Other Half likes to do theme weeks throughout the year, and when they announced a first ever fresh hop week, we couldn’t resist. Armed with a keen palate and an open mind, I set about trying all six of these beers.
First, a caveat: unlike on the West Coast, these beers contain a mix of hops and hop pellets, some fresh and some not. As such, these aren’t true fresh hop beers, and the use of cryogenics to flash freeze fresh hops means these aren’t wet hopped.* Nonetheless, we’re here for this theme and anything that reminds people that beer is an agricultural product is a good thing. All beers below are hazy IPAs, in the order I tried them.
Unspoilt Beauty, 6.5%. Brewed with: Citra Cryo Fresh, Mosaic Cryo Fresh, Krush Cryo Fresh, Citra, Mosaic and Krush Cryo.
The Citra is what pops first, with a rush of orange, followed by a slight vegetable, almost green pepper flavor that one sometimes notes in fresh hopped beers. I often perceive something akin to Flintstones vitamins in Other Half IPAs, and Unspoilt Beauty is no exception. There’s more bitterness in this beer than in many Other Half IPAs, and perhaps even a hint of herbaceousness like menthol.
Brandy Holder was my partner in crime for this exercise and unpromoted she also mentioned green pepper when describing this beer.
Greenest City, 7%. Brewed with: Citra, Citra Cryo Fresh, Simcoe, Simcoe Cryo Fresh, Centennial.
Green City is Other Half’s flagship IPA; among those of us I polled onsite, we all preferred the fresh hop version, which has a thinner body and more bitterness than its year-round counterpart. It tasted less of fresh hops than Unspoilt Beauty, but was overall a more balanced beer than Green City.
Western Exhibition, 7.2%. Brewed with: Citra, Simcoe Cryo Fresh, Strata Cryo Fresh.
This beer is the only collaboration brew of fresh hop week, a central New York affair with Rochester’s Strangebird Brewery, which has DC ties. I assume this beer came from Other Half’s Canandaigua brewery. The Strata jumps out in this beer, with notes of slightly underripe strawberry and red currant** alongside the citrus of Citra. Like Greenest City, the Cryo Fresh hops aren’t dominant.
All Fresh Simcoe Everything, 8.5%. Simcoe Cryo Fresh, Simcoe.
Perhaps the thickest beer in terms of body and mouthfeel, the Simcoe almost transforms into a New Zealand hop. Think diesel fuel on the nose. Simcoe often presents as “catty,” a bit like Sauvignon Blanc, so the New Zealand connection isn’t too far off. Then again, a production manager at Bell’s Brewery in Michigan described Hopslam, which features Simcoe, thusly: “It smells like your cat ate your weed and then pissed in the Christmas tree.” Ahem.
Yet I perceived none of those flavors in the beer itself. I tasted currants, a little vanilla, and just a hint of allium. This beer hides its 8.5% alcohol by volume well. As it warmed, it tasted more savory. Think consomme or chicken bullion. Really.
Green Dew, 6.5%. Brewed with: Strata Cryo Fresh, Simcoe Cryo Fresh, Strata, Simcoe.
Palate fatigue was setting in, so I dropped down to this 6.5% beer that was perhaps the second most vegetal behind Unspoilt Beauty. It’s possible that those flavors present themselves more at lower alcohol levels. It’s a well balanced beer, but I don’t know if I would have guessed these two hops were featured, which kind of defeats the purpose of drinking IPAs.
Fresh Broccoli, 8%. Simcoe Cryo Fresh, Mosaic Cryo Fresh, Strata Cryo Fresh, Nelson Sauvin, Mosaic, Simcoe, Strata.
The second fresh take on a flagship featured the most diesel gas on the nose by far, but it mellowed on the taste, almost sweet. I likened it to a durian, the notoriously pungent fruit that’s banned on mass transit in parts of Southeast Asia. To me it was the most complex of these beers, with a discrepancy between aroma and taste that was both beguiling and confusing. I’m glad I saved it for last.
Want to do this yourself? Other Half will sell you a box of beer, or you can head over to Ivy City in DC. Tell us what you think.
* Some wet hop beers are available in DC. Magnify Brewing in New Jersey has sent DC cans of Wet Hop Shattered, an imperial IPA, and Reuben’s Brews Sticky Notes is also available. Not feeling IPAs? Wayfinder’s Harvest Moon Pilsner is also in DC and VA.
** Some vendors at area farmers markets sell fresh currants and gooseberries as seasonally available. Durians and processed durian foods can be found at many international grocery stores and Asian markets. Educate yourself!
Disclosure: Other Half comped me tasters of these beers, for science.
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