Double Mountain Brewery’s Killer Green, Killer Red, and Killer Lion

It’s back to Hood River, Ore., but this month we’re tasting three fresh hop beers from Double Mountain. Also known as wet hops, fresh hops are basically unkilned (or undried) to retain as much of the oils that we beer geeks love oh so much. They’re literally picked, shipped, and used as soon as possible by brewers (typically within 24 hours) before the hops begin to deteriorate.

Double Mountain recently released three fresh hop variations with hops harvested from Sodbuster Farms in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The hops were shipped and used within two hours!

Killer Green
Bright amber with a super creamy, foamy head, Killer Green is piney, fruity, and juicy, with blood oranges, citrus rind, berries, a hint of melon, and an herbal quality throughout. Plus, it’s resiny with a leafy, raw edge. I also got some candied fruit-like sweetness and a dry bread crust finish. This IPA is packed with the fresh flavors of Centennial and Simcoe hops. Even at 96 IBU, it’s so damn smooth, too.

STYLE: American IPA
ABV: 7.6%
AVAILABILITY: Fall
BEERADVOCATE.COM SCORE: 3.91/5
Look: 5 | Smell: 4 | Taste: 4.5 | Feel: 5 | Overall: 4.5
Todd’s Rating: 4.46/5

Killer Red
Amber with a creamy head and lace, Killer Red brings apple aromas in the nose, with a bready and malty profile. Hopped entirely with Perle, this 78 IBU beer is sweet with suggestions of tropical fruits, pine, browned red delicious apples, and a slight dankness beneath it all. A spicy finish and earthy afternotes linger on the palate while tasty apple-y notes dominate and reign from beginning to end.

STYLE: Imperial Red Ale
ABV: 7.3%
AVAILABILITY: Fall
BEERADVOCATE.COM SCORE: 4.01
Look: 4.75 | Smell: 3.75 | Taste: 4.25 | Feel: 4.75 | Overall: 4
Todd’s Rating: 4.16/5

Killer Lion
Dark golden in color, Killer Lion has a frothy head with stick and a damn hoppy nose that screams with Citra and Mosaic hops. It’s fresh, green, dank, floral, and minty. Overall, it has a nice tropical-ish and orangey flavor with a hit of zest and rind and 82 IBU. A bit peppery, it’s oily, sticky, and resiny into the finish, which also offers some crackery malt character. In a word, dankalicious.

STYLE: American IPA
ABV: 7.8%
AVAILABILITY: Fall
BEERADVOCATE.COM SCORE: 4.17
Look: 4 | Smell: 4.25 | Taste: 4.25 | Feel: 4 | Overall: 4.25
Todd’s Rating: 4.21/5

What I love about these three brews, and fresh hop beers in general, is that most are packed with hoppy and resiny nuances that are often lost during standard hop processing. Unfortunately, this Killer lineup from Double Mountain is only available in the Northwest and British Columbia, but you might find some fresh hop brews still kicking around near you. ■