Fresh Hop Pale Ale - Great Divide Brewing Company

KarlHungus

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +22%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This brew pours a cloudy reddish-orange color. The head is one-finger in height, rocky, and white. Lacing coats the glass all over the place. The aroma is amazing. It is as if this beer climbed a mountain and screamed citrusy hops. Absolutely breathtaking. This just might be the best smelling beer I have drank to date. The taste is all that a pale ale should be and more (but not so much more that it infringes on IPA territory). Citrusy hops dominate the flavor but there are also nots of pine. The mouthfeel is perfect; medium-thick bodied, with nice carbonation, and oh so smooth and creamy. Overall, this is by far the best pale ale I have ever had. If only hops could be harvested year round.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2005 18:32:06 | More by KarlHungus

damjadi

Oregon

4.97/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The last of my hoppy stash here in Germany....

A: Beautiful orangey-tan with myriad tiny bubble coalescing into a tight, creamy head.

S: A citrusy/piney bouquest.

T: First, the tangy citrus of the hop hits, then the floral hops oils mix with the sweet malt to coat the tongue for a slow, sensual finish.

Mouthfeel: The creamy head is the first introduction to the smooth, velvety nature of this great beer.

Drinkability: Damn! Last one I have! Hopefully more when I get back to the states!

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2008 14:02:08 | More by damjadi

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.93/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Copper amber body with a fine bubbled off white cream head leaves wide bands of lacing evenly down my Duvel chalice as the head floats above the rim. Aroma: Great pine cone and citrus hop aromatics also packs some floral tones mixed with a sugary slightly fruit malt base that pair well with the grassiness of the hop additions. Taste: Hop bitterness very welcoming grapefruit and grassy hop flavors are streaking across the palate semi sweet bready notes help balance finishes with a touch of caramelized citrus peels that reminds me of well done Orange chicken from a chinese restaurant. Mouthfeel: Medium bodied slight oily texture from the lucious loads of wet hops used may be the best pale ale I've tasted yet. Drinkability: 22oz. is effortless loads of flavor very refreshing brew, Great Divide has found a friend in the hop.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2005 14:25:04 | More by WVbeergeek

wcudwight

North Carolina

4.93/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Huge head climbs above the rim of the glass and hangs there, suspended above a clear amber beer. Head slowly sinks to a thick rim and leaves lot's of sticky lacing.
Wow this smells good. It's the kind of smell that when you inhale it takes your breath away. It's a mixture of freshly cut grass in the spring time and a Christmas Tree farm during the holidays.
The malt is there during the taste and it is a good caramel sweetness, but this beer is all about the hops. Tons of piney and citrus hops with out being over done. As hoppy as this beer is, it's still very true to the style. The hop flavors are complex and bold, but not so much so as to make it an IPA. IMO it's the perfect pale ale.
The mouthfeel fits the profile of this beer very well. It's sticky and oily. It has a very dry finish and somewhat acidic in the best of ways.
Drinkability: I'm not one to finish a bomber in a single sitting, but my bomber is empty and I'm thinking of opening another. This could very well be the most drinkable beer I've had.
Highly Recommended!!!

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2006 04:36:03 | More by wcudwight

joeblackasnite

Michigan

4.9/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I am a harvest time beer freak and this may be this season's winner.
It's clear auburn in the glass with a 3/4 collar with great retention. Top notes of basil and white flowers and sensimilla. The flavors are hop dominate at first with citrus and spice then structured nicely with a solid malt bill. medium weight with a remarkable 'freshness'. light bitterness, but I don't ever really expect wet hop beers to be too bitter. Long finish and the malts don't get sweet on you at the end which I love about this beer. All I can say is get it. NOW.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2010 23:53:19 | More by joeblackasnite

cokes

Wisconsin

4.85/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Amber-leaning golden hue topped with a short eggshell stack.
Hops run the gamut in the nose, from the sticky resins of pine and reefer, to the lilting perfumes of floral blossoms, to the sere and desiccated notions of hay and dried herbs, to the dripping fruit tints of pineapple and lime. The malt takes a logical step back, and layers only traces of olfactory shortbread.
And thus, it gallivants into the mouth...
Now, it's time for malt to take its star turn, and it knows it'll be relatively brief, so it brings it with a gusto, launching with a slab of honey-slathered biscuits.
Breathe for a second. Strut and pose for the cameras.
That was good, huh?
Nahahh Dude, the hops are too strong, gotta come with more.
So malt lays down a coup of caramel nougat and toasted marshmallow, then, just for good measure, sprinkles it with toasted grain. And what the malt has planted is fucking epic. Monsterous and deep without being fat or overwrought.
Even the headlining hops have to applaud that.
And now it is their turn...
Blazing forth with ripe peach skins and pineapple, the hops kaleidoscope through myriad patterns and shapes. There is a baseline arid grassiness, and heaped on top of that are sticky-fingered ganja implications and gooey fresh-cut Christmas trees. And further on, rose petals and lilacs give this an ephemeral garden tint, as it rides out full of hay and perfume.

The bitterness is only moderate, but the hop flavor is balls-out.

The mouthfeel is modest and medium in both build and carbonation, and serves primarily to jettison this down the neck with undue haste.

Drinkable? Addicting? Yes and Yes. The beer is gone so fast that I'm left to huff this bottle, tremor a bit, and reminisce of better times.

As a caveat, this either has some variation, or needs to drunk very fresh, as the last two bottles I've had were weaker hop-wise, and, while still solid, generallly disappointing in comparison to my initial euphoria.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2005 09:02:38 | More by cokes

dondeez21

New Jersey

4.85/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I recently bought the last that my local liquor store had in stock. This beer is great. I love the fresh floral taste that each bottle has. Overall I feel this is a great beer easily a top 10 in the North America Micro Breweries for a harvest time "wet" hopped ale. If you can find this beer I highly suggest trying it.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2008 06:27:25 | More by dondeez21

OldSock

District of Columbia

4.83/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance – 22 oz bottle from Colonial Spirits. The label looks like they just photoshoped the words “Fresh Hop” over the label for Hercules Double IPA. Clear golden/amber with a creamy white head. Good retention and sticky lacing.

Smell – Huge fresh hop aroma, definitely an American original. Lemon, grapefruit, grass, just like sticking your head into a bag of hops. Maybe a hint of malt underneath, but its faint.

Taste – Smooth bitterness and some sweetness, with lots of hop flavor. The hop flavor consists of citrus, pine, and lots of grass. While hops dominate the flavor the beer is not overly bitter, in fact I would call it balanced for the style. Basically no malt flavor, except for a bit of caramel, but that is just fine for a beer that showcases hops so well.

Mouthfeel – Smooth medium body with average carbonation.

Drinkability & Notes – Its hard to find a flaw in this beer, its just really good. It has more hop flavor than most IPAs with less bitterness. This is my first wet hopped beer, and if this is any indication I should search out more immediately. Another gem from Great Divide, I need to go buy a few more of these.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2005 22:36:40 | More by OldSock

ChrisA

Florida

4.8/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bomber poured a bright and clear copper color with a two inch heah and good lacing. Beautiful hop aromas. Is that pinapple that I smell? Incredible!!!

Extremely drinkable. Strong hop flavor up front balanced by a good maltiness. This is one hell of a beer. I think it leans more toward an IPA. This should be an all year treat. Thanks to Coal Train Liquors for carrying it.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2005 04:03:16 | More by ChrisA

ImusBeer

Georgia

4.8/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this one at home 750ml bottle

Appearance was an cloudy orange amber with lots of white head. The beer retains head well with lots of sticky lacing on the side of the glass. piStons starts with pine hops and ends with malt and caramel.

It is very hoppy on the tongue, malt and caramel cone to play as well. Mouthfeel has a hop sting and bitterness otherwise quite light. I like this beer it is what a pale should be.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2009 18:10:09 | More by ImusBeer

GClarkage

California

4.78/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

01/09/06- Purchased at Sun Devil Liquors in Mesa, AZ.

Presentation- 22oz bottle with no freshness information. Poured into a chalice like glass.

Appearance- Copper colored pour with a full 3/4 inch head. Nice light rim remains for the rest of the glass. Nice sticky lace trails all over the glass.

Smell- Nice pungent hop aroma. Scents of pine needles, grapefuit and sugary goodness. Nice roasted malt scent as well.

Taste- Wondeful sweet roasted malt background with bitter pine flavored hops. Nice grapefruit flavor hidden behind the malt and pine. Sugary sweet hops and malt make this beer mouthwatering.

Mouthfeel- Rather high carbonation, sweet and sticky mouthfeel.

Drinkability- Not sure I could session a six pack of this because of the sweetness. But it's damn well one of the best if not the best pale ale I've had. Right up there with Alpha King. Borderline IPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2006 20:17:50 | More by GClarkage

Drnkmunky

4.78/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

If you like hoppy beer without excessiveness, this is a good one.

Got it in a bomber. Clear deep golden color. Very fragrant nose. Mouth feel is light to medium. Hoppy up front with nice piny finish. Leaves slight hoppy aftertaste.

It's name serves it right. Not quite the stone drink by freshness, but close.

I'm a fan, and I'm just getting to like IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 22:40:24 | More by Drnkmunky

nickss

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a golden-amber hue with a moderate cap of foam. A steady stream of bubbles makes their trek up from the bottom of the glass in hopes of sustaining the head that remains.

Mmm... the name of the beer says it all regarding the smell... wonderful, fresh hop odor. Pine and citrus make their presence known in the nose.

Absolutely delicious! I am quite surprised this isn't classified as an IPA, as it certainly has enough hop-bite to it to reach that classification.
Strong hop presence, but with enough of a malty backbone to make this extremely well balanced. Very well done.

Light and crisp on the toungue... simply "feels" fresh, although I know it was just the hops themselves that were fresh. Active carbonation on the tongue, but calm enough to actually feel like a PA instead of an IPA.

Extraordinaily drinkable... I must go find some more of these... at $6 a pop, they're quite a steal, as are most of this brewery's products.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2005 21:45:46 | More by nickss

battlekow

Wisconsin

4.75/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Fresh Hop Pale Ale reminds me a little of the Silver Creek IPA I had a couple weeks ago, in that it's darker than the average PA, yet still quite hoppy. Great Divide definitely didn't skimp on the malts--this is no hop bomb--and there are definitely some low-level chocolate notes floating around underneath the fresh hop smack. As cokes noted, the hop flavor is huge, but the bittering is controlled to the point that you could easily drink a couple of these bombers in quick succession. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2005 20:41:50 | More by battlekow

Gavage

New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: pours a slightly hazy orange color with a thick two finger head that lasts nicely.Decent lacing paints the glass.

Smell: copious amounts of grapefruit citrus, ripe fruits, and pine bitterness.

Taste: caramel, pears, apples, green grapes, grapefruits, and pine bitterness. This is a wonderfully well balanced pale ale that is bold in the flavor profile. It's nice to have a fresh hop ale that isn't DIPA.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Lightly crisp throughout. Aftertaste is pleasantly full flavored citrus, ripe fruits, and bitterness.

Drinkability: this is an exceptional pale ale that can be quaffed all day long without developing boredom or laying flat on the floor. Absolutely great beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2007 18:25:29 | More by Gavage

bigbelcher

Arizona

4.75/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

What is the word I am looking for? Oh yea, QUAFFABLE. Very tasty beverage. The only thing I have to wonder about is how old the beer is since fresh hops are only available for a short timeframe and the beer must now be 9 months or so old. Still quite good though. Alcohol is there to preserve it. Hop aroma is more of a piney, earthy aroma rather than cascade type grapefruit. Color is a deep golden color. Head retention was excellent.

An excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2007 15:47:46 | More by bigbelcher

Tilley4

Tennessee

4.75/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Finally able to procure a fresh bottle of this after hearing how good it was. Hope it lives up to the hype...

Deep golden pour with a freaky head... Most persistent I've seen in a while.. Slightly hazy from the hops..

The pungency of this was evident as soon as I cracked it open... Fresh dank green hops have me thinking IPA right off... I thought Alpha King was a hoppy pale... This stuff is more intense and brighter with them... Touch of malts for balancing purposes but overall they play a secondary role here...

Toasted malts that immediately get punched out of the way by the full on hop assault... Very oily and resiny as a good fresh hop should be. Long slow intense bitterness finishes. Halfway through the bottle I can tell that I'm going to be disappointed in my single bottle purchase... Were this available locally, it would be my go to fall brew... Its delicious and very drinkable...

Awesome brew from Great Divide... Never been that blown away by their hoppy stuff but this beer is special...

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2010 14:08:29 | More by Tilley4

dsa7783

New Jersey

4.72/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

1 Pint, 6 fl oz bottle purchased from Buy Rite on Oak Tree in South Plainfield for $7.99..
Judging this in comparison to other American Pale Ales, the appearance on this one was fantastic, pouring a dark-brown, caramelized hue with a very impressive foamy head that exhibited impressive staying power and left a hefty load of lacing...
Smell was very rich and strong, bursting with powerful fresh hops, and grapefruit...
Excellent, top-of-the-line smell for the style, one of the best I've ever sampled, literally dominated by a strong suggestion of hops, grapefruit, bittersweet caramel, a tinge of vanilla, florals, and fresh, sweet florals...
Excellent creamy and rich mouthfeel lead to a drinkability that is above and beyond due to the crisp, refreshing flavor and the rather modest 6.1% ABV which is hardly noticeable behind a rich, bittersweet, hoppy cornucopia of flavors...
Another winner from Great Divide...
Definitely recommended...

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2008 01:08:12 | More by dsa7783

Ninjabrew

Illinois

4.72/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance: Very little head when poured aggresively. Nice color otherwise.

Smell: I don't know if this is marketing related or not, but it actually smells fresh! Maybe like fresh cut grass.

Taste: An excellant example of this style maybe even more earthier than most. Yum

Drinkability: They don't get any easier to put down than this.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 14:16:11 | More by Ninjabrew

MABZ

Nebraska

4.7/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This is a new selection at John's Grocery, Iowa City. It's about damn time we got in a new hoppy-as-hell American beer, but unfortunately this is a seasonal.

The beer pours to a crystal clear golden amber color with a thick fluffy white head. Leaves a pristine lacing on the side of the glass. No carbonation bubbles are apparant.

This beer has a lovely fresh hop smell. Has a strong orange and grapefruit hop. Has a bit of caramelized malt undertones, but mostly just juicy fragrant hops.

The taste is great as well. Has a nice bitterness with some succulent fruity juiciness from the hops. The fresh hops are not all that different from the dry in flavor, though they are a bit more pungent, and the bitterness is a bit more intense, but not quite as lingering. The initial flavor is citric hoppy with plenty of bitter, but it fades into a juicy, hardly bitter caramelized malt flavor. Quite well done.

The mouthfeel is the one complaint I have with this beer. Seems to lack carbonation almost altogether. Other than that, the palate is quite refreshing. In conclusion, This is a very drinkable beer: one bomber is not enough.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2005 09:13:26 | More by MABZ

allengarvin

Texas

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

22 oz bomber, poured into an English pint glass. Ever so hazy amber with a creamy half inch head and excellent lacing. Huge bouquet of fresh hops, like smelling a bag of hops, all piney resin and floral and grassy. Even better than the aroma of the Dogfish Head 90, I think. Beautiful burst of hop flavor, rather woody, with a side of fresh-mown grass, but not much citrus hop character, followed by a solid lightly nutty malt underpinning when the hop flavor fades. It's bitter, but far less than I expected, certainly less than Great Divide's recent IPA's. Body is not heavy... a pleasant medium.

This is one of the best beers I've had in 2005. Great Divide has been a multi-year roll of brilliantly brewed beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2005 23:26:03 | More by allengarvin

timmy2b

New York

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

growled from consumers beverage in East Amherst NY.

poured a nice amber color with a nice white head, and had an awesome smell with the scent of pine and hops!

Feels light in the mouth and is very easy to drink! I would reccomend this as a nice beer to drink while watching football on a saturday or sunday as I am doing right now!

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2007 01:13:48 | More by timmy2b

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

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.68/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a nice copper tone, with a good sized head that has some nice clumping and staying power as well as some decent lacing throughout. Smell is wonderfully hopped, like a pine cone dipped in orange juice! Fantastic full hoppy smell. Taste is right up with the smell. Full on hops from the gate. Piney, very grassy and citus, AWESOME. Very smooth with a nice dry aftertaste that begs you to come back for more.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2006 00:09:05 | More by mikesgroove

skinny0ne

New Jersey

4.68/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

It has a great foamy head that lasts. The color is a perfect amber. The aroma has plenty of hops and grains and a hint of citrus. The flavor is all hops. But it's not overpowering. Towards the back and in the finish is a bit of grapefruit. And around the edges is some sweet malt. Really a great balance between them all. None overpower. The hops are strong but not brash. It's not an overhopped double IPA. This is as great drinking beer. I thoroughly enjoy it.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2009 00:57:29 | More by skinny0ne