New Beer Weekend #271

Fonta Flora Brewery - Hop Quilt
5.4% ABV West-Coast Style Pale Ale dry-hopped with Citra and Strata. It appeared to be a bit under-carbed, but it was fine. Notes of peach, mandarin orange, orange zest, and pine. Pretty clean, mild to moderate bitterness that builds over time. Solid offering.

Cross-posted in WBAYDN #4727

 

Barley Brown's Fresh Hop Pallet Jack 2025
Enjoyed on tap in a nonic pint glass at Noble Hop Bierhaus in Hillsboro, OR. The fresh hop Is Amarillo from Virgil Gamache Farms, Toppenish, WA.

Look:
The body is a bold yellow-gold with lemon yellow highlights and a light veil of hop haze. The head of thick white foam quickly shrinks to an amorphous skin and heavy collar, and leaves intricate webs of lacing.

Smell:
Orange peel, pine resin, and some chewy malt. There's also a twist of lemon peel, some fresh cut grass, and a spicy character that's tough to pin down. Overall it doesn't smell that different from regular Pallet Jack. Not a bad thing, of course, but I was definitely hoping for more fresh hop character here.

Taste:
Ah, now that's more like it! The beer sizzles with pungent orange and grapefruit oil, followed by an air burst of peach-mango flavor above a floor of toasty, semi-sweet malt. Citrus persists through the middle. An earthy, spicy hop character loiters in the wings. The standard, professional-grade Pallet Jack bitterness gets a fresh lupulin powder boost in the finish. The aftertaste is fresh orange and grapefruit fireworks and sticky malt.

Feel:
Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation and a good hop bite. Light alcohol heat and gentle hop burn. Though the beer has a respectable malt sweetness, the fresh Amarillo onslaught gives every sip a dry finish.

Overall:
Pallet Jack is my favorite IPA in Oregon. When the fresh hop version is at the top of its game, it is untouchable. FH Pallet Jack 2025 is not one of the best iterations, but it is still a terrific beer. A palate-obliterating celebration of fresh Amarillo hop goodness.