Fresh hop beers- which have you had?

Beer and Spirits
41

I’ve had many different vintages of IPAs, Barleywines, RIS, DIPAs, … There are subtle changes, but seldom a big change in your face difference from my experience. Usually the same brew, is very consistent with older vintages. A Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout still is as tasty today as it was 7 years ago, same goes for a SN Celebration Ale, or SN Bigfoot.

Cheers!

42

I think you’re confusing hoppy beers with fresh or wet hop beers. Fresh/wet hop beers are done for the year here. Actually most have been gone for at least a month or more. They’re not beers that get better with time. Time has everything to do with it. Even bottled versions lose something.

43

In general IPAs/DIPAs should be consumed fairly quick, for the best they have to offer, but still some can go alittle bit longer. I’m talking about brew’s that are bottled in general. Stuff that is done in limited quantity and basically on-tap/growlers is another story. Most are one-offs and in my book really do not count. Why should they, great beers, but you will never see it again. WHALES!

Cheers!

44

You still don’t get what fresh hop beers actually are. Fresh hops are done in small batches with wet, not dried hops. They’re seasonal. In this area they go from hop field to kettle in 1-2 hours. They’re not just IPA’s. The qualities of fresh hops don’t last, hence my comment that if they’re around long enough to bottle, they lose a lot. We’re not talking hoppy beers, we’re talking beers that use wet hops which are incredibly different than standard dried hops in standard beers. Different animals all together.

45

Had this year’s Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale over the weekend. Simply not as good as in previous years. Much darker and maltier than usual.

46

I had the same impression, Brad. Two bottles from my six-pack remain. Honestly, I think Torpedo is a better beer than this year’s Celebration.

47

We did a 5 year vertical of celebration a few weeks ago. 2013 was so damn good. but the 2014 isn’t that far behind side by side. of the older ones the 2012 & 2010 were outstanding.

48

I found a fresh hop IPA in the back of my fridge recently, and it was noticeably different from its 6-pack partners consumed just 2 weeks earlier.

49

Stupid question, but is the Deschutes Fresh Squeezed a Dry Hop or Wet/Fresh Hop beer?

50

Dry hopped

51

Interesting read here on the different semantics. http://www.sierranevada.com/beer/seasonal/celebration-ale

My original post was intended to be about wet hops, but i need to revisit which are “wet” vs “freshly dry”. frankly i think it is confusing and slightly deceptive marketing

52

Agreed Scott. I’ve to find a “freshly hopped” beer thatI’ve enjoyed, while I anxiously await late September and October to enjoy the many delicious wet hop beers available.

53

That time again- though I haven’t chased as many wet hop beers as in years past. Just had the fremont cowiche canyon and the Fort George fresh IPA.

I have to say neither are nearly as good as last year. Wonder if a worse hop harvest, too high of expectations, or brewery fail. Both are solid beers, but not remarkable as they were last year.

Bummer.

54

The hop season went well this year. The summer was warm and relatively dry, and harvest started several weeks earlier than normal. I think a couple of things may stand in the way of better beer.

  1. everyone is making a lot more beer. This means that you need a lot of fresh hops, and process of collecting those hops takes more time.
  2. brewing more beer also means that breweries are brewing multiple batches of beer so the hops for the later batches sit around and oxidize.
  3. the head brewer isn’t making all the beer. His assistants are, and their understanding of the process may not be as good as the head brewer’s.

A totally different factor is that the hops used in fresh hop beers can/will change from year to year. A hop farmer is hardly going to sell all his crop of an in-demand hop as fresh hops. I think the intention is that every fresh hop beer is a unique beer, even if they give it the same name as the previous year.

55

Chetco Fresh Hop down here was quite light but laser-sharp. Really enjoyable.

56

Glenn, I think that the small breweries can do a better job with a fresh hop beer because there is more attention to detail and they’re not trying to make multiple batches.

57

Sampled the two fresh hop IPAs at Comrade Brewing.
this one was my favorite.

Superdamp aka Fresh Hop Superpower (Wet Hop IPA)

2015 Great American Beer Festival Silver Medal Winner
Superpower IPA with organic Colorado grown hops from High Wire Hop Farms in Paonia, CO. Hops were put in the beer less than 24 hours after the hops were picked.

from a micro-brewery near my house

58

I agree. Chetco just opened a family-styled tasting room in Brookings with peanuts and outside restaurant food OK’ed for delivery to the room! Has really upgraded our beer scene. They are doing like a buncha IPAs but their other stuff really makes my radar.

I think their fresh hop was less than 6 kegs, they told me my pint was from #3.