: bright golden orange colored body with a fluffy white one finger head that lasts for a good minute before gently dieing. Substantial foamy lacing is left.

S: superb combination between sweet caramel and piney/floral hops.

T: awesome bittersweet flavoring combined between the hops and the caramel

M: medium with nothing remotely close to being harsh on the tongue. This beer is so smooth if Sierra Nevada ever wanted to rename this, they should just call it "Smooth IPA." I've never had any IPA that was so smooth as this one.

O: big wow here, I wasn't expecting this to be this good, but I'm thoroughly impressed and would have this again in a heartbeat.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 00:24:30 | More by kangarooAdam59

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

4.13/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012 bottling. Poured into a New Belgium snifter. The beer pours out a hazy, coppery color with 1 finger of light foam on top. Very faint nose with hints of pine and flowers and a touch of grapefruit rind.

Medium body and nice, firm feel. Nice balance and a crisp, hoppy bite. There are nice hints of toast and marmalade on the front of the palate. They are immediately joined by a nice hits of cedar, grapefruit, and lemon. The bitterness is not over-done. The beer is extremely refreshing and easy to drink.

The Northern Hemisphere Harvest Ale lacks the slight sweetness of its Southern Hemisphere cousin. I prefer very little sweetness in an IPA and therefore prefer this beer to the Southern Hemisphere variety (which is still quite good). This beer is very reminiscent of Celebration Ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 23:52:38 | More by deadonhisfeet

sevenarts

New York

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Bright, clear golden orange with a fluffy white head and strong lacing.

S: Sweet caramel malts mostly, with some piney and floral hops as well.

T/M: More hops than the nose, a good amount of bitter pine, floral flavors, and citrus/grapefruit. These strong flavors are really well-balanced by an equally well-defined bed of sweet malts, dominated by caramel. The malts and hops are threaded together throughout each sip, starting out nicely sweet before the hops start to come out more, and linger towards the end of each sip.

O: A really excellent wet-hopped IPA, with great balance and flavor.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 00:08:49 | More by sevenarts

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle dated 2263 - September 19, 2012. Poured in to tulip.

A - Dark orange, amber in the middle. Translucent. One finger of thick, dirty-white head. Great lacing.

S - Musky, earthy hop aroma. Some pine, spice and fresh cut grass along with a light citrus aroma are also present. A slight caramel malt backbone adds some sweetness.

T - Moderate bitterness up front with a big spiciness present. Earthy, pine-y and grassy notes come through form the hops along with lighter citrus flavours. A slight sweet malt background adds some balance and lighter toffee notes.

M - Medium body, creamy. Light carbonation. A lot of sticky hop oils.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 20:03:40 | More by TheSevenDuffs

SHODriver

California

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

A: poured into a pint glass to a deep copper hue with a finger and a half of dense slightly off white head that retains well and leaves good lacing
S: smells of earthy hops and a bit of citrus a bit of caramel as well
T: toasty malt flavor up front with some earthy and herbal hops, some nice citrus bite comes through as well, a bit of caramel malt shines through also. aftertaste is a bit minty and some more herbal and earthy hops and a bit of caramel sweetness
M: soft carbonation and a medium mouthfeel. pretty smooth in the mouth
O: A very good wet hop ale. excellent flavors, great balance, good looks, and a nice mouthfeel. it doesn't get much better

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 04:49:04 | More by SHODriver

Hopheadjnr

4.58/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 24oz bottle into Stella chalice

A...Beautiful clear, copper color with 2 finger off white head. Fine bubbles in head with tons of nice lacing.

S...wet hops makes for a nice aroma. Pine and fresh cut grass on the nose.

T...plenty of sweetness from the malts is present and followed by a bitter hops to balance it out. Lots of fruit flavors in it, some apricot mixes with earthy, pine resin. Complex. Every sip gives you can pick out different flavors.

M...great mouthfeel. Fine carbonation feels like it is dancing across your tounge. Reminicent of champagne in mouthfeel.

O...very nice brew. Very complex, enjoyable beer. Highly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 00:49:16 | More by Hopheadjnr

Mic-Lee

4.55/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Deep translucent amber color. Smells sweet and chocolaty. Hop forward, but malts are present, especially in the beginning. Earthy hops, but delicate and sweet. Reminds me of a raspberry truffle. Medium body with medium carbonation. Sierra Nevada carbonation. Floral and a little oily; perfumy. Mild ashy burnt flavor in the finish with a touch of bitterness.

Overall: A very interesting and delicate flavor from this “wet hop” brew. Sweet raspberries to start, floral notes in the middle and ashy tones to finish, this beer has terrific complexity and a depth of balance that indicates deliberate, knowledgeable construction. The mouthfeel isn’t as profound as the flavors, but otherwise, this is a hell of a brew, and a treat for the pallet.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 00:21:37 | More by Mic-Lee

mjtiernan

New York

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

22oz bottle poured into an oversized tulip. Bottled fall 2012.

A: Barely a one-finger head...white. Attractive copper body...not too hazy.

S: Strong aroma...so strong you don’t need to get very close to the glass to smell it. Really everything you expect from a great IPA but magnified. Juicy grapefruit, pine, tropical fruits and some sweet malt.

T: The taste is also magnified. Tons of grapefruit and pine up front with some mango towards the finish. Malt levels are just about perfect...they make a nice escort, but never jump into the spotlight too much.

M: You might expect that an IPA that is so hop-centric might be really harsh, but this is almost soft and creamy until you get some bitter bite towards the finish. Unexpected texture, but not a put-off by any means.

O: Years ago, the Southern Hemisphere version of this beer was one of the first IPAs that woke me up to the wonderful extremes of the style. The Northern is no exception. What an annual treat.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 03:07:02 | More by mjtiernan

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A beautiful looking beer. A clear ruby copper color with good carbonation. The head is tall with a dense but fluffy white color. Plenty of lacing as it fades. A nice contrast to the copper glow underneath.
Aroma is nicely balanced with fresh wet hops vaguely floral. Sweet caramel malts serve as a sweet bouy for the hops. Fantastic understated aromatics.
Taste is awesome and pretty much perfect for me.
A perfectly balanced brew with hops being bold and flavorful but not the bitter overload you can get in other IPA's. The hops here floral to piney for me were sweet and fresh.
Malts carryied the load with confidence. Slightly grainy at end.
Sweet bitterness smacks the lips at the aftertaste, though it's not really bitter.
Thats what I like about this beer, everything is in perfect harmony.
Drinks smooth and has a border line heavy feel on the palette. Drinks clean.
A beer of the highest quality. This is why I drink quality over quantity.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 12:12:41 | More by micromaniac129

zeledonia

Minnesota

2.68/5  rDev -36.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

I love fresh hop beers. Excited to try one of the early ones. Tasted 12 October 2012, reviewed from notes.

Pours a medium light-brown amber. Nice cream-colored, slightly orange head. Good retention, really good lacing.

Smell is faint and lightly floral. Mostly hoppy but twingy hoppy. A little bit of citrus and a little pine.

Taste is under-malted and super bitter. Chalky bitter, oniony, really unpleasant. A little caramel malt, but not enough. Something about it really doesn't agree with me. Chalky, dry, and bitter. A perfect example of how I don't like IPAs to be.

Medium-bodied, good carbonation. Lasting... but I wish it weren't.

I really don't like this beer all that much. I find it to be unbalanced, overly bitter, and without a whole lot of depth of flavor. Don't plan on drinking it again. Chalky and dry. Blech.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 04:06:24 | More by zeledonia

Jaycase

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

a: translucent copper. Thick, frothy head. decent lacing

s: faint caramel malts. grassy notes. slight piney hops.

t: caramel, bready malts then turns into piney, resinous hops. Finishes with a slight bitterness

m: med body. oily. good level of carbonation

o: If I compare this to Founders Harvest Ale, Founders wins going away. It's not a knock on this. It just makes me appreciate the Founders that much more. This is good but a bit more malty than what I would have liked.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 03:03:08 | More by Jaycase

stewart124

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +5%
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 +0.2%
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

bbkd3b

Missouri

4.3/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

LOOK: Clear amber color, really pretty. Excellent body and head retention. White, frothy, long-lasting. Lots of bubbles feeding this sucker. Mucho Gusto.
.
SMELL: Powerful scent of biscuity malts with a strong hop body. Almost smells “wet” in terms of the hops. Grass and citrus undertones. Nice and balanced.

TASTE/MOUTHFEEL: Very light, vibrant body that is strong in its grassy flavors, but super-balanced as well. Citrus aftertaste with a bitterness that lingers. Very sharp carbonation almost feels jagged and fresh. The breadlike underbody is a bit too hidden for me, but ultimately, this is a very good beer. Citrus aftertaste grows stronger with each sip. NOTE: The balance is a bit more obvious after I stopped eating corn nuts, so I think it’s all there.

OVERALL/NOTES: Consumed with lemon-chili corn nuts that are a bit too spicy, but really made those citrus notes POP. Most certainly a good, strong IPA. Lemon bread as a potential food partner? Must try this soon.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 04:24:22 | More by bbkd3b

macrosmatic

Florida

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

Reviewed from notes. Poured from bomber into CCB pint glass.

A: Pours a burnished caramel brown, with moderate visible carbonation. Forms a medium-size white head that fairly quickly fades to foam.

S: Seems a little diminished overall. Caramel malts up front, with spicy & grassy hops.

T: Follows the nose. Caramel, grassy hops, spicy hops, with a significant pine bitterness at the end.

M: Medium body, good carbonation sensation. It does seem a bit overly boozy for style.

O: This is good, but I won't run out for another or anything. I just don't think I like the caramel malts in an American IPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 00:43:13 | More by macrosmatic