Fresh Hop Pale Ale - Great Divide Brewing Company

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

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

This is indeed pale, but not to say colourless. Its lucid, brassy tone catches the light and reverts it in even brighter, sharper rays. Small spurts of lackadaisical bubbles do just as much to catch the eye. Its well lathered head is both filmy and bubbly; despite the apparent weariness of the carbonation the bubbles turn out to be surprisingly industrious.

This smell of grassy, vinous hops has a curiously sedative quality to it. There are, I'm told, sound scientific explanations for this - none of which interest me. All I care is that this bouquet has enough citrus to give it a dynamic tang (it does) and enough sweet, biscuity maltiness to engage the other half of my beer-related appetite (that too, it also has).

Similarly, the taste also satiates both my penchants for solid, sessionable pale ales. It has a sufficient amount of lightly herbal, citrus smacked hops to satisfy my itch for lupullin, while at the same time it has plenty of caramel and biscuits to gratify my affection for malts. The hints of lemon grass are equally appreciated as those of toffee. Yum!

Perhaps the most important aspect to a successful pale ale is balance - Great Divide has struck a resonance between yin and yang that would impress any Chinese zen master (maybe that's where the brewery get's its name?) One person could call this ultra hoppy and another super malty, neither opinion would be wrong. It's like an Escher painting.

Fresh Hop Pale Ale would make a great girlfriend: it looks nice, it smells nice, all its parts are well proportioned and it's incredibly easy to get along with. The only problem would be that, given the nature of the beer and the fact that only freshly-harvested hops are used, you'd really only get to see her once a year. Hmm, perhaps then she'd make a better affair!?

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2009 02:10:02 | More by biegaman

kojevergas

California

2.9/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Served on draught into a Great Divide stemgoblet at the Great Divide tap room yesterday. Cost was $4.00. Reviewed from notes.

A: Pours a 1.5 finger head of nice cream, fair thickness, and average retention. Colour is a textbook copper.

Sm: Hoppy, with very light toasted malt. A mild strength aroma.

T: Pleasantly hoppy without too much bitterness. Well balanced and built, but not bold or inspired. Simple but pleasant. Not too bitter, though the finish needs work. Malt-heavy for the style.

Mf: Smooth until the coarse finish (on account of the bittering hops), and wet throughout. Fairly complementary of the flavour in a general sense.

Dr: Quite drinkable, but largely unremarkable for the style. I wouldn't have it again. It's okay.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2011 19:29:09 | More by kojevergas

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.4/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours with a beautiful bronzed dark amber with a nice but not huge head.

Fresh soft hops on the nose, with a yeasty finish.

Tastes fruity of apples and cherries and lingering fresh bitterness.

Mouthfeel is great- perfect heft and nice carbonation, crisp and balanced.

Great drinkability. Nice flavors and very refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2006 22:49:41 | More by Georgiabeer

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Clear amber gold color with a medium stacking head of off-white fluffy foam on top. Top stays present for good length, fading slow to a hefty skim and collar. Lacing is in a fine, tightly spotty sheeting across the glass. Nice looking glass of ale.

Aroma is of pale citrus, dullish-like orange and grapefruit with a spritz of lemon. Lots of pine-sided woodyness hovers over the top. Semi resinous and floral with a grassy touch, but mostly woodish and pale citrus. Clean and pungently pleasing.

Taste is more wood toned then citrus, at least in this serving, perhaps an actual fresher bottle would have had more of the citrus tones more forward. As is, this time around, the wood is a bit heavy and bringing it to one side of the hop scale that isn't really keeping a good balance from others GD Fresh Hops I've had. Medium to light bitterness, semi drying into the finish with some citrusy tones, but more piney and thickly prevalent in wood flavors that take away from the crispyness that pops in front.

Feel is about medium, a bit parching in its bitterness and dryness, but stays the course(coarse) and keeps a very teetering balance that could fold either side into too much pine and/or too much parchness. That said, for no other reason then this- its damn drinkable. It keeps a nice clean profile overall while grabbing hold with woody, citrus tinted bitterness, and maintains a doughy little malt backing while doing it. Some sweetness finds its way in around the corners, in the middle, and very, very late after the finish. Which in turn helps this become quite a fun ride to drink down. After finally sitting down with this one, it seemed a bit more woody then the others I've had in the past month or so. A little more clean, snappy, crisp, and citric and this bottle would have nailed it, much like previous bottles. Another bottle or two and another review may be in order...

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2006 03:54:31 | More by tavernjef

mactrail

California

3.95/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Handsome amber in the glass with a touch of burnt orange. Nice lacing and pleasantly carbonated.

Flavor and mouthfeel are more like a DIPA. Big and rich with malt. Tangy and winey. The hops are resiny and aromatic, but not as bitter as you might expect in a Pale Ale. Sweet and malty on the tongue, but it dries out in the aftertaste. A great mouthful of flavor and a bigger, better brew than most APAs.

On tap at Zero One in San Angelo, Texas [Transcribed notes from 11/13/2012 tasting].

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2013 04:56:44 | More by mactrail

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.73/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served from tap into a sampler tumbler. Poured golden yellow-orange with a half finger off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount slowly. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, earth, earth hop, spice, and spicy hop. The flavor was of sweet malt, earth, earth hop, citrus, citrus hop, and spice. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty decent brew. The hoppiness aspect going on here really carried on throughout the entire glass in both the aroma and flavor. The flavor was fairly well balanced and inviting. If I hadn’t been on a ticking spree this day I likely would have had a full pint of this one without hesitation. Definitely worth your time trying if you have not done so before.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2012 12:09:31 | More by thagr81us

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear reddish amber, bordering on coppery, with a fine-bubbled, barely off white head. Richly hoppy aroma has grapefruit and spicy hints. Flavor is quite hoppy but not at all bitter, with hints of evergreen and sour orange. Smooth yet lively and fizzy texture leaves behind a nice tingle.

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2010 15:57:45 | More by Cyberkedi

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

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

A: Clear, light orange. The head is small and generates a bit of random lacing.

S: Very fresh aroma of hops and pine.

T: Really tasty and fresh. Not too sweet, a little bit sticky with a pine resin flavor. Bitterness is minimal, but this is an APA, not an IPA or DIPA.

M: Very smooth drinking with any alcohol flavor masked by a fresh hop profile.

D: Excellent beer. I'm glad I was able to sample a fresh bottle. This would certainly be amazing on draft.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 19:28:37 | More by Huhzubendah

ccrida

Oregon

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber poured into an imperial pint, Great Divide Fresh Hop is bronze with a large, orange-tinged sandy head that is long lasting, creamy, and leaves pretty heavy lace. Forms a nice, dense little hockey puck island of foam that lasts through the last glass, with a few big lace rings as well. If it wasn't the clear brassy color that I favor the least, it would be a 4.5.

Smell is pungent and very resinous, lumber mill style, and lemony with a hint of oranges.

Taste is also very robust, but the intensity of the hops is cut by a sharp malty tang that I don't really care for. Hops are also mostly pine sap, some sour citrus and smooth but firm bittering, with a bit of spicy alcohol on the finish. It certainly grew on me, but the bite was just to sharp, especially initially.

Mouthfeel is oily and chewy, medium-heavy body.

Drinkability is pretty good, not my favorite Fresh Hop, something about the maltiness isn't really my taste, and I could use more depth from the hops, but I love how strong the flavor and aroma were, without being to acrid. As a 'pale ale', it's very good.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2008 22:32:52 | More by ccrida

RoyalT

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - This is a nice, bright orange in color with an easy, gorgeous white head that showed nice retention.

Smell - The hops are clean if a little dull and I really don't get much of the malt. The aroma is good it just lacks diversity.

Taste - The malts sweeten up a bit at the taste but again they are a bit bland. The hops are good though. They aren't very fruity but have a nice, leafy character that is a bit heavy at times but satisfies nevertheless.

Mouthfeel - This is definitely medium-bodied with some mild but firm carbonation and a velvety, smooth mouthfeel.

Drinkability - The feel in the cheeks really made this for me. I really like this brewery but this was one of their lesser offerings. It was good but not great.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 03:51:15 | More by RoyalT

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Great Divide's Fresh Hop Pale Ale, poured on tap into a pint glass. A clear orangish color with a soapy off white head and alot of lace.

Aroma pretty hoppy as one might expect. Just a hint of the underlying malt.

Flavor is marked with an intense bitterness. Grapefruit-like, but much more bitter and less sweet. Has a juiciness to it as well, though quite bitter. Earthy stinging hops steal the show.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied while being semi-viscious. Hop presence feels like the enamel on my teeth is being stripped away. Dry.

Drinkability rates pretty good. This beer is a palate crusher and very hop-forward. More like an IPA than an APA.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2009 14:54:02 | More by Stinkypuss

avalon07

South Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: When poured from a bottle to a pint glass, had an amber color and a cloudy texture. There was a foamy half inch of long-lasting head and some good lacing.

S: Strong nose of hops, malt and some sugars. A pleasing aroma.

T: A nice combo of floral hops up front and some malt going down. Also has a sugary quality about it. This almost seems like a mix of Great Divide's Denver Pale Ale and one of their IPAs.

M: A good amount of carbonation and a smooth finish. Full-bodied.

D: Overall, this is a drinkable beer. As I said, it shares qualities with the Denver Pale Ale, a beer I'm not that fond of. That being said, this beer is well done and has a solid taste to it.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2008 15:25:23 | More by avalon07

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a hazy orange-ish color with an off white head. In the aroma, citrus hops and mango like hints. In the taste, fresh hops, a small citrus note, pineapple to to pine, with a nice malt backing. A smooth and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry pineapple and fresh hop aftertaste. Nice hop presence and easy to drink, dig it!

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2010 12:46:24 | More by OWSLEY069

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this on tap at Quick six Mt Rose Avenue -served in a tumbler

A beautiful semi hazed golden amber w/ thick creamy cap of ecru, the lace clings very well. The smell is sweet herbal hops with a slight lemony note, very faint grassy edge w/ generally fragrant somewhat floral in nature. The feel is excellent it is moderately bitter -perfect for the style, lots of resinous texture with medium carbonation and mild sweetness with a slightly creamy element.

The Fresh Hop pale has a nice light toasted malt flavor w/ herbal lemony tinges and mild slight floral quality from the hops. The flavor is subtle with citrus bitterness and the gentle caramel malt provides a great backdrop to the wet hop goodness. The finish is semidry and keeps you coming back - the drinkability is very high, one of the best fresh or wet-hop beers out there. I was glad I got a taste, but the keg blew so no repeats. The bottle I had was good, but trying this on tap was great. This sample was incredibly fresh and tasty!

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2010 18:02:51 | More by Slatetank

dirtylou

Washington

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

22oz, overpriced at 5.49 i'm sure at Riley's, but i'd been wanting to try this one

appearance: pours clear amber into a mash house pint glass, foamy white head forms immediately, builds up about a half inch, decent lacing left behind

smell: fresh hops (duh), flowery fragrances, grapefruit, orange/lemon peel, sweet and smooth caramel malts underneath, pine needles

taste: very well balanced...flowery citrus hops are prominent...grapefruit, orange, lemon, bubblegum...sticky pine needles. behind all of that is a well pronounced biscuit-like caramel malt base. this is a very good apa, in the class of alpha king and burning river for me

mouthfeel: smooth, great balance, moderate hop bitterness, very nice indeed

drinkability: very very easy drinking...this bomber wont last long. smooth, fresh and delicious

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2006 01:37:04 | More by dirtylou

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

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.22/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours from 22oz bottle a clear medium gold with little foam that leaves just a fine broken layer but there's plenty of lacing.

The smell is very hoppy with lots of grass and grapefruit.

The taste is pretty darned bitter for the style! Lots of citrus, some grass, and a wee bit of malt sweetness *just* before the finish and the actual finish ends up being on the bitter side....fancy that! ;^)

Man, this is what I call paying homage to the almighty hop and to see it done so nicely in an American Pale Ale impresses the heck out of me.


Okay, I'm just pouring in the last bit in my glass and there's some sediment that I didn't expect to see but it *is* very fine so I'm not going to deduct any points in the appearance category. Nor in the taste category....this one started off well and remained so to the very last drop. Yum.

Bottom line: I'm glad I have another bottle of this stuff because this is an APA that is all about, no celebrates the hops. Good job Great Divide!

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2007 21:56:55 | More by Bitterbill

beertunes

Washington

3.3/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bottled on date of Oct. 05, 2010. Poured into straight pint glass. Poured a light honey-gold color with well over an inch of off-white head that had good retention and light lacing.

The aroma was mostly piney hops, with some citrus hops, and a bit of malt in the background. The flavors were also dominantly hoppy with some, not much, malt foundation showing through.

The body was thinner than I enjoy for the style. Drinkability was decent, but being somewhat one-dimensional, became boring. Overall, a decent beer, although mostly it's a hop delivery system. Worth a try for most beer lovers, a must try for hop heads.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2010 02:45:42 | More by beertunes

kylehay2004

Florida

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Single finger head with nice lacing on a golden with amber tones hazy body. This one is very aromatous, with citrus mostly pineapple with hops and a subtle pine note. The taste is a bit of a let down. Mostly a musty hop flavor withe a soapy finish. Actually a little plain. Maybe I was expecting too much from a pale ale. Very drinkable and smooth. Medium body and moderate carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 03:42:21 | More by kylehay2004

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased in Columbus for about $5. The appearance was brilliantly clear, pale copper, thick and frothy topper. The aroma is mostly hops, fresh and resiny. The taste is OK, a nice balanced pale ale base with a blast of fresh hops giving a bitter punch, tasty enough to keep my interest through the bottle. Overall this is not something I'd miss if I didn't see it again, but it's far from bad.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2007 21:47:25 | More by TurdFurgison

nickfl

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Two fingers of off-white head on top of a clear, orange body. The merangue-like foam settles slowly and leaves a thick patchwork of lace.

S - Citrus and pine hop notes with orange and cranberry. A sweet, bready background of toasted malt backs up the hops along with a hint of caramel.

T - Dry, toasted bread malt notes up front are quickly countered by resinous pine hops. Notes of lemon and juniper come out to compliment the tarry pine. Strong, solventy bitterness blows away any malt sweetness in the finish and leaves only a lingering grapefruit pith feeling on the palate with just a hint of tobacco.

M - Medium-thick body, moderate carbonation, and a dry finish.

D - I expected a very hop foreword beer, and I was not disappointed. The hop aroma is very nice and fresh, but with a malt character that is more than an afterthought. The flavor is not quite as three-dimensional, with more of an emphasis on bitterness and a gin-like pine hop flavor that almost totally crushes the malt character. A good fresh hop beer, though it could easily tolerate more malt character (especially in the flavor) and perhaps a more varied hop profile with some floral or fruity additions to augment the pine and citrus.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2009 08:06:35 | More by nickfl

bark

Sweden

2.93/5  rDev -28.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

The colour is pale amber with a tint of gold; the three finger head is compact and yellowish. Lots of lacing.

The smell is hoppy with a sweet note of citric fruits and a creamy bitterness. Some dough and a hint of cat pee.

The taste is hoppy with American notes of grape fruits, cream cookies, and a touch of barbeque meat. The bitterness is medium strong and a little sharp/sour. The aftertaste is a bit alcoholic with some citric chemical bitterness.

The carbonation is medium strong, the bubbles medium sized. The liquid is a bit light.

An unbalanced and tired APA, perhaps not as fresh as the name implies.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2009 19:51:01 | More by bark

tpd975

Florida

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Nice bubbly white head builds up on this golden hued beauty. There are tons of bubbles rising to the top keeping the head afloat nicely.

S: Nice earthy fresh cut grass aroma. There is a hint of citrus in the background, but cut wet grass reigns supreme.

T: Nice pine taste with hints of lemon. There is a nice underlying maltiness which pulls this one together.

M: Medium bodied yet refreshing.

D: Very drinkable.

Overall: I really like this beer; it should be introduced earlier in the season though. This would be a nice light hopped beer to drink at the beach or on a hot Florida afternoon. I love Great Divide and this is another example of a finely crafted easy drinking brew that is easy on the pocket.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2007 18:01:51 | More by tpd975

FosterJM

California

3.6/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

1581st Review on BA
Bottle to Stemmed Tulip
22oz

Bottle dated Oct 4 2012
Purchased at Party House Liquor, Chino Hills, CA ($8.99, I overpaid I think)

App- A nice and medium looking amber color with some good highlights and a bit shimmery. Had a nice 1-1/2 finger white capped head that stuck around for a bit and left a nice cling/lace trail. A nice looking beer in the glass.

Smell- Its an okay pale ale for me. I think im not used to Wet hopped pales yet. The thick hop notes intermixed with the base malts create a fairly caramel rich nose that isnt really my thing.

Taste- Along with the nose, this flavor profile doesnt really do it for me. With my pale ales I like them to be a bit brighter and lusher. This was thick with caramel malts and tinges of bitter. Was a bit thick on the flavors but guess that comes with wet-hopped I am noticing.

Mouth- I can appreciate the feel on this one. GD likes to amplify their flavors and this was no different. A bit too thick of a body but semi-works on this one. The carbonation is a bit lush and creamy like a fuller IPA/DIPA vs. this style. I generally liked it though.

Drink- I will say I am usually excited for GD beers. Although besides the Yeti lineup my fervor is waining for some other beers in the series. May have to try to land things in the 12oz size before going 22oz. Probably wont have this one next year.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 15:15:47 | More by FosterJM

smakawhat

Maryland

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a solid good orange/amber color containing excellent lacing. Off white antique say color head. Good cascading bubbles from the bottom to top as well. Huge lacing also.

Smell of hops come up primarily at first, then a good tangerine orange on the nose, slight hard to pinpoint but a sweet citrus tangerine in my mind. slight pine/resin but very faint. Great smell nonetheless.

Taste comes off as mostly a great hoppy finish slightly bitter, sweet tangerine in the palate, but with a very wet/watery body, kind of a floral and definitely grassy afterfinish that only comes through on the finish and nowhere else it seems.

Drinkability, sure get me another no complaints!

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2010 04:18:53 | More by smakawhat