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Fresh Hop Double IPA
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer Geek Stats
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- From:
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
- California, United States
- Style:
- Imperial IPA
- ABV:
- 8%
- Score:
- 88
- Avg:
- 3.91 | pDev: 6.39%
- Reviews:
- 48
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 27, 2021
- Added:
- Nov 03, 2017
- Wants:
- 3
- Gots:
- 17
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by MickeyHops:
Rated by MickeyHops from California
4.24/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Nov 18, 2017
4.24/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Nov 18, 2017
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by elNopalero from Michigan
3.12/5 rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
3.12/5 rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Enjoyed fresh.
This pours a surprisingly dark auburn amber color with a cap of foam. Light aroma, opens slightly as it warms. Taste is off--off balanced, stickly bitter, with an overpowering caramel malt backing drowning out the hops. More of a malty imperial red than a dipa.
Nov 28, 2019This pours a surprisingly dark auburn amber color with a cap of foam. Light aroma, opens slightly as it warms. Taste is off--off balanced, stickly bitter, with an overpowering caramel malt backing drowning out the hops. More of a malty imperial red than a dipa.
Reviewed by macrosmatic from Florida
3.15/5 rDev -19.4%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25
3.15/5 rDev -19.4%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25
Reviewed from (long-standing) notes. Poured from a 12 oz. can into a Cycle Brewing goblet.
A: Pours a moderately hazy dark bronze to almost brown - surprisingly dark for style. Forms a half-finger of off-white head that lasts well. Not an ugly beer, but quite odd for style.
S: Bready malts with a bit of caramel sweetness. A modest grapefruit and rind with some resin and pine. And that’s about all I can find. This might be the most dull-smelling DIPA that I’ve had for a long time. Not “off”, but a low aroma you’ve got to dig for anything. And there's nothing exciting, nor "fresh-hoppy", about it.
T: Bready malts again, with a mild toast and modest caramel. Grapefruit rind, resinous pine, and mild tropical fruit hops. More sweet malts in the middle, and the bitterest grapefruit pith and some Stone-esque naked alpha bitterness in the hang. Just a hint of grassiness on the exhale suggests anything like a fresh hop being used.
M: An average body for style. The alcohol presence seems well-hidden for style, though it is a quite-modest ABV listed on the can. Average carbonation sensation.
O: I found this to be disappointing. This can would have been on the dark side for a Red Ale. So I was kinda hoping there was something wrong with the first can - not like an infection or anything, but it seems old, or mis-stored by the distributor. But since the other cans were indeed similar, perhaps it was just ill-conceived. It's not undrinkable or anything, but there’s nothing here that would warrant a drink at all. I was looking forward to this one, and I love me some fresh-hopped beers. But this was a huge letdown.
Aug 03, 2019A: Pours a moderately hazy dark bronze to almost brown - surprisingly dark for style. Forms a half-finger of off-white head that lasts well. Not an ugly beer, but quite odd for style.
S: Bready malts with a bit of caramel sweetness. A modest grapefruit and rind with some resin and pine. And that’s about all I can find. This might be the most dull-smelling DIPA that I’ve had for a long time. Not “off”, but a low aroma you’ve got to dig for anything. And there's nothing exciting, nor "fresh-hoppy", about it.
T: Bready malts again, with a mild toast and modest caramel. Grapefruit rind, resinous pine, and mild tropical fruit hops. More sweet malts in the middle, and the bitterest grapefruit pith and some Stone-esque naked alpha bitterness in the hang. Just a hint of grassiness on the exhale suggests anything like a fresh hop being used.
M: An average body for style. The alcohol presence seems well-hidden for style, though it is a quite-modest ABV listed on the can. Average carbonation sensation.
O: I found this to be disappointing. This can would have been on the dark side for a Red Ale. So I was kinda hoping there was something wrong with the first can - not like an infection or anything, but it seems old, or mis-stored by the distributor. But since the other cans were indeed similar, perhaps it was just ill-conceived. It's not undrinkable or anything, but there’s nothing here that would warrant a drink at all. I was looking forward to this one, and I love me some fresh-hopped beers. But this was a huge letdown.
Reviewed by Darkmagus82 from Texas
4.16/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.16/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a can into a pint glass
Appearance – The beer pours a deep golden amber color with a one finger head of pure white foam. The head has an amazing level of retention very slowly fading over time to leave a great sum of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma of the brew is huge of a sweet tropical fruit smell of tangerine, pineapple, papaya, and mango. Along with these aromas comes some grapefruit hop and a little bit of grass and herb. Overall, big and desirous smelling,
Taste – The taste doesn’t start out like I would have expected. It begins with a malty and bready taste that has some tropical fruit flavors of tangerine and papaya and a decent hit of grapefruit hop, but the sweet fruit tastes, while heavy in the nose, are slightly lighter on the tongue. As the taste advances however, the sweeter fruit tastes get stronger with some other fruit tastes of mango and pineapple joining the increasing tangerine and papaya. This sweetness in the taste increases quite a bit, but all the while the grapefruit citrus hop, as well as some decently strong pine and herbal hop tastes come to the tongue, leaving one with a quite rich but smooth and still (dangerously) easy drinking taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is on the average side in terms of thickness and creaminess with a carbonation level that is rather low. For the style, tastes, and abv., the feel is dangerously good, and with the lack of alcohol flavor, this makes it an almost too drinkable brew.
Overall – This was an awesome brew overall. Very flavorful, easy drinking, nicely balanced, and very smooth. Awesome!!
Apr 26, 2019Appearance – The beer pours a deep golden amber color with a one finger head of pure white foam. The head has an amazing level of retention very slowly fading over time to leave a great sum of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma of the brew is huge of a sweet tropical fruit smell of tangerine, pineapple, papaya, and mango. Along with these aromas comes some grapefruit hop and a little bit of grass and herb. Overall, big and desirous smelling,
Taste – The taste doesn’t start out like I would have expected. It begins with a malty and bready taste that has some tropical fruit flavors of tangerine and papaya and a decent hit of grapefruit hop, but the sweet fruit tastes, while heavy in the nose, are slightly lighter on the tongue. As the taste advances however, the sweeter fruit tastes get stronger with some other fruit tastes of mango and pineapple joining the increasing tangerine and papaya. This sweetness in the taste increases quite a bit, but all the while the grapefruit citrus hop, as well as some decently strong pine and herbal hop tastes come to the tongue, leaving one with a quite rich but smooth and still (dangerously) easy drinking taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is on the average side in terms of thickness and creaminess with a carbonation level that is rather low. For the style, tastes, and abv., the feel is dangerously good, and with the lack of alcohol flavor, this makes it an almost too drinkable brew.
Overall – This was an awesome brew overall. Very flavorful, easy drinking, nicely balanced, and very smooth. Awesome!!
Reviewed by rudiecantfail from Pennsylvania
3.67/5 rDev -6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.67/5 rDev -6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
12 ounce can poured into a tulip glass.
L---Clear, darkish golden color. HUGE, slightly off-white head. Head was long lasting and coated the sides of the glass. This one is a real looker.
S---Lighter aroma than expected from a DIPA that advertises it's hops in its name. Light pine & citrus with a slight floral scent in the background.
T---Maltier than expected. A strong, bready backbone. Hops are not as much in the forefront as expected. No hint of alcohol. Pine & citrus (orange, grapefruit & lemon) are most noticeable. Maltiness provides an unexpected balance for the beer, quite nice.
F---Feels chuggable, which would be a mistake at the ABV. Fresh & slightly juicy.
O---Not what I was expecting on a couple of fronts, but still a damn nice beer by an excellent brewery. I'd get this one again.
Mar 24, 2019L---Clear, darkish golden color. HUGE, slightly off-white head. Head was long lasting and coated the sides of the glass. This one is a real looker.
S---Lighter aroma than expected from a DIPA that advertises it's hops in its name. Light pine & citrus with a slight floral scent in the background.
T---Maltier than expected. A strong, bready backbone. Hops are not as much in the forefront as expected. No hint of alcohol. Pine & citrus (orange, grapefruit & lemon) are most noticeable. Maltiness provides an unexpected balance for the beer, quite nice.
F---Feels chuggable, which would be a mistake at the ABV. Fresh & slightly juicy.
O---Not what I was expecting on a couple of fronts, but still a damn nice beer by an excellent brewery. I'd get this one again.
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri
4/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz can. Poured out a clear, golden orange color with a good-sized, off-white head of foam. It smelled of pine, orange peel and toasted caramel. Sweet citrus taste with strong roasted malt and a sharp bitterness.
Mar 03, 2019Reviewed by DaveMaciolek21 from New Jersey
3.5/5 rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Intense hop flavor, definitely a West Coast IPA. Thought the beer would be more complex than single fresh hop IPA, but it was actually less so. If you've got to choose, go with the single.
Feb 18, 2019Reviewed by Act25 from New Jersey
3.97/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.97/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
SN fresh and bright efforts lately, where Resilience kills it, this one very good also.
a) Clear dark amber with 2+ fingers of pearly foamy head w decent retention & nice lacing. Always.
s) Too faint but piney, grassy, damp fall earth cousin to Resilience.
t) Fills your mouth with bready, grassy, herbal, pine. Slightly catty, dry, but agree with BAer who wrote finished minty.
f) Always a mouth pleaser, ticklely, right weighted, balanced, dry clean finish.
o) Alway the best large brewer and never a bore or also ran.
Jan 23, 2019a) Clear dark amber with 2+ fingers of pearly foamy head w decent retention & nice lacing. Always.
s) Too faint but piney, grassy, damp fall earth cousin to Resilience.
t) Fills your mouth with bready, grassy, herbal, pine. Slightly catty, dry, but agree with BAer who wrote finished minty.
f) Always a mouth pleaser, ticklely, right weighted, balanced, dry clean finish.
o) Alway the best large brewer and never a bore or also ran.
Reviewed by drdiesel9483 from Ohio
3.85/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.85/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Look - copper color with a good sticky white lacing
Smell - citrus slight lemon and pine
Taste - a lot like the scent but lacing a lot of the taste and more bitterness
Feel - medium full body with a lighter crisp carbonation
Overall - just ok
Jan 07, 2019Smell - citrus slight lemon and pine
Taste - a lot like the scent but lacing a lot of the taste and more bitterness
Feel - medium full body with a lighter crisp carbonation
Overall - just ok
Reviewed by Nephilium from Ohio
4.1/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.1/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Big clean hop aroma, pours a clear amber with a full white head. Lively carbonation, with a medium body. Slightly sweet to begin with which quickly fades to grapefruit and pine hops and a bitter finish. This is a solid IIPA.
Dec 28, 2018
Fresh Hop Double IPA from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
88 out of
100 with
134 ratings
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