Wet Hopped IPAs - Fall 2016

Fresh hop = wet hop

The only company that uses "fresh hop" in any other way seems to be SN.

 

Austin beerworks puts this wet hop ipa out, it's pretty damn great.

(From the website)

Easily, the most special brew in the series because this can only happen once a year. Last year it was a Thursday. On the day our farmer in Oregon harvests the Centennial hops we start brewing. He boxes them up, kisses the label and ships them via Southwest Airlines Cargo (faster than FedEx). So within 12 hours of being picked it’s dropped into the kettle. That’s a wet hop. It’s the greenest, brightest, extra juiciest flavor that you can’t duplicate any other way. The sooner you drink it, the fresher the flavor. Don’t cherish this one – drink up!

 

Shame on them.

That one usually makes it to my parts around very end of October.
It usually is one of my annual seasonals that I look forward to but wasn't up to speed last year.

Every year I am more and more impressed with the local wet hot pales that show up--typically even lighter and brighter than the Founder's that rings in over 7%.

Ahhhh-Fall.

 

Wow, you NYers missed out

 

Yes, all "fresh" hops are still "wet", but not all "wet" hops are "fresh". If it didn't go from bine to boil in 24 hours or less, it's not Fresh. Quite a lot of beers are made with hops that make it into the kettle in less than 6 hours.

 

Founders is always a favorite.

 

Troegs Hop Knife is pretty good.

 

I like SN and Victory Harvest. I will try others when I see them but I dont see many. Victory was amazing two years ago and I also had it on tap. Last years was just good not great.

Enjoy

 

That beer is not brewed with wet hops.

Cheers!

 

Fremont Cowiche Canyon is the best I've had, but I can't even imagine the bounty the NW has this time of year. Someday, I'll make the pilgrimage around this time of year specifically for harvest season.

Locally, FFF Broo Doo is solid. I wish Half Acre wouldn't make a black IPA out of their fresh hops. Surly Wet was a massive disappointment last year, and this year it's going on hiatus again. Minneapolis Town Hall had an awesome one last year. I'll also take this opportunity to say that I hate Founders Harvest Ale since it's been a boozy mess the last three years; Founders is generally poor at brewing hop-forward beers, in my opinion, so more for you guys.

 

I take it you are not a fan of Founders Centennial IPA?

Cheers!

 

Only two Wet Hops I am Interested in are FFF Broo Doo and Fat Head's Hop Stalker. Although I would like to try Founder's Harvest Ale but by the time I usually see it on the shelves it is 2-3 months old.

 

Not in the least bit. It's overly bitter and has a very weird balance (or lack thereof) going on to my palate. Plus it's not even the best Centennial-hopped beer in its own state.

For full disclosure as some of my very old ratings show, when I was newer to craft beer and all the wonderful flavors, I used to quite enjoy Double Trouble (and I still think Doom was a good, underrated beer), but now I find their takes on hops pretty mediocre overall: Mosaic Promise, Azacca, Redankulous, Double Trouble, Dark Penance, and especially Devil Dancer and Harvest Ale, are all hugely underwhelming and leagues behind the hop leaders of today.

I also think Founders overall barring a few notable exceptions is massively overrated, but that's another thread.

 

It sits on shelves here as well. Partly due to the price of ~$14/4pack and partly due to it not being as fresh as it should be when it gets distributed which is on the distributor, not Founders. I believe happens is, nobody buys Devil Dancer (the summer 'limited' release) so the distributor holds off on distributing Harvest until they can get rid of all/most of the DD inventory.

 

Hmm okay my mistake then, I thought that it was.

Edit: maybe this is what my mind was thinking of:

Hop Knife Harvest Ale recognizes the time-honored tradition of hand-harvesting at the peak of maturity.

http://www.troegs.com/beer/hop-knife-harvest-ale/

 

Yup, Troegs certainly does market this beer as a 'Harvest" ale but no wet hops were used to produce it.

The confusion of market speak!?!

Cheers!

 

Waiting for Castle Danger Fresh Hop Mosaic,should be very soon, was superb last year.

 

I had Ballast Point's Splash Zone yesterday at the brewery...very solid and smelled like dank fresh bud. Still prefer Celebration and Harvest but it's tough to find the latter, at least in Atlanta.

 

Except when fresh hops aren't wet. You know, SN Celebration, the godfather of fresh hopped beers.

 

And FWIW, wet hop IPAs aren't always good. Had one at Artisanal Brewing in Saratoga today that was awful. Brewer skill and hop quality matter much more than freshness.