Tis the season of every brewery making a Fresh Hop beer, hey I am not complaining keep them coming. Great Divide chooses to make their yearly Fresh Hop release in the form of a Pale Ale. I will make a note as I do with most of my reviews involving hoppy beers, especially fresh hopped beers, that I did drink this beer fresh and I am just slow putting the review up. Fresh Hop comes in at 6.1% ABV and 55 IBUs.
Appearance: Light amber/copper color with a 1 finger head which produced some nice lacing. Love the label art of this beer, really clean design.
Nose: Malty grassy, citrus, earthy, resin, pine and lots of those signature cascade type aromas. Like a really fresh SN PA. It has a good aroma but its not as in your face as some of the other Fresh Hop beers.
Taste/Mouth: Very clean earthy and grassy hop notes with a nice malt balance. It has a good amount of hoppy bite to it for being a Pale Ale and definitely tastes really fresh. Definitely plenty of cascade in this one. As most breweries choose to do Fresh Hop IPAs this is a nice different take on the seasonal style. Has a full creamy mouthfeel and finishes bitter.
Price/Availability: $6 for a bomber and its an annual seasonal release from the brewery.
Overall: Not the most exciting take on a fresh hop beer but its very well executed and extremely drinkable. I enjoyed this and definitely see myself grabbing one for years to come.
Grade: B