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Sierra Nevada Harvest Fresh Hop IPA - Southern Hemisphere Harvest®

Sierra Nevada Harvest Fresh Hop IPA - Southern Hemisphere Harvest®

Rated 3.865 by BeerPals
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Brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Chico, CA, United States

Style:  IPA

6.7% Alcohol by Volume

67 International Bittering Units

Availability of this beer is unknown


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In 1996, we created Harvest Ale, America’s first fresh hop ale. Fresh hops are richer in natural hop resins producing unmatched aromatics and layers of spicy-sweet notes that hop fanatics like us dream of all year. This year, we harvested and brewed with 8,000 lbs. of fresh hops in a single day’s time. It sounds insane because it is. Then we did it again. But when you taste this year’s Harvest Ale, we think you’ll agree it was well worth it. Harvest Ale is brewed using only fresh-picked, “wet” hops. Brewing with fresh, undried hops preserves more natural hop resins and aromatic oils, producing layers of hop notes rarely experienced. 2014: Fresh hops straight from the New Zealand fields. Available May 2014. The harvest season for hops is a painfully short window—that precious time when the hops are bursting with intense aromatics. Luckily for us, harvest comes twice a year: once in each hemisphere. Southern Hemisphere features fresh New Zealand hops that are picked, dried, and shipped to our brewery within seven days. The result is a complex beer that showcases the floral and herbal flavors and aromas of Southern Cross, Pacifica, and Motueka hops. Southern Hemisphere is part of our five-bottle Harvest series which features single hop, fresh hop, wet hop, and wild hop beers. Wet Hop versus Fresh Hop Over recent years, there has been some confusion about the difference between fresh and wet hops. While it may seem like semantics, to us it’s an important distinction. Wet Hops are un-dried hops, picked and shipped from the growing fields within 24 hours. Fresh Hops are the freshest dried hops to come from the fields, typically within seven days of harvest. Over 90% of the world’s hop harvest happens between August 31 and October 31, and these hops are used throughout the calendar year. Can hops possibly be the same on November 1, one day after harvest, as they are on July 25, nearly one year after growing in the fields? The answer is no. We think of hops like dry kitchen spices—the flavor of thyme or rosemary right after the jar is opened is far more intense than it is six months later. The same can be said for hops. There are ways to control the way hops age and to reformulate and readjust as some of the aromas fade, but there’s nothing like the magic of the first bales of hops as fresh as can be. That is the stuff dreams are made of!

ID: 9020 Last updated 9 years ago Added to database 21 years ago

Key Stats

99
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0

Drunk

54

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Statistics

Overall Rank357
Overall Percentile99.3
Style Rank12 of 5756
Style Percentile99.8
Lowest Score2.9
Highest Score4.6
Average Score3.913
Weighted Score3.865
Standard Deviation0.385

Rating Distribution

Beer vs Style

54 Member Reviews

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  • RAINMAN 892 reviews
    rated 4.5 13 years ago

    Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

    MMmmmmm good. Pours dark golden with a soft head. Hops and grass in the aroma, hops in the mouth, hops in the flavor - hops hops hops, along with a little sticky sweet malt.

  • DOGFOODMAN 373 reviews
    rated 4.3 13 years ago

    Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

    Here we have something really nice! The 2010 release. Not too sweet, not too bitter, nicely flavored, great tasting with pizza, not too expensive. A credit to the beer world.

  • FUNK 898 reviews
    rated 3.9 14 years ago

    Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

    Picked up a bottle of this around Christmas for half the price I paid for the Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale. Since it wasn't too long past harvest, I was kind of disappointed that the hops had apparently faded quite a bit--at least faded enough for me to like the Southern Hemisphere better. That being said, this is still a beer I will be on the lookout for next fall.

  • FARGINGBASTIGE6 1476 reviews
    rated 4.5 14 years ago

    Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

    Among the - if not THE - best I've had. 2009 Release. Courtesy of an out of state traveler who had the foresight to bring me one on his return trip. Big and bold in every respect without being too over-the-top. The aroma, color, head and flavors were all characteristic of a great SN product, but just more vibrant and pronounced in this one. Truly outstanding.

  • JLOZIER 671 reviews
    rated 3.8 14 years ago

    Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

    This beer came through the most convoluted channel ever. Someone I don't know had a party, beer was left in his fridge, he's a Bud Light guy and doesn't drink anything worthwhile, he happens to have it in his car, he barters with it in my friend's outdoor adventure store, my friend brings it to my house to share. I've never had a beer with a story before! Anyway, the wet hopper has that perfect color of newly burnished copper that I love to see in an IPA, leaves some great lacing rings around the glass, but not quite enough rise on the head. The aroma was a standard IPA citrus hop routine. The aftertaste was rather dry, which I wasn't quite ready for, but actually turned out rather nice after a pint. The was some pine resin in the flavor also. Not a bad IPA, but not much to set it apart from the pack.

  • BIGRED00 326 reviews
    rated 4.6 14 years ago

    Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

    Presentation: It was poured from a brown 24oz bottle into a pint glass. The label reads 12th release 2008. Appearance: The head builds up tall, thick and firm from the slow pour. . It is light tan in color and has excellent retention. A nice small cap of foam hangs on until the last sip and as it slowly slides its way down the glass it makes lots of cool lacing that sticks to the glass. Under the head lies a beautiful deep amber colored body with just the slightest protein or chill haze. Smell: The aroma has a piney resin like hop character with some citrus notes as well. Under that are some light bready/malty notes with just a hint of estery/yeasty red apple skin notes as well as a touch of raw grain. Taste/Palate: Like the Southern Hemisphere Harvest, this Harvest has a good sturdy base of bready malt sweetness with a touch raw grain. Hop flavor is also quit firm and assertive. The hop character is that of tasty piney hops with some resiny and juicy lemony/grapefruit citrus notes. The bitterness from the hops is more than equal to the malt sweetness and lasts well into the finish. The palate has a nice solid medium feel with plenty of lively carbonation. Notes: Another outstanding selection from Sierra Nevada with big bold hop flavor and nice supporting malt.

  • JABAH 1780 reviews
    rated 4.1 14 years ago

    Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

    I was very impressed with this beer. Somebody shopping at my beer retailer recommended this to try. I was a little hesitant after sampling a few other Sierra Nevada's, especially for the $5.25 price tag for 24oz. He said the same, wasn't too fond of Sierra Nevada, but this being one of their "specialty brews" was worth the try. I agree 100%. Might not be able to compete with some of the best IPAs out there, but I would say this is high 2nd tier. The fresh hop selection gives it a very well balanced hoppy flavor that works well with the malts. Appearance is a little bit on the copper side for an IPA, but has a bit of an orange hint. I would definitely be willing to try this again.

  • FRETWALKER 88 reviews
    rated 4.0 14 years ago

    Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

    "2008 (12th release) Wet Hop" Pours a burnt-orange color, generous white head with good lacing. Aroma is spicy, citrus and lightly pine with an unexpected malt presence. Flavor is hop-tangy, fresh herbs and mild grapefruit bitterness, which lingers into the finish. Mouthfeel has medium body with a slightly oil/resin sensation. Overall, very hoppy but not overbearing, with near-perfect malt balance for an IPA. One more reason I'll drink almost anything Sierra Nevada puts in my glass! I'll drink it again, soon.

  • HONKEYMOFO 1000 reviews
    rated 3.6 14 years ago

    Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

    It pours a reddish/burnt orange/amber with thick light-tan, mountainous head with lacing surrounding the mug. Fresh aroma of caramel malts, hops, foresty pine, citrus zest, and pepper and spices. The mouthfeel is smooth, rich, and full-bodied. Flavors of caramel malts, hops, citrus, vanilla, some nuttiness, and mild spices. Excellent.

  • CADDYLAC 298 reviews
    rated 4.0 15 years ago

    Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

    Poured from a bottle with a very nice white head and a really nice copper color that was clear. the aroma was nice with a fresh grass and a hint of lemons. This beer was way more malty than expected, but then the hops show up and compltes this beer. reminds me a bit of a Dale's Pale Ale. Very nice beer here. I will for sure try to get a couple more bottles of this.

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