Sierra Nevada Fresh Hop Session IPA
I love a good fresh-hopped IPA. And Sierra Nevada is probably the best in the country when working with fresh or wet hops. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed just about all of their IPAs of this nature and Fresh Hop Session IPA is no exception. The this particular 4.8% ABV brew was part of the company’s fresh hop variety pack that came out last month, along with their Celebration Ale, a Fresh Hop IPA and Fresh Hop Double IPA.
We, however, for this review are focusing on the Session IPA. I’ver personally never had their non-fresh hop session IPA (if it exists), but I can tell you that while this brew is packed with a wonderful, earthy hop character, it’s not entirely sessionable. The alcohol content is fine for sitting down with a few cans amongst friends, but the amount of hop bitterness quickly leads to palate fatigue. It’s just too biting for a long term sit down. That aside, I love the pungent hop profile in this beer along with a good bit of cattiness, pine and grapefruit.
This is how I like my IPAs — a bit fuller in body perhaps — and would eagerly enjoy a couple of them, but even my hop-loving tastebuds would begun a bit worn out over time. I’m not going to knock this beer for the moniker that adorns it’s label. It’s darn tasty with excellent hop flavor. And it arrived at just the right time when I needed a break from big stouts and barleywines.