Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Sierra Nevada Harvest (2007)

So I was looking for some Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest, their fresh hop ale that they brew with New Zealand hops in the spring, within a week of their harvesting. I asked my local storekeeper, and he was unaware of the brew. However, he did have some of the Fall 2007 harvest, where they use Washington hops within 48 hours of their harvest, stashed in the back. I bought two, with hopes of comparing to the Southern Hemisphere if I come across any. I brought one 24oz bottle to Hibachi tonight. What a good move.

Appearance: Lovely copper color and plenty of suds on top.

Smell: Hops! Lots of interesting hop notes here, very complex. I'm excited at this point.

Taste: More hops! Delicious bitter hops with great oily flavor rounding it out. Its going perfectly with this hibachi.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, but not thick or creamy, the carbonation keeps it alive. I had it not too cold, as it was BYO, and it only helped I believe.

Drinkability: 6.8% ABV and 60-65 IBUs. Utterly drinkable. I'm gonna have to get some more so I don't drink the one I'm saving for comparison. I've never had a fresh-hop beer before, but I really enjoyed the oily characters added by throwing those hops in before the kiln-drying process. Though this brew is no longer made, I can't wait to try the Southern Hemisphere variety, and I'll be first in line when next fall rolls around.

4 comments:

Jimmy said...

wow, great review V. I am very jealous. I will do my best to find this beer and review taste it. Does anybody know of any other breweries that make a "fresh hop ale"?

Mike said...

I definitely wanna grab some of the southern hemisphere if your liquor store gets some. Some other breweries with fresh hop ales are Great Divide, Butte Creek, and various other ones on the West Coast, which is understandable since they are closest to where the majority of American hops are grown.

Mike said...

Enjoying this beauty again tonight, such a great taste and mouthfeel. Hops oils are present and make it such a great experience.

Jimmy said...

Just had this luscious brew tonight. The 8,000 pounds of hops harvested and brewed on the same day is just incredible. I like it ALOT better (its official) than the Southern Hemisphere 2008 now. How does it still retain its freshness??? Thank you Vee for obtaining this