Fresh Hop Pale Ale - Great Divide Brewing Company

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4.1/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Serving Type - 22oz bottle

Appearance - Tanish/brown with a nice 1 inch creamy head and lots of sticky lacing.

Smell - Great fresh, strong hop aroma soon as bottle is opened. Very dank, with a grassy note, pine, lemon and spices. Some malty carmael along with pale malts, and a little sugar also.

Taste - Classic dry, fresh hops mixed with pale malts. Bitter, sweet and piney. Loads of lemon, farmhouse/grassy. Added sugars give it nice sweetness. Very herbal, with some citric flavor. Malts are bold, caramel and pale flavored. Not much alcohol presence at all.

Mouthfeel - Dry bitterness coats tounge with the fresh hops. Malts add the caramel and pale follow up. Palate gets more of the same with lots of pine and herbal, and sugars. Aftertaste is dry, bitter, malty and sweet.

Overall - A well done, tasty beer. Love the 1 2 punch of hops, then malts. Very balanced and easy to drink. Good price, easy enough to find, worth the purchase for sure.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 23:15:19 | More by wvsabbath

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

3.99/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance: It has a nice clear golden/orange color to it. It has a nice off-white head that dies down moderately slow and leaves some nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of citrus, pine, floral hops and some caramelly malts.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has some citrus, piney resins, floral hops, bready malts and some sweet caramel.

Mouthfeel: It has a low carbonation with a nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with good flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 21:42:19 | More by SebD

Nolen12

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -2.4%

06-17-2013 14:55:23 | More by Nolen12

jkball01

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%

06-16-2013 23:00:29 | More by jkball01

djre4orm

Virginia

4/5  rDev -2.4%

06-13-2013 20:35:36 | More by djre4orm

Tiernan

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

05-29-2013 03:27:11 | More by Tiernan

JWP

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

05-24-2013 23:22:43 | More by JWP

victor19nyc

New York

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

05-23-2013 20:49:45 | More by victor19nyc

Absolut

California

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

05-23-2013 19:35:27 | More by Absolut

csfcmitchell

Texas

4/5  rDev -2.4%

05-23-2013 15:50:34 | More by csfcmitchell

mikeburd1128

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -20.7%

05-12-2013 17:21:06 | More by mikeburd1128

ToddHolder

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2.4%

05-11-2013 01:03:58 | More by ToddHolder

Beerrenda

California

4.75/5  rDev +15.9%

05-11-2013 00:11:58 | More by Beerrenda

RockAZ

Arizona

4.46/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Just tapped the keg yesterday, May 8th and the paper ring says it was kegged Oct 31 - so it might be a little old to be calling Fresh Hop but I will review it anyways as I liked it very much. Beautiful color, nice carbonation that has some thickness to the foam - coats the glass with lacing patterns. Not a strong scent from it, but what there little there is, is very pleasing. Is 6.1% a session IPA? Well, compared to what I usually drink it is, ...

I like the mouthfeel, it does flow over the tongue and leave some pleasant bitterness followed by dryness in the back corners of the mouth. Only 55 IBU's? Well, I think it is pretty well balanced, recommend you try it on draft. There has always been a "metallic" aftertaste in the bottle versions of this, IMHO.

Later EDIT: discussed this with a couple of friends and they are confirming that the October batches are selling for huge discounts on both keg and bottle - don't let the hype on "Fresh" sway you, the 1/6bbl costs me $40 which is a screaming deal on any IPA of quality. I hear the former $12-13 bombers are going for $3-4, which again, is a heck of a deal on a marvelous beer!

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2013 15:11:06 | More by RockAZ

Mersh

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%

05-08-2013 02:16:46 | More by Mersh

whatname

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

05-03-2013 21:47:07 | More by whatname

hopkrid

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%

04-29-2013 00:15:30 | More by hopkrid

BritCvS

Virginia

4.7/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Fast becoming my favorite. Waited for it to become a little warmer from the fridge. Bomber, poured into a Riedel glass.

A: Outstanding head, rich, thick. Amazing belgian lace. A rich brown, ever so slightly cloudy. Really looks like an excellent British bitter.

S: Grass, freshness, citrus. A little tiny bit of pine. Lovely.

T: Superb taste, warm malts balanced with amazing hops. Perfect.

M: not too much carbonation. Long, long flavor. Great hoppiness. Easy malts.

O: Wonderful. Do try it.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 02:31:49 | More by BritCvS

Oldkentman

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +15.9%

04-22-2013 12:39:20 | More by Oldkentman

jopezu

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

04-21-2013 22:46:58 | More by jopezu

drgonzo2k2

California

4/5  rDev -2.4%

04-20-2013 14:00:48 | More by drgonzo2k2

TXhomebrewer

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%

04-16-2013 03:35:35 | More by TXhomebrewer

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.25/5  rDev -20.7%

04-15-2013 06:13:44 | More by Kelp

bulldogg915

Wyoming

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%

04-02-2013 21:30:55 | More by bulldogg915

stoney1031

Texas

4/5  rDev -2.4%

03-30-2013 20:57:58 | More by stoney1031