28 December 2009

Wetter don't mean better

Maybe it was just because I opened it immediately after finishing a particularly sugary dessert, but the first sip of Sierra Nevada Harvest Wet Hop gave me a sharp jolt of astringency which I really didn't care for. The label makes much of the added complexity and spiciness that they claim comes from using straight-off-the-vine fresh hops, but to me this stuff is just bitter to the point of unpleasantly sour. An hour later it had mellowed a bit, but not hugely. Sierra Nevada claim this is what "hop fanatics dream of", so I can only assume that "hop fanatics" are people who enjoy getting alpha acid chemical burns on the roofs of their mouths.

The body is rather thin and there's only a faint trace of caramel malts and mango hop flavours -- I would expect a bit more warmth and fun from a 6.7% ABV ale. The overriding sensation is of having a grapefruit ground slowly into one's face. It's a bully of a beer and I'd much rather play with its more charming (or at least less harsh) antipodean sibling.

9 comments:

  1. I wasn't wildly impressed with it either, which is such a pity as I think it is the only SN beer which I haven't liked.

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  2. Great - I've had one of these (possibly last years harvest) in the cellar for a while now, and been looking forward to it. we'll see how it goes down.

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  3. Couldn't travel and age be the problem...? It was a wonderful beer here in California in October.

    And Leigh, if you have last years Harvest, you are drinking it about 14 months too late.

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  4. Surely this can't be a beer that goes off after three months? And since it's stabilised, I can't see travel being the issue. Nah, I'm putting this down to my lack of appreciation of Big Hop.

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  5. Chris - only one way to find out.....

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  6. The word 'astringency' just doesn't ring a bell. I think there are a few bottles still floating around the area, I'll buy one to see.

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  7. I'll say I thought you were crazy. To prove your craziness, I went down to the local bottle shop and purchased a bottle of 2009 Harvest. I drank it. And you were correct... the beer had quite quite an astrigent quality.

    I have to say that the beer did not taste like that back in October.

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  8. Well that's odd, and jolly interesting to know. I hope you left enough that you can bring it back to the brewery and claim a refund.

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  9. It is odd. The 2008 mellowed, losing most of the resiny hop flavor. The 2009 seems to have done the opposite.

    A friend is the local rep. I'll gonna mention it to him

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