Schell's Fresh Hop 2014: Equinox
August Schell Brewing Company

Notes from 2014
12 oz bottle into a pint glass.
L: Fairly clear with a straw yellow and a thin white head.
S: Light bread, citrus and grass.
T: Lemon grass, grains, herbal hops, light lemon rind.
F: Clean and (deeper than Arminius Ale) it is lightly oily.
O: A very good hoppy beer from Schell's and it is excellent in it's style.

Light, crisp and refreshing. I really like the malt character of this beer, but certainly the Citra hop add is on light side.

 

 

Aroma is pale malts, mildly skunky and hops. The flavor is tropical fruit/peel, citrus, malts, very mild hop resin, mild carbonation/spritzy and a bitter finish.

 

poured 12oz bottle into snifter. Best by 2/4/15

A - Clear lemon honey with a 1.5 white finger head and a stream of ascending bubbles. Thin collar and sparse spotty lacing.

S - Grain and cracker malt along with some sweetness. Muted hops throughout along with straw and a hint of lemon rind.

T - Starts off with a bit of grass and hops followed by the sweet, grainy cracker malts. A nice balance of sweetness and hints of lemon rind meet a touch of bitterness on the finish.

M - It is crisp, smooth, and well carbonated.

O - A good Pils with the addition of fresh hops makes this an easy drinking lager.

Pours straw yellow. Tight, rapid bubbles rise to the top, forming a pillowy, white head. Trailing lace sticks.

The smell is of lemon and grass - smells like a hoppy pils.

The taste is of lemon and grass with balancing honey-like, grainy sweetness. Dry, refreshing, clean finish.

It has the feel of a classic pils - light, smooth and crisp.

A well-made pilsener with a grassy/lemony character. Very easy-drinking. A nice "thirst-quencher"!

Nicely done, basically the same as the regular pils with a nice twist. I like the variety better than last years fresh hop

 

I honestly really enjoy this series and look forward to it every year.

White head with a little lace. Color is a clear straw yellow.

Flavor profile: A nice hopped up pils. Bready, but earthy, spicy, and grassy. Has a little black pepper flavor. Citrus as well.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and clean. Refreshing.

Easy drinking pilsner with a ton of flavor. Great hop profile! A must try in my book.

 

 

 

Probably drinking this at the tail end of it's freshness, but it's best by date says 020415.

Pale crystalline yellow, swarms of tiny C02 bubbles rise in unison. Lasting surface coverage, sticky bone white foam. Irregular patchy lace here and there in the glass.

Aroma is pleasant though understated, green and vegetal, grassy. Definitely a fresh hop impression, though not of pungent oils. Leafy and mellow.

Taste is bitter and slightly resiny, with a pleasant dry aftertaste. Melon rind, lemon zest, and grass clippings comprise the hop notes. Effervescent light feel, with the requisite crispness and clean malt/yeast supporting elements. Would have liked more unique expressive notes from the Equinox, but after almost 2 months maybe it's faded slightly already.

 

L-=Bright yellow

S-Grassy hop aroma with hints of lemon drops

T-I get a pretty big lemon drop impression from the hops....also some grassy notes....the bready malt base in this lager allows the hop flavor to shine through...almost a slighty pepper note on the long finish...very slight but a little feel on the back taste buds..

F-Clean...light-medium bodied...oily hop feel rather than bitter

O-This is a winner here. Well made beer, loaded with flavor. I like this new Equinox hop quite a bit. It is well used in this beer.