Fresh Hop IPA
County Line Brewing

i believe this to be distinct from their fresh hop version of shade tree, it was simply listed as fresh hop ipa at handlebar where i enjoyed it. a nice pint of ale, somewhat simple compared to a lot of the fresh hop beers this fall, but balanced and drinkable, with a much less intense general hop punch, and a bit more malt in the mix, almost drinks more like a pale ale. the hops are northwestern and woodsy to me, high alpha but well restrained here, some pine and juniper, some sweet citrus, and a nice fresh baked thing to the grain that makes it well rounded. not too much residual sugar in this, but its sweeter than some, especially in the middle, and i do think it comes at the expense of the hops, but just a little bit and only for a second. they are green and fresh in the back half of this, and i like the weight and the linger, the texture is good. maybe simcoe or centennial, maybe cascade, its tough saying in this context, but i do get some orange and grapefruit late and a quick pop of woody bitterness. this tastes like the fall to me, not as expressive on the wet hops as the best of them, but a good beer for the season. i like what county line is doing.