Fresh Hop Pale Ale - Great Divide Brewing Company

benito

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Aggressive and wonderful.

Out of a bomber this poured mandarin orange with frothy head and good lacing. Almost immediately the unique smell hit me: a wet grassiness mixed with hints of pine, citrus, and cedar. Incredibly aromatic and full bodied to the nose alone!

From there, the taste didn't disappoint (no small feat!). The strong hop flavor was matched by an earthiness and citrus zest that gave the overall flavor profile an excellent balance. The lingering flavor of light hoppiness and grass was just right...neither too forceful nor absent; in fact, I go as far as to say that the flavor haunted me into drinking more and more and more. For a strong pale ale, this was highly drinkable: I could have easily had more, but alas, my bomber was empty before I knew it.

An exceptional brew. This one is worth searching out.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2005 17:18:21 | More by benito

gbontrag

Colorado

4.55/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

color of apple juice at in front of a 60watt bulb. The froth is fantastic, and sticky. It's coated the glasses superbly with rings of lace that track my gulps like tree rings track growth.
Smells like yellow grapes and grapefruits.
Resiny and tingling--my tastebuds are ringing with fresh herb oils: wild bergamot. Citrus skins and drops of pine essence clad in silky malts hug my tongue . Mildly fruity. Drinks like a fresh, clear cider. I find this very sensual with a lingering and enticing aftertaste. It's like necking on a warm lawn.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2005 05:36:38 | More by gbontrag

oberon

North Carolina

4.55/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A nice offering found here in Greensboro,poured a rich copper with a fluffy 2 finger head that left a nice sheet of lace behind as it settles.The label says whole hop cones are shipped wet overnight to Denver to be brewed the very next day after being shipped and let me tell ya the aroma of this baby shows it.Intense grassy,piney,resiny goodness smacks you in the face and the aromas just continue to linger well after being poured.The big dose of fresh hops are not overpowering in this brew yeah its big and resiny but there is a sweet caramel malt backbone that holds up extremely well.At 55 IBU's its not insanely bitter but the freshness of the hops makes it immensley flavorful,I will be getting more of this very very soon for sure.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2005 22:43:59 | More by oberon

Beaver13

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle. Pours a clear copper with a creamy off white head that retains well and coats the glass with lacing.

The aroma is spicy fresh resinous hops (smells dry hopped to me) with some pepper and pine. A touch of melon and malt in the background.

The flavor is the same as the nose - some sweet melony malts with peppery/piney hops. It has a decent bitterness in the finish with a pretty clean aftertaste. The mouthfeel is thinnish and very watery.

Overall, a very nice APA. A decent amount of hoppiness, but definitely in the APA vs the IPA category. The body brings it down some, otherwise it would be one of the top APAs I've had - as is, it's still up there.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2005 05:53:54 | More by Beaver13

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.33/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is a brilliantly clear, bright, full copper color; it is well carbonated and forms a frothy, pale tan colored head. The aroma is enticingly hoppy with a resinous aroma of grapefruit, apricots, tangerine and a bit of pine and grassy notes. The aroma is quite nice with a serious sticky hop presence. The beer is fairly dry, but the malt in combination with the hops gives this beer a sticky sweet citrus character without being overly sweet or full on the palate. The flavor has solid notes of resinous pine as well as an equal amount of citrus and fruit; like grapefruit, apricot and peach.

The beer finishes with a solid bitterness, which does not particularly linger too long. The finish is quite smooth, it really just begs for taking another sip. The overall hoppiness and carbonation of this brew gives it a peppery bite as the beer sits in my mouth. This beer is really quite nice, perhaps the most flavorful Pale Ale I have ever had. The fresh, vibrant hop character is really nice and this beer is still fairly smooth without that intense grassy character I have had in other fresh hop beers.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2005 04:54:15 | More by Gueuzedude