STAFF PHOTO: J.T. WAMPLER
STAFF PHOTO: J.T. WAMPLER
Sierra Nevada hits gold again with wet hops brew
Wamp’s Wisdom
Northern Hemisphere Harvest 2010 is a seasonal treat from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, Calif.
Most ales are brewed with hops that are dried and pressed into pellets or with whole cone hops that are dried and baled. This ale is brewed with hops fresh from the field and still wet. The resulting aroma and flavors are like none other.
Color is a deep, rosy copper that pours with a creamy, thick head that leaves lustrous lacing all the way to the bottom of the glass. Aroma is grassy and fruity with grapefruit being the dominant taste with a lingering bitterness that gets smoother with each sip.
Overall this is a fantastic ale for those who like the hops. I look forward to it as well as the Southern Hemisphere Harvest that comes around in the summer using wet hops flown in from New Zealand.
Pair with spicy Thai or Chinese.
Rating: 5 Caps
Rico’s Reaction
Last week we told you about Sierra Nevada’s special Estate Homegrown Organic brew, and we praised the absolute hell out of it.
Seriously. I’m almost embarrassed by my sycophantic obeisance to the Estate brew. Or I would be if that wax-capped delight wasn’t every bit as delicious as we made it out to be. Normally, we try to spread it out among different brewers, but the Harvest’s limited availability made this Sierra Nevada a must-do as soon as possible.
The Harvest variety may not be wax-capped, but it’s just a hair — a hair — less of a joy to savor than the Estate. Once again, Sierra Nevada outdid itself, crafting one of the best beers I’ve ever come across.
Harvest tastes just as fresh as Estate, but with flavors that hint towards the coming autumn. Like Estate harkens a lush green field, Harvest delivers the sense of watching red, yellow and orange leaves in a slightly chilled evening with just enough warmth coming off a small pit fire.
This ale is a very worthy addition to the Beer O’ The Week lexicon. So far, Sierra Nevada has delivered three exceptional entries. Here’s looking forward to discovering if the rest of their offerings are equal in quality.
Rating: 5 Caps. I’m playing by the rules this week, but in all truth, this beer is just a nanometer shy of the 6 Caps I cheated and awarded to the Estate brew.
Rating system
One Cap: Put it back in the horse!
Two Caps: Consume only if the other choice is Tijuana tap water or Coors Light.
Three Caps: Acceptable without standing out. The Tito Jackson of beer, if you will.
Four Caps: Nice beer that rises above most but may not deliver enough to be considered great.
Five Caps: Truly great beer that delivers on all counts. A credit to its style. Could only be better if served by scantily clad concubines.
Six Caps: Any five cap beer served by scantily clad concubines.
▲ Beer O’ The Week is a joint production of two beer enthusiasts — J.T. Wampler and Richard Davis.
