Fresh Hop Ales - Fall 2014

Troegs Hop Knife was awesome. Unfortunately it's already been replaced by Blizzard of Hops, which is also good, but not quite as good.

 

Cool avatar. I'm a Union fan myself, my buddy Wheeler plays for them. (He's more of a fringe player)

 

I loved Chasin Freshies. Victory Harvest was excellent as well.

 

Victory Harvest was good.
Born Yesterday makes me wanna hibernate till Fall 2015.

 

Nice. I like Wheeler, but he hasn't really made much of an impression on the field so far. It probably doesn't help that they were moving him between defender and striker. Hard to get consistency when you're asked to play two vastly different positions.

 

I just finished my keg of Victory Harvest, it was very good but I did get sick of it. To me, year after year nothing can beat Founders Harvest....nothing.

 

This is true, though they used to do the same with him even back in High School.

 

Port Brewing's High Tide Fresh Hop IPA was really good as well.

 

Agreed, I was able to try a ton of this seasons fresh stuff, and found the port to be the best.

 

Sierra Nevada Celebration isn't a fresh hop beer in the same way that every other beer that has been mentioned on this thread is a fresh hop beer.

I don't think we saw the Lagunitas one around my area--in fact, this thread is the first I've heard of it, truth be told. In terms of widely distributed fresh hop beers, I had Founders Harvest, Deschutes Chasin' Freshies and Great Divide, and I'd say Founders was the best of those. But the best ones I had this year period were all from the PNW.

 

Citra Slicker Wet Hop IPA was amazing and among the best IPA's I have ever had.

I'll miss you fresh hops!

 

I'm pretty new to the game. The only one I've tried is SN Celebration and really enjoyed it. I need to seek out others mentioned here but I'm probably too late.

 

Thank you, for once I'm not the one who has to make this point. It's damn good, but I think it's time for SN to retire them calling it a fresh hop beer now that Fresh Hop/Wet hopped beers are really starting to take off outside of the PNW and NorCal.

In terms of actual fresh/wet hopped beer, Breakside had a Simcoe fresh hop that was amazing. Overall it was a great year for fresh hopped/wet hopped beer.

In terms of in bottles, Chasin Freshies and Hop Trip were good per usual. Born Yesterday was my favorite and amazing, but I felt it was missing some of the -fresh- hop flavors.

 

Victory Harvest Ale was top notch...IMO

 

I feel the West Coast versions must ve able to get good fresh hops in their beer quicker. The Deschutes and SN are great. I know they grow hops elsewhere, but the West coast (particularly OR and WA) are the center of US hops.

 

Fair enough. It's definitely harder to play multiple positions as a pro though.

 

My two favorite wet hopped beers this year: Sixpoint Sensi and Victory Harvest Ale.

Cheers to Sixpoint and Victory!

 

Came here to give a shout out to Victory for their Harvest Ale. That stuff was outstanding and I hope they bring it back again next year.

 

While I'll get to my favorite, I agree Founder's Harvest and Great Divide Fresh Hop were great. Victory was really good as well, but I just got another 4 pack and it's already started to fall off.

 

For me the best fresh hop beer I had this year was far and away Blue Point Hoptical Illusion wet hopped. I long ago gave up on Hoptical since there's so many amazing options now, but once I saw the wet hopped version I had to try it. It was absolutely fantastic, something I never expected from BP.