Chasin' Freshies - Deschutes Brewery

UCLABrewN84

California

3.53/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Boneyard Bistro in Sherman Oaks, CA.

Pours a clear yellow with a foamy off-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. A foamy curtain of lace coats the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, herbal hops, and some citrus zest aromas. Taste is much the same with a mild hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but the aromas and flavors are pretty mild for a fresh hop beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-22-2012 07:08:52 | More by UCLABrewN84

ocelot2500

Arizona

3.53/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear straw color with a tight white head that leaves good sized chunks of lacing.

Smells of grassy, leafy hops with a slight sugary base.

Tastes of clean hop tastes with a solid malt base. Notes of lemon, grass, and herbs abound with some leafy notes as well. Not particularly bitter, but has the oily feel to it of fresh hops. Sugar cookie malt base rounds out the end.

Mouthfeel is medium-light with a smooth amount of carbonation.

Overall, this is solid, but not particularly noticeable in a growing crowd of fresh hop ales.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 03:02:28 | More by ocelot2500

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.28/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

BBD of 12/27/12

Pours light gold with 3 fingers of pearl colored head. Stays effervescent throughout, great head retention & lacing

S: Lemony & grassy notes , not a ton though

T: Lemony, bready & some grass & piney notes up front. Some grapefruit, tangerines, lemons & a hint of lime with a little honey lurking in the back ground & some breadyness. Finishes with ruby red grapefruit, lemons, a bit of lime & a whisper of malty sweetness & just a bit of golden delicious apples

Light/medium bodied, some carbonation, but fairly light, nicely balanced & juicy

I liked this, wish I could've found some of this a few weeks ago, but still very hoppy/refreshing. I do not like this a much as hop trip, but still very nice

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 04:06:33 | More by russpowell

SHODriver

California

3.98/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: pours a light yellow with a small white head that fades to a collar around an imperial nonic
S: smells of pine and citrus with some nice underlying sweetness
T: nice citrus/grapefruit hoppiness with a little bit of pine, good light honey sweetness from the malt as well. swallow brings some nice pine and a bit floral as well and the pilsner malt comes through in the back end
M: medium carbonation and a medium mouthfeel
O: very good flavors and easy to drink. I'd like the hops to pop a bit more but it's a solid beer. color is a bit light but the malt bill was made to let the hops shine

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 03:08:18 | More by SHODriver

WesM63

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a Deschutes Tulip.

A: Pours a hazy gold with a 1finger white head. Minor retention and lacing.

S: Mostly pilsner malt. Some wet hop earthiness.

T: On the nose. Pilsner malt, some of that wet hop earthiness peaks through.

M: Medium body and carbonation.

O: Sadly the pilsner malt ruins it for me. I get very little of the cascade hops as they are just drowned out by the malt.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 23:09:24 | More by WesM63

elNopalero

Texas

4.13/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear golden-blonde color with a big layer of foam that takes its time dying down. Not the appearance that I expected this to have but it looks good nonetheless.

There’s a light, slightly dank aroma with some grassy spice on it. It’s lightly hopped, and delicately so—again, unlike expectations. There’s a pleasing carbonation and a light finish. A real easy drinker. This makes me think of a hoppy, vibrant Czech pils almost, in aroma and flavor. While it doesn’t scratch my wet hop itch I’d have another.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 08:26:11 | More by elNopalero

lordofstarside

Nevada

3.88/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber to snifter
Best by 12/27 date

Pours a very pale gold, blonde almost. Finger of foam, good lacing, mediocre retention, moderate carbonation. Really lacking color on this one. Smells of wet hop, citrus, grapefruit, and strong bready malt. Taste of spicy upfront hop, pine resin, citrus, with a ridged malt back bone. Feel is good, moderate body, resin leaves mouth nice and sticky just like a good fresh hop ale should. Very crisp and wet. Over all not a bad beer, for $7 a bottle though I'll probably wait till next year's batch to get another.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 06:36:11 | More by lordofstarside

xmorgan

California

4.28/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Had a 22 oz bomber,
I love Fresh hopped beers and I salute Deschutes for the effort.

Overall I give it a 4.5 but must admit the appearance was the weakest point on this beer.

It looks so light I thought it too similar to a Bud, it is a very light looking beer.

The smell is a straw or hay with a slight funk, this did not take away from this beer.

The taste hits home, the hops are quite pronounced and if the brewer sacrificed appearance and body for hops it almost works, this is tasty but perhaps low on body and appearance then other fresh hoped IPAs.

Overall I could drink it all day long. It is a good fresh hopped IPA, just a little light on color and body for me. It is VERY pale IMHO.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 05:05:23 | More by xmorgan

DeanMoriarty

California

4/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a 22oz bomber from Baron's Market in PL for $5.99 and poured it into a Hess branded 0,5L glass.

A: Slightly hazed straw-like hue, fluffy white head that hangs out for a wile, giving way to massive amounts of lacing.

S: Pine, dried grass, orange zest crackery malt - well balanced.

T: Nice hop up front - bitter citrus rind, fresh cut grass, dried hay. Light maltiness, black tea and mellow tropical fruit.

M: Light bodied, crisp and dry, well carbonated, finishes bitter and oily from the good amount of hops in this one - very nice.

On the lighter side (all around) compared to a lot of the California fresh-hop IPA's but not bummed on that at all. The quality and flavor are there, just mellowed a bit - great all night drinking IPA and one that will get you feelin good too at 7.5%.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 00:48:33 | More by DeanMoriarty

TCMike

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Produced a a billowy, 3 finger, white head. The beer color is a translucent, pale gold.
The aroma is of light citrus, pine, and bread.
The taste was similar, but with a light sweetness. The bitterness from the hops, wasn't too over-powering, and didn't linger very long.
The mouth-feel was medium, but by looking at it, I would have thought it was light. It had medium carbonation.
Good beer, and I'm not a big IPA fan.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 00:34:21 | More by TCMike

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, best before 12/27/2012. Pours lightly hazy golden straw color with a nice 2 finger dense bright white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice soapy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of orange, grapefruit, lemon, herbal, floral, grass, pineapple, mango, light citrus rind, and light pine spiciness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance, but they are pretty muted for an IPA. Fairly dank smelling as well. Taste of grapefruit, orange zest, citrus rind, grass, lemon, herbal, floral, caramel, bread, pineapple, and light piney spiciness. Fair amount of earthy citrus bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, citrus rind, herbal, grass, floral, bread, and piney spiciness on the finish for a bit. Nice hop flavor complexity with a very nice hop/malt balance; very nice balance of bitterness/sweetness as well; zero cloying flavors on the finish. Not as bold as I was hoping for in a fresh hop ale, but the flavors are very nice. Medium carbonation and body; with a lightly creamy and sticky mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is very well hidden with almost zero warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice wet hopped IPA. Not as boldly hoppy as some IPAs, but this has a lot of nice balance and hop flavor complexity; and is very smooth to drink. Really enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 04:00:46 | More by superspak

garymuchow

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Within the best by date by over one month. One of only a few fresh hop beers I've purchased this year.
Mmmm, that's a nice aroma. Sweet, citrus, fresh a little herbal. Not strong or powerful, just really fresh and really pleasant.
Pours a much lighter color than I expected. Almost a lager like pour - a little darker in the glass, but still a yellow/gold with a slight haze and lots of bubbles. White head with decent stamina.
NIce hop flavors and pointed bitterness, again without excess. Long lasting lingering that is somewhat drying, but also renewing the memories of the exceptional taste. The pale malting allows the hops to shine forth and enough balancing to prevent (here's that word again) excess. A little tartness grows with time, but so does some of the malt character with a touch of sweetness.
KInda' bubbly, but otherwise enjoyable mouthfeel. Moderately light body.
Very easy to drink this and really no indication of the abv in the experience.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 03:08:15 | More by garymuchow

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bomber bottle into pint. Pours a straw goldenn color with foamy white head. Very fresh and crisp hop aroma. Taste is crisp fresh hop and good malty backbone. It easy to drink, mild, but flavorful. Its a nice brew. Not amazing but all around good.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 13:23:20 | More by DrinkSlurm

bambam2517

Arizona

3.8/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First off, Its my opinion that this is a really odd time to release this beer, it reminds me of spring. It is a real change of pace from the porters and stouts I've been downing, but it isnt necessarily a good thing.

Fresh indeed, it pours almost phosphorescent yellow with a flat head that settles into a short lived lace ring.

Aromas are of bright hops and sweet fruit, I pick up pears, apricots and peaches. Its very reminiscent of a Reisling or Chardonnay wine to me.

Taste is very similar, its sharp and bright at first, then mellows into the fruity esters and finishes clean with apricot and pear most prevalent.

Its very drinkable, and I would enjoy having a couple of these shaping up the yard when the weather starts turning warmer again. I'll save my winter for the darker brews and Holiday seasonals to come though!

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 23:25:55 | More by bambam2517

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Whole Foods Tap Room in Santa Rosa. Yellow, lacey with a lace head. Good hops and very nice IPA hitting the spot but not something I would go to daily because hops are just West Coast regular.Hop aromas. Average mouthfeel at best.A little grainy and light lemon taste.

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2012 15:20:09 | More by northyorksammy

azdback

Arizona

3.53/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into my newly acquired Lagunitas Mason Jar glass. A pale orange color that is very clear and has small carbonation bubbles leading their way to a small two finger head that is bright white in color and sea foam in appearance. Lace is very sticky. Nice job.

Smell is pretty citrusy and balanced with some earth. Pink grapefruit mixed with some sourdough bread. Some malt character as well.

Taste is way too malty for me. Or maybe it's the choice of hops. Sweet and dark citrus, blood orange or pink grapefruit. Earth, bread, yeast.

Mouth is medium with even carbonation. Body is as should be for an IPA, medium and refreshing. The finish is average and on the dry side.

Overall I really would have liked to have tried this two months ago but my distro sucks and I didn't. With that being said I don't know if freshness would have helped this in my opinion. The choice of hop and the attempt to make this a more balanced IPA rather than a West Coast hop bomb fails to meet my criteria. A must try for those on the look out for more balanced IPA's.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 04:46:40 | More by azdback

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

3.53/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip from a 22oz bomber.

Pours a nice slightly hazy golden brew with some nice slight copper hues on the edges. There is a nice 1 inch head that forms. The head is nice and sticky and slightly dense.

Aroma starts off with a nice fresh piney hop notes. There is definitely some nice bready and malty grain notes. Slight citrusy notes are present but there is some slight tropical fruit notes.

Flavor starts off with a more intense resinous pine note that is slightly balanced by some nice fruit and some citrus punch. There is some caramel malt notes in the flavor as well. The caramel notes give the brew an extreme balance. Definitely a balanced IPA. There is some nice bitterness to the brew but its not my favorite. Crisp and clean.

Overall. Not bad but not great. Very fresh though.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 03:02:19 | More by JoEBoBpr

scootpolute

Washington

3.18/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

1 Pint, 6 FL OZ. bottle into tulip glass.

A - Pours semi-cloudy golden, with a sort of weak head...- OK lacing...

S - Hops and lots of sweet citrus - some orange & grapefruit tones...

T - Smooth & Bright! A great hop kick at the top, followed by some citrus, then ending with a bit of pine-like spices...Pleasant & refreshing!!

M - Great carbonation! There's a good fullness. Present, but not 'too' much fruity/sweet flavors...The final pine/spice balances the beer out wonderfully!

O - For a standard IPA, good. The body kind off dies after the first few sips. The smoothness (drink-ability) is what makes this one worth having more than one. REALLY fresh hops, makes for a good refreshing treat!

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 05:43:45 | More by scootpolute

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.53/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours somewhat of a hay or straw colour, with about as much clarity as a BMC beer. Bone white fluffy head adorns, minimal lacing. Aroma is slightly biscuity, with a cat piss-like astringency, some floral notes and some herbal hop tones. Taste has a nice initial bitterness, but finishes clean and crisp. Some floral and light citrus hop notes and a bit of pale malt balance. Quite light in body, crisp, sort of. Uper medium in the carbonation department, but not too bubbly.

Dated about a month and a half or so from now, I'm going to guess it's sort of in the middle of it's shelf life, so maybe fresher would have been more potent. It's not bad at all, easy drinking, but kinda average for a fresh hop ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 00:21:32 | More by EgadBananas

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

2.9/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance. Pours a very clear, light yellow gold with a finger+ of white frothy head that leaves some decent lace.

Smell. Some spicy, citrus hops and light grainy malts.

Taste. Sweet grainy light malts, a decent amount of spicy, grassy hops. Just a hint of citrus. Some bitterness in the finish. Not mamazing, I'm afraid.

Mouthfeel. Medium body, medium carbonation.

Overall. Not what I look for in a fresh hop ale. I wasn't blown away, to say the least :-/

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 02:51:50 | More by Rutager

brotherloco

California

3.9/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bomber. Best By 12/27/12. Served in a tulip.

Pours a hazed straw gold with almost a finger of white foam. Settles fairly quickly. A few small spots of lacing.

Hop aroma seems more on the onion and garlic side than fruity and citrusy, although there's a touch of orange and lemon. Floral, earth, and fertilizer notes. Dry bready malt sits in the background.

Flavor is floral hops with a bit of apple, orange, and lemon. Nice lemony bitter citrus through the middle leads to a fairly dry finish. Long lingering floral bitterness in the aftertaste. No sign of the elevated ABV in the flavor.

Medium bodied with fairly high carbonation. Has a little weight to it, but appropriate and drinkable.

I wasn't very impressed with Fresh Hopped Mirror Pond last year, but this beer is an improvement. It has a unique flavor which I can only assume comes from the single "heirloom" hop Descutes is using for this brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 23:45:52 | More by brotherloco

BucannonXC5

California

3.15/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Draft into pint glass at Bittercreek Alehouse in Boise , Idaho on Nov. 2, 2012 for $6. Honey, pale, golden with light khaki gray head. Decent retention all-around.

Smelled floral notes, honey, bread, corn and light lemon grass. Reminded me of a pilsner more than an IPA.

Tasted similar to the smell, but a tad more fruity. Got floral notes, honey, banana, cloves, bread, skunky, corn and light lemon citrus. Still heavy on the pilsner notes.

Light body. Thin texture. Above average carbonation. Bitter finish.

Pretty disappointed. I was expecting something totally different. This beer just didn’t impress me.

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2012 06:41:10 | More by BucannonXC5

LegalBrew87

California

2.78/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22oz bottle best by 12/27/12

A: light straw color with minimal white head that faded relatively quickly. Looks like a lager/ light pale ale.

S: sweet apple, mild soap, perfume, pils malt, pretty much smells like a decent lager/pilsner. No pine, citrus, etc. I would associate with an IPA.

T: sweet floral taste followed by sweet pilsner malt. Almost tastes soapy as well. Essentially no "hoppiness" or bitterness.

O: this is not an IPA by any stretch of the imagination. Most definitely a strong pilsner that is moderately hopped. Really disappointing seeing that the bottle gives no indication of the malt and touts the hops quite a bit. I don't enjoy pilsners all that much and this really isn't an exception.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 04:42:49 | More by LegalBrew87

mactrail

California

3.63/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Lovely foamy cap on the golden brew. Looks more like a Pilsener than the usual orange-hued IPAs.

They claim the hops are "heirloom" Cascades, grown on a single field. I can't say that this tastes like anything I ever associate with Cascades. This is one of the most perfumey tasting beers in my experience. It's more like gardenia flowers, with that deeply sweet scent. An in this case, the flavor seems really sweet as well, more like orange blossoms and sweet marmalade. This is certainly a unique taste, and while the bitterness level seems more like a Pale Ale, the hops seem to dominate.

Very, very fruity with a bitterness that comes on late and stays in the aftertaste. I agree with the comment that this tastes like a mysterious tropical fruit. From the 22 oz bottle bought at Liticker's in Ocean Beach.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 04:12:17 | More by mactrail

flagmantho

Washington

3.98/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 22oz bomber into a pint glass.

Appearance: light yellow hue with a clear body and a decent effervescence. Head is a thick finger of frothy white foam with decent retention and a nice lace.

Smell: light malt aroma with an earthy, citrusy and a little bit funky hop nose. There's a definite fruitiness here; I actually rather like it.

Taste: light malt with a fruity hop character; quite gentle in nature. A nice tangerine quality along with a distinct earthiness; bitterness is rather high and a bit raspy but not too bad. I think it's more of a fresh hop pale ale than an IPA, but still, I rather enjoy it.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good level of carbonation and a nice creaminess. I like it.

Overall: a lightly fruity and drinkable beer. I agree that this beer could be better-classified a pale ale than an IPA, but it's still a good brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 03:26:31 | More by flagmantho