Terroir Fresh Hop Ale
Bozeman Brewing Company

 

definitely one of the best beers i have had from these guys yet, a wet hopped balanced beer, somewhere between an american pale and ipa. it has a bit of a copper color to it, and less head than it should in the pint glass, but fine clarity and a pretty hue. it smells awesome, fresh vegetal leafy hops, nothing too bitter at all, and something a little different than the heavy citrus hop profiles that tend to dominate these wet hopped beers. there is something a little more earthy and savory in here, even spicy like a cascade profile, pretty awesome diversity, i wonder what hops they used. i heard they were all from montana, which if true, is really neat too. the flavor has a little sweet orange, some wet grassy notes, and a real freshness about it, but is well balanced with a slightly nutty reddish grain, not too sweet, but adding a nice complexity to this. not all that "hoppy" overall for a wet hop or for a beer they call an ipa, but a really drinkable and fresh glass of ale, something a bit different, and just a really well made beer, even if i think the hops could be scaled up a bit here. i like what they bring, i just want more of it!

edit: they are still doing this one nine years later, fall of 2025 now, cool to have this again, i dont think i even recall it from the first time, so it felt like a new experience, i am sure the hops and such have changed in that time span. i totally agree with my original review this time too, its almost pale ale to me, less intense than most, more balanced, not so obviously ipa really, low bitterness, some cool herbal character and even dankness from the hops, but its mellowed compared to the standard, some pineapple to me now, more dry hoppy maybe, a little unfiltered look to it, but still quite light to drink, drier, quick on the swallow, relaxed feeling without super high carbonation. i think in the context of the best fresh hop beers these days, this is somewhat pedestrian, but on its own its sessionable and definitely fresh, relaxed and approachable as these go. adjusting scores down slightly, but i still like this pretty well, late pine, muted a tad overall, but solid, better as a pale...

Served on tap in a pint glass

Appearance – The beer is served a clear orange color with a nice white foam cap. The head has a decent level of retention, fading over time to leave a bit of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell- The aroma of the brew is heaviest of a citrus smells, with the citrus being of some tangerine, but mainly of a grapefruit hop aroma. There is some light breadiness and a little bit of a sweet caramel smells in there as well along with some pine and a little bit of a floral aroma.

Taste – The taste starts with a nice bready flavor mixed with a little bit of doughiness and a good showing of a citrus hop flavor of grapefruit. While grapefruit is heaviest of the hops upfront, some very nice flavors of a floral and herbal flavor develop as the taste moves on. This is accompanied by some caramel all while the doughiness takes over the breadiness in intensity. In the end, with a little bit of pine and a bit more grapefruit and tangerine, one is left with a very pleasant and smooth and nicely fresh hopped flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the average side in terms of its thickness and creaminess with a carbonation level that is rather average. For the mix of hop and smooth bready and sweet flavors the feel is very nice making for a super easy drinking and enjoyable feel.

Overall – This is a very nice IPA. Tons of great flavor with a very good balance. This I would certainly recommend.