Fresh Hop Fiend: CTZ
Stoup Brewing Brewery & Taproom

2023-10-13
16oz can served in a big snifter. Can is dated 10/03/23. Bought it at Chuck's Hop Shop last weekend.

Pours a clear brassy amber with about a finger of head that dissipates into a clumpy layer and a thick, uneven ring. Small amount of active carbonation. Smell is piney and sharp cut greens, little bit of a spiciness.

Taste is nice. Bitter pine, citrus juice sweetness, grapefruit rind bitterness. Bitterness builds strongly as I sip.

Mouthfeel is on the light side of medium, somewhat dry. This is really nice.

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a medium golden amber with a two finger white head with great retention and solid lacing. Aroma of pale malt, citrus and dank hops, mixed citrus, light dankness and some earthiness. Flavor is pale malt with a hint of caramel, citrus and dank hops, grapefruit, lemon, faint mixed stone fruit, a little catty and earthy dankness. Solid finishing bitterness with hints of pine resin and citrus rind. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. This fresh hop had the best color density of any I've tried this year and also a surprisingly nice hop profile. I had the impression that this hop family was used mostly for bittering along with popular West Coast varieties, but this stands quite nicely on its own. In fact, it is one of my favorites this year. To finish off, it has assertive bitterness that works well with the citrus and dank notes. Nicely done and I hope they do this one again in the future.