Early Harvest Fresh Hop IPA
Hellbent Brewing Company

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a light to moderately hazy, medium golden amber with a fine, three finger white head with great retention and solid lacing. Aroma of caramel malt, citrus and tropical fruit hops, orange, melon and mixed tropical fruit. Flavor is pale malt, citrus and fruit hops, grapefruit, lemon, green melon, summer herbs and a little dankness. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. Lots of light fruit character from the Strata hops with less influence of Simcoe. The fruit notes are somewhat subdued but lots of mixed flavors here. There is an interesting summer herb (sage and rosemary) component that develops in the flavor leaving a herbal and lightly fruity finish. Nicely bitter in the finish. Mellow flavor but good herbal fresh hop character. Just picked up Hellbent's Late Harvest, dang the fresh hop season is drawing to a close.

Canned 8/28/23

With this latest LIF box, Snaotheus did send me some cool Japanese beer, but a good deal of the box was from the US. I’m not at all complaining, beer is beer and this one sounds good, especially as my first fresh hop beer of the year. Let’s crack it open and see what it’s all about

Pours a lightly cloudy orange gold with 3 fingers of frothy off white head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves minimal lacing

There’s a nice balance of tropical and bitter notes in the nose. I’m picking up on aromas of red grapefruit, bready malt, earthy hops, pine sap, honey, black pepper, pineapple juice, light papaya, and lemon zest

It takes an interesting turn in taste, but it’s unfortunately a bit bland. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting cantaloupe, orange juice, bready malt, honey, earthy hops, grass, and light caramel. The swallow brings notes of bready malt, lemon zest, orange juice, earthy hops, light grass, and black pepper

A light medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a crisp beer. Finishes bone dry and bitter

It’s nothing amazing but I dig it, it’s just a touch bland

2022-09-21
16oz can served in a footed pilsner glass. Dated 09/12/2022. Bought it at Hop & Hound last Friday.

Pours a somewhat hazy yellow-amber color with a smallish head that settles into a thin, fine skin. Carbonation is there, but it's very fine and not moving very quickly. Smell is, I think, pineapple, melon, and bubblegum. Little bit of grainy sweetness.

Taste is also very tropical, almost a banana characteristic, very juicy, initial flash of resin that kind of fades out strangely. A little honeysuckle.

Mouthfeel is medium and somewhat still. Overall, it's a pretty good beer.

---
2024-09-08
16oz pour at Beer Junction. Mostly clear, dark gold or light amber, about 1.5cm head, lots of carbonation. Smell is earthy, almost dank, old wet cut grass. Overripe tropical fruit. Taste is similar in the earthiness, definitely the dominant note. Some husky grain. Dry in flavor, some nuttiness. Mouthfeel is on the heavy side of medium. Overall, not bad.

---
2025-09-07
16oz can dated illegibly. Tons of melon and earthiness. Pretty good -- better than previous years, I think.