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

ktrillionaire

Florida

3.15/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Ale&Witch

A - It pours a radiant amber-bronze and is capped with a textbook example of foam, leaving exemplary lace. SN has most everything beer-related down pat, but especially appearance. I have never seen an ugly Sierra Nevada beer in my life.

S - The nose is equal parts piney, and bitter white grapfruit-y. As it airs out, the biscuity and caramelly malt starts to rear its semi-attractive head. The hop bouquet is not particulary dynamic or pungent, but is still enjoyable in a general sense; it is not special enough for a special release.

T - Using Pale Ale, Celebration or Torpedo as a basis for comparison, the flavor is not doing it for me here. There is a tinny metallic flavor that is apparent from the second the beer touched my lips. Other than that major detractor, the flavor is quite nice. Catty, resinous, dank hops atop crackery malt and perfectly sharp carbonation to enhance the flavor. Seriously, other than the nasty metallic flavor, this is a finely crafted brew.

M - IPA. Good.

O - A mixed bag. Solid craftmanship, but it has a major off-putting character.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2011 18:47:35 | More by ktrillionaire

PDXHops

South Carolina

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

On tap in a shaker pint. See-thru light amber with a dense 2-finger creamy head. Rings of lacing are left from top to bottom.

Fresh lemongrass and mint aromas with some light malts lingering in the background. Fairly intense bitterness and a dryish finish lend to a somewhat puckering feel. Intense lemongrass and mint hoppiness with some herbal notes as well. The malt stays out of the way and shows off the interesting hop profile. Good stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2011 01:58:07 | More by PDXHops

Jesse13713

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Melt in Lakewood, OH.

Appearance - A very amber orange color reminiscent of a sunset. Soapy and clumpy lacing that clings to the glass well.

Smell - A hoppy citrus orange that is almost like an amber ale. Strong hints of orange peel as well.

Taste - Very rich in caramel malt. Strong in citrus and barley tastes. A hoppy citrus taste all throughout.

Mouthfeel / Drinkability - A little watery and quite light bodied. Prominent in sweet fruits and hops. The sweet hops add a good bitterness to the beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2011 04:10:53 | More by Jesse13713

nickd717

California

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

Transcribed from September 2009 notes. Pint on tap at Rose & Crown in Palo Alto for $7, which seemed a little high but I had to try it.

Pours clear amber with an off white head. Good lacing and retention.

Fresh hop aroma along with some caramel malt.

Flavor is malty with lots of caramel, grain, and toast, almost like a scotch ale-marzen-IPA, which is a little strange but not bad. Hops not as intense as I'd like, but still nice.

Palate fairly smooth with hop bitterness lasting despite the hop flavor being only average, with medium body.

A very nice beer overall. The rating may have been higher if I hadn't had fresh Sculpin just prior to drinking this, but hey, I've got high standards (for beer at least).

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2011 22:58:41 | More by nickd717

thagr81us

South Carolina

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

Served from tap into a shaker. Poured yellow-orange with a one finger off-white head that remained throughout. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, pine hops, and very slight alcohol. The flavor was of sweet malt, pine, and pine hops. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a very nice brew. The flavors in this one made it very easy to drink. However, there was a lot of pine notes going on in this one. It had a good flavor and aroma that seemed to blend together very well. A definite must try if you have not already.

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2011 12:53:14 | More by thagr81us

ColdPoncho

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - yellow-amber color, off-white head, good lacing.

S - a lot of citrusy hops, I'm not getting much else.

T - nice crisp hop flavor which also dominates the aftertaste, there's also somewhat of a sweet malt backbone to it.

M - light and medium-bodied

D - quite good and easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2010 05:07:39 | More by ColdPoncho

CaptainIPA

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap @ Von Trier and presented in appropriate glassware. Pours a bright amber copper color with a generous off-white head with good retention. Ringed lacing throughout session.

Ultra-fresh aromas of citrus hops, grapefruit and pine. Opens moderately bitter with big notes of grapefruit, pine and citrus -- all held in well-balanced check by caramel sweetness and brown sugar flavors. Very nice. Clean and crisp with a slick, fresh and oily mouthfeel. Moderately warming middle. Finishes dry.

Fresh, delicious and rewardingly wet hopped. Reap the Harvest!

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2010 23:25:15 | More by CaptainIPA

JunkYardJake

Pennsylvania

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

On-tap at John J. Jeffries in Lancaster
Served to me with a two finger cap of soapy head. Good lacing down the side of the glass. Deep copper in color with good clarity. Smell is of raw and fresh grapefruit and pine hops. Palate is a hop lovers delight. Lots of fruity, earthy and piney hop flavor. Also has enough malt flavor for balance. Bitterness is pretty mild. This beer reminds me of their Celebration Ale without the dry bitter bite. Certainly worth seeking out, which, for a Sierra Nevada brewed beer, goes without saying.

Serving type: on-tap

12-05-2010 16:52:35 | More by JunkYardJake

Chadpaq

North Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This just isn't the IPA for me.

Upon reception, I was quite impressed with the color. Seemed to be darker than most of the IPAs I've had recently, and it has a full, thick-fingered head. It receded to leave a lot of sticky lace on my pint glass, and I was really looking forward to delving in to this baby.

But it just fell a little short.

Not very hoppy. I guess that may have something to do with the fact that it was "wet hopped"...? Maybe someone can clarify that for me. I tasted a ton of malty sweetness--not really what I was expecting.

This beer isn't that bad. I'd call it a fair IPA. Something's just not quite right about it.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2010 00:10:25 | More by Chadpaq

claspada

New Jersey

3.35/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Aroma is fairly decent with some earthy, floral and citrus hop contributions. Nothing overpowering. Light pale and caramel malts in the background.

Taste follows the nose, quire hoppy with florals and citrus dominating. Decent pale and caramel malt backbone, more than I expected honestly.

Nice crisp mouthfeel. Good hoppy aftertaste. Worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2010 00:20:59 | More by claspada

glid02

Georgia

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

On-tap at Young Augustine's in Atlanta.

Pours a slightly hazy deep copper color with a one-finger off-white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving thick lacing.

Smells of moderately dry caramel malts with large amounts of pine and herbal hops. Also present are more earthy hop notes that intensify as the beer warms.

Tastes similar to how it smells, though more subdued. Grainy caramel malt flavors with lighter pale malts kick things off and are joined almost immediately by robust pine flavors. Midway through the sip the hop flavors turn earthy with hints of lighter leafiness. The hops carry through to a solidly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a very nice thickness with smooth carbonation.

Drinkability is also very good. I finished my glass without a problem and could easily have a few more.

Overall I found this to be similar to Celebration as far as the hop profile but with more earthiness. Well worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2010 01:56:56 | More by glid02

zoso1967

Michigan

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

Served up a beautiful copper amber color with a parchment head. The head fits your classic wet hopped characteristics to a "T" and is slick looking with great retention and lacing qualities.

The aroma is bursting with classic "C" hop character. It is predominantly grapefruit with slightly pithy citrus and some floral grassiness. The malt aromas are rich with a nice amount of caramel malt like qualities.

The flavor has a very nice hop bite to it with slightly pithy grapefruit being the main flavor my tongue is picking up. The malt background has a very nice caramel character to it and it does a good job of standing up to the dank hop flavors. This beer is quite bitter, but not out of hand. I would say that it is definitely leaning on the hoppier side of the scale without going too far off the deep end.

The body is medium with a character that is smooth up front and nice and dry on the finish. With wet hopped beers you sometimes get a crazy hop oil finish that just doesn't quit, but this one is not bad at all.

This is a very drinkable fresh hopped ale, and of all of them I have had I think it might be one of the best to have with food. If price is a concern I would definitely take this one over more expensive examples from SN or other breweries.

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2010 18:35:08 | More by zoso1967

mdfb79

New York

3.9/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 10/26/10 notes. Had on tap at the Brickskeller during its Wet Hop event.

a - Pours a dark reddish amber color with one inch of white head and low carbonation evident.

s - Smells of citrus hops, soap, and light fruity malts.

t - Tastes of bitter citrus hops, grapefruit, and light fruity malts.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation.

d - A very solid wet hop beer. WOuld certainly drink again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2010 00:52:26 | More by mdfb79

mikesgroove

South Carolina

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

thrilled to see this one on tap tonight at mezzaluna i went straigh/t at it for my first beer. served cold an in a pint glass, consumed on 10/09/2010

really just a fantastic pour, exactly what i would have expected with a deep copper color and a rich head of two fingers high coating the sides of the glass throughout.

aroma is deep piney hops. fresh and clean with a pronounced bitterness to it. warming does nothing but bring this out to the forefront even more. really just an amazingly complex hop aroma. clean, crisp and ever refreshing the resin filled flavor coats the palate and leaves you looking for more the second that dry finish hits your lips.

overall simply a stunning example of quality.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2010 00:52:41 | More by mikesgroove

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

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

Draft in a pint glass.

A: Small to medium white head with retention on the shorter side. Sticky lacing everywhere. Completely clear brassy-bronze colored body becomes an orange shade of yellow when held to light.

S & T: The aroma is excellent...just a little weak in my opinion. Still, the Wet Hop Ale has that dependable, trade-mark Sierra Nevada hop aroma, which I love. Top notch blend of Centennial and Cascade. You can appreciate the effort that goes into wet-hopping. The result is a gloriously fresh, juicy, all-natural hop aroma. Floral and citrus dominate. Prominent caramel malts are noticeable, mixed in with a light hand of pale malts. Perfect hopcentric balance. Mildly sweet, moderately bitter.

M: There really is no room for improvement here. Very clean mouthfeel. Perfectly carbonated. Medium body.

D: Excellent drinkability. This beer comes in a big bottle for a reason. One is not enough.

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2010 14:43:38 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Prime 16 into a shaker pint.

A: Clear medium-amber body with a thin, faint, ephemeral off-white head; decent lacing. Might have been better-looking with a more vigorous pour, but pretty boring as-is. Let's hope the lack of a real head promises more intense hoppiness to come.

S: Light, clean aroma of floral hops and pale, sweet malt. A little weak, but not bad at all.

T: Hops throughout. Big, fresh, floral, vegetal, earthy, muddy hops. Exactly what I expected, and just as tasty.

M: Smooth medium body with lots of velvety carbonation. Lovely.

D: Great bitterness and smoothness. Easy to drink, and pretty strong, too.

Notes: This was the first wet-hop beer I ever tried, and I think it's still my favorite. There's something amazing about feeling so closely connected to the living, growing hop vine.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2010 11:48:26 | More by woosterbill

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

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

Appearance: Served up a clear, amber-hued body with a ½ inch of lasting white foam that left sheer sheets of lace on the way down.

Smell: Citrusy hop nose smelling of pithy grapefruits and lemons accented by notable notes of caramel and toasted grains and a touch of spice.

Taste: A start of toasty pale malts with a lightly sweet touch of light caramel. Next, in rolls the pithy citrus character and hints of spiciness and florals from the Centennial and Cascade hops. Medium-plus bitterness, though it accumulates on the tongue, eventually overshadowing the malts. Drying, bitterish finish with a final note of grains.

Mouthfeel: Just barely medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Yet another decently drinkable, fairly enjoyable India Pale Ale from Sierra Nevada.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2010 16:16:28 | More by ChainGangGuy

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

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

Served on-tap at Prime 16 in New Haven, Conn.

A: Poured a golden, honey amber color with a robust head of tight, white carbonation which left a spider web of clingy lace. Carbonation was ample throughout and head retention was good.

S: Smells like a big rush of grapefruit and whole, green hop leaves. Slightly earthy, sugary and plant-like with some douglas-fir dashed in there.

T: Flavor is a big, bittersweet citrusy, fresh hop explosion. A nice sweet, light roasted malt flavor leaps up with the first dose of bitter, lemon and grapefruit hops. Then a mellow, dry hopping occurs mid palate before washing down sweet and oily with an herbal, peppery whole leaf hop finish which lingers for some time.

M: Mouthfeel is really quite clean and fresh and the residual oils are there, but not clingy in an unwelcome sort of way.

D: A really nice seasonal fresh hop offering from SA and at 6.7%, one you could pick up a few bottles of and make a grilling session out of. Went really well with my stuffed mushroom and scallion burger with whole grain IPA mustard. Really tasty on its own as well. A must try.

Serving type: on-tap

01-13-2010 06:21:34 | More by Gambrinus1184

hooliganlife

Missouri

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

pour was deep copper with an inch of fluffy head. incredible lacing although SN never lets down in this dept.

lots of pine, little bit of bitter citrus

the draft varied from the bottle although its been around a few months now. i did not detect any earthy resins, just strong pine bitterness and a nice light biscuit malty backbone.

fairly thick. good full body

this was delicious and complimented my white sauce pasta. the hops were dead on perfect and really came out.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2009 02:55:15 | More by hooliganlife

Lunch

Maryland

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

Served on-tap at Frisco Grille in Columbia, MD (12/14/09) into a shaker pint glass at the appropriate temperature.

A: Pours a deep crystal clear golden amber capped with a one finger off-white creamy head with good retention leaving excellent rings of lacing on the sides of the glass.

S: Nice aroma of grapefruit and citrus hops containing a slight bitterness of pine. A hint of sweet malt is in there as well.

T: Grapefruit hops hit the palate first with other citrus tones and a piney bitterness followed by a subtle sweet malt with a slight biscuity note.

M: light to medium-bodied and with moderate creamy carbonation and just a mild bitter finish.

D: Very drinkable, but the flavors at times are a bit too subtle leaving the palate looking for more.

Overall this was a nice wet hop American IPA that contained balanced yet subtle flavor, but I would like a bit more of a flavor profile for this to really compete in this segment. Worth a Try.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2009 15:57:18 | More by Lunch

atsprings

North Carolina

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

On-tap at Flying Saucer Raleigh on Oct. 27 served in a standard pint glass and reviewed from notes. The beer was served a crisp dark orange with a thin diminishing head. Aroma is crisp citrus hops in front of sweet malts. The taste is loads of crisp sharp hops in front of sweet malts. The beer was light, crisp, and quite smooth. This is a very enjoyable beer, it's too bad its only this good once a year.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2009 09:35:27 | More by atsprings

thain709

Pennsylvania

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

2009 Harvest

A - Served with a hazy orange-amber body...a creamy, two finger, off white head was present and only fell to about one finger by the end of the glass...great retention and lacing

S - Hops fill the aroma...you can almost tell they are "wet" because the nose is very crisp and fresh...a touch of earthiness is there too

T - The hops again are very fresh in flavor...they have a juiciness to them and they taste "wet" (fresh)...there is some citrus flavors up front...the earthy hops provide the slight bitterness at the end...there's an underlying sweetness lingering around which is nice

M - Medium bodied...smooth and crisp...coats the palate nicely

D - Sierra Nevada never disappoints me...another classic IPA that needs to be consumed...I'll have to wait until next year and compare

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2009 20:01:49 | More by thain709

brow1901

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pretty white head sitting atop the amber beer. This beer has excellent retention that leaves very nice lacing. High five!

S- It's a little weak under the nose, really couldn't have identiified it as a fresh hop beer by smell. I'm not saying thats a terrible thing but some wet hop beers you can tell by smelling.

T- Kinda a subdued hop flavor, it wasn't light but mellow. Nice little touch of citrus hops with some very mellow earthy hops in there. Decent malt backbone but nothing to write home about. One thing I noticed was how sweet the beer tasted, it reminded me of someone pouring some sugar in that hadn't dissolved completely.

M- Nice and light and crisp. Good carbonation and a dry finish.

D- Very drinkable, I really love these wet hop beers, I've yet to try one that wasn't really drinkable. Overall a great beer when it's on tap, I wouldn't mine picking up a couple bottles anyways though.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2009 16:32:48 | More by brow1901

harvester

California

4.72/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had this on on Tap a the T in SF I was looking for some Celly but was way happy to see this one on the board!!

A- Very pretty- nice lite amber color to it. Had a nice head to it at first but did not stick around to long but left very nice laceing through out the whole beer.

S- Has a nice earthy smell to it with a hint of citrus mostly grapefruit

T- Very clean I love the taste of a fresh hop beer. The hops come through very balanced with a nice backing of malts and a lite hint of citrus. I love the water they use as well makes for such a crisp and refreshing brew.

M- I would say this is a medium bodied brew and is very smooth on the palet it taste great and goes down smooth leaves my mouth feeling clean and crisp not all sticky with sap.

D- I could sit and drink this one all night smooth and easy to drink I just love the harvest line up Thanks SN for another fine brew.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2009 00:14:43 | More by harvester

ozzyCobblepot

New York

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

Fourth beer at the "Why Is There Beer?" tasting on Oct. 27, 2009 at Brickskeller. Paired with the St. Louis Gueuze Fond Tradition to demonstrate two extremes of hops flavor--this one being the all about hops example.

A: Amber colored, fantastic head
S: Slightly sour, but the bitterness of the hops is already coming through
T: A pale ale with a hearty hops flavor

This was the first time I had drank a wet hop beer. This particular brew involves picking the hops and getting them into the boil within a few hours, which is amazing to me. The result is not just a very hoppy beer, but one in which the hops taste almost raw and unrefined. Takes a few sips to get used to, and this isn't really a beer to enjoy for much longer than that, at least in one sitting, but even so this is a fantastic beer. Makes me proud to be an American.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2009 05:13:25 | More by ozzyCobblepot