Wet Salmon
Bristlecone Brewing Company

west coast pils (which should have its own category here on BA), done with fresh chinook hops. obviously we are getting late for fresh hop beers, harvest was some time ago, but this one is still drinking nice and bright and new to me, not insanely hoppy, especially as this style goes, but a nice unique hop complexion in a solid well made base lager, which is something they do real well here i learned. golden honey colored brew here, nice shine and clarity to it, average white head from the tap at the source, good mellow energy in this place, off to a good start it seems. aroma isnt necessarily all hops, it retains its pils identity properly, with a light nuttiness and some faint european character to the malt, maybe also the ferment, a little more subtle on those elements than in some of their others, although this also has a little more grain substance overall which works well with the higher hop dose. the hops seem fresh in the not fading or oxidized sense, but to my nose dont quite hit as not kilned, the intensity of the chinook is not really there, some light pleasant greenness and a drip of white grapefruit fruitiness, but this element is more expressive in the taste, well lagered and also balanced, this isnt a runaway hop bomb. the flavor is more classically fresh hop to me, although still relaxed and well incorporated. green lawn, zested citrus, and some late bitterness that snaps with the lager yeast on the swallow, still less intense than a lot of examples of this style right now, more grain but also more drinkable, not so oil heavy and permanent on the palate either, good carbonation, off dry at the end, more of the lager yeast flavor as it warms. i would have loved to try this when it first dropped at peak freshness, but its still solid at this point. not a standout to me in their lineup, more because of how good everything else was rather than any kind of critique of this, this place is doing some good things already and this is smart and different but still really approachable.