Home Harvest
Whiprsnapr Brewing Co.

473 mL can, Day 4 of Nita Beer's 2024 Advent Calendar; dated Sep 18 2024 and served slightly chilled. I haven't had a wet hopped ale in a few years - it seems they've fallen out of vogue, but I do tend to like them.

Pours a foggy golden-yellow colour with a modest amount of silty sediment hovering throughout its body; it's capped with one finger of loose, soapy white head that disintegrates within two minutes. A frothy collar is left surrounding a patch of film on the surface, with a decent swath of lace clinging to the glass. Doughy, bready malts on the nose, with notes of orange peel and spicy, floral, green hops.

Quite flavourful for only 4%: there's a surprisingly robust backbone of grainy malts and bready, doughy sweetness, with the Cascade wet hops taking over on the tail end. Orange peel, grapefruit pithiness and mildly herbal, verdantly green hop flavours, with tea-leafy bitterness dissipating quickly; the aftertaste is grainy and leafy, lingering momentarily on the taste buds. Light in body, with lively carbonation that feels crisp and vibrant on the surface of the tongue; goes down smooth. A very refreshing light pale ale.

Final Grade: 3.77, a B+. Whiprsnapr's Home Harvest '24 probably won't be blowing any socks off, but I must admit, the wet Cascade hops do add a lot of flavour and character to this light ale. I mentioned at the start of this review that I like wet hopped pale ales - they're an interesting & unique alternative to both the old-school bitter pale ale, as well as the more modern, hazy style. Home Harvest is no exception, and it's a beer I suspect I'd already be buying every autumn if I lived in the Ottawa area. Solid light ale; well worth a tipple.