Sierra Nevada Harvest Fresh Hop IPA – Southern Hemisphere (2015) American IPA at 6.7% ABV (US$4.99 at Total Wines & More Henderson NV, 650 ml, bottle date 27-Apr-2015)
Pours clear pale amber with three fingers of pillowy light tan head, excellent retention and lacing. (5/5) Nose is citrus, pine, floral, caramel malt. (7/10) Taste is mild to moderate sweet, moderately strong bitter, mild peppery spice. (8/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter and slightly spicy finish. (4/5)
Now that is a heckuva sessionable IPA – a decently dry finish and a well-integrated moderately strong ABV make this a beer you can quite enjoy having a couple of, while the flavours are sufficiently bright and complex to keep you interested. Both the body and the sweetness are perfectly suited to support the hop-forward character without detracting from it, making the beer a decent showcase for NZ hops. (I keep wanting to think there’s a little vinous character in there, but I can’t really pin it down. Something a little more adventurous would have been nice.) Recommended. (16/20)
My 183rd from the 2010 Edition (172nd from the 2013 edition), and 193rd combining both editions.
8/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
