Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Fresh Hop Ale (2008 Harvest Series)

WWED Grade: A

Appearance: Clear. Burnt orange/copper color.  Clear. Little head that died fast.

Smell: Musky. Bitter. Hoppy. Slight floral sweetness.

Taste: Bitter. Hop hoppinin’ hops. Crisp. Bitter and strong on your breath after.

Mouthfeel: Good medium carbonation. Thickens if you slush.

Drinkability: Very drinkable. Light. Not too filling. Love it!

ABV: 6.7%

Serving Type: Bottle poured in glass.

You’ve gotta enjoy the taste of bitter hops to appreciate this beer. Me? I LOVED it! Call me a “Hop Head” if you must – this beer hit home for me. Clean, crisp, easy to drink. But what I liked even more than the full, robust flavor of this drink – is it’s story. I love craft beers with good stories. Sierra Nevada does great with it’s “Fresh Hop” series – and I was very pleased they added this new bottle to the line. This was the first release of the “Southern Hemisphere HARVEST Fresh Hop Ale”. This description comes straight from the bottle – if you’re not sold after reading it, and you enjoy beer – you’ll need to have your Hop Head examined! ;-)

From: http://www.sierranevada.com

Our newest addition to our Harvest family is Southern Hemisphere Harvest. This is the first time we know of that an American brewer has put out a beer with fresh-picked hops from the southern hemisphere. The inaugural ale will debut in late April and will feature fresh Pacific Hallertau, New Zealand Motueka and New Zealand Southern Cross hops, all from New Zealand.

Like our Celebration Ale, the fresh hops in this beer are dried right after being picked then shipped immediately to Chico for brewing so that they retain their peak aromatics and flavors. To ensure the freshest hops possible, we went to the added expense of flying these hops from New Zealand to Chico so we could brew with them the week after they were picked.

Brewery Link: http://www.sierranevada.com