I've always assumed that "wet hop" = "not dried hops" and "fresh hop" = "freshly harvested hops". I believe that SN uses all whole flower, as well, so no pellets, cryo, or extract, but I might be wrong on that. That said, I also expect all beers labeled "IPA" to be made according to the BJCP guidelines, and not just marketing, so maybe I'm not that good of a source after all.
In the PNW, the two terms are essentially synonymous. In the case of SN, they feel "kiln dried" hops can still be called fresh, and so beers using kiln dried hops can accurately be called "fresh hop" beers. Cool little thing uses cryo hops. One might assume that wet hopped beers from SN use fresh hops that have not been dried out in any process, but for all I know they just use kiln dried hops that they dumped some water on (thereby making them "wet") for their harvest ales. BTW. I'm a big fan of SN and have drunk their beers for decades. However, I'm not a fan of their "fast and loose" use of the term "fresh hop" for their celebration ipa.
Man, this post brings back some memories! I miss all those (minus Hop Stalker, which was never available in my area). Tough to find any fresh hop/harvest beers around me anymore. Too bad— one of my favorite styles.
Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale is one of my intensely remembered beer memories, I experienced hop presence like I’d never experienced it before that moment; and the beautiful lacing…it is seared in my mind, drinking that beer. I’ll add Deschutes - Chasin’ Freshies to that widely distributed fresh hop list.
Deschutes Red Chair NWPA. This is a spring seasonal that I pick up and enjoy quite a bit. This year I couldn't find any at the usual store. I searched the Deschutes website and couldn't find any mention of Red Chair.
I understand where you are coming from there is one beer I look forward to every year. East End Brewing - Big Hop Harvest Ale. A little local brewery that’s been around since the year I’ve joined BA. It was growler fills only back then. They would top off your growler with fresh hop cones and at the end of the growler you would squeeze the hops into your last beer. A raw resinous harvest ale with the same beautiful lacing… Chasin’ Freshies is a one I look forward to every year as well.
Tough to find any local breweries brewing fresh hop/harvest beers here in western, pa. There was a brewery that brewed a rye harvest ale that was really good but they don’t brew it anymore. Helltown Brewing
Hate to gloat, but there's no shortage of fh beer where I live. Enjoying a delicious fh Strata breakside Wanderjack ipa right now. Heading over to Ruse Brewing after this to see what fh gems they have on tap. Then over to Imperial pub for their fh weekend (20 different fh beers on tap over the weekend). OK. Maybe I don't hate gloating all that much after all..
Gloat away, there’s only a few local places that pull them off still here. Years ago we would get the national ones, but sadly as mentioned, they’re mostly non existent now. Thanks to a rescheduled wedding we were in Seattle four years ago during FH season. It was a treat, and I packed a whole box home as my checked luggage One day I’ll return… ————— @oneeye is Hop Knife still a brewery release though? Looks like it has some untapped check ins but who knows, maybe incorrect log ins by the masses. For us locally we still get Tonewood making one, they used to drive up to Maine for them and drive right back, past few years it’s been overnight flown hops. Last year it was a FH pils…
Doesn't sound like gloating. Just a day out in a great beer town. No personal jets or fancy resorts to be seen. I'm still jealous.
No, but Imma gonna try. Now at Ruse with a glass of fh Nectar Extracto wcipa. Pretty dank with considerable watermelon rind. Tis tasty.
No one I think has yet mentioned Ballast Point Victory at Sea in any of its iterations — I used to enjoy the Coffee & Vanilla, and the Coconut versions, but especially the High West aged in bourbon & rye barrels edition — haven’t seen those imperial porters in years.
Maybe because I don't have access to his beers anymore, but when Ben Howe was brewing in MA for his now defunct brewery - Enlightenment Ales - I miss Transcendence, Things Are Beautiful, Rite of Spring. His saisons. His current brewery is Otherlands in Bellingham, WA.
I also miss Fuller’s ESB — not that it doesn’t exist any more, or that it’s the best beer in the world — it’s just not distributed in the Cincinnati area any longer, and I think it was the perfect pairing for freshly caught fried fish.
