Maybe I am looking in the wrong places but I am really having a hard time finding fresh hop ales in DFW. I haven't even seen Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale (Total wine had some *southern* hemisphere on the shelves which must be 6+ months old by now). I've only seen Deep Ellum and Sixpoint fresh hop. Anyone know of a store with Sierra Nevada Harvest or any of the other reliable fresh hop beers around?
I haven't been over there for a few weeks but have you checked LoneStar Beverages? They usually get new releases but they do turn it fairly fast...which is good. Since I like DE IPA, I was excited about Hop Hunter. But what a disappointment.
Odd to me that it hasn't been mentioned but Community Mosaic is everywhere. They put that beautiful beer out at supermarkets all over DFW, usually every two weeks. Once you get the schedule down, you can swing in and grab it right after the distributor drops it off. I regularly pick up 6pks at Tom Thumb in Addison that were bottled the day before. When it's that fresh it's like you've actually walked in on two pine trees mid-coitus...ahh the dankness. Fantastic beer and a great brewery that is representing Texas well.
Totally agree. I think Community Mosaic is better than Yellow Rose. I don't think it was mentioned here because the OP asked about Fresh Hop IPA's. I think fresh/wet hops are interchangeable. http://www.sierranevada.com/beer/seasonal/celebration-ale http://www.sierranevada.com/beer/specialty/harvest-fresh-hop-ipa-southern-hemisphere-harvest http://www.washingtonbeerblog.com/fresh-hop-wet-hop-whats-difference/
Usually fresh/wet hops are interchangeable. But, NOT in the way Sierra Nevada describes it on that first link. They describe fresh hops as the first dried hops after harvest. Once you dry the hops you are losing the distinct flavors you get from using "wet" hops - undried hops fresh from harvest. So, I think calling dried hops fresh hops is disingenuous. I do not prefer the term "wet hops" because they are not wet. When you go to the grocery store you are either buying dried, bottled herbs or you are going to the produce department for fresh herbs. I don't ask the produce guy where they keep the wet parsley.
