One newer product from Sierra Nevada that continues this tradition of excellence is Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Fresh Hop Ale, a beer brewed with New Zealand hops. Find out why I enjoyed this beer!
Beer Bio:
Style: American Pale Ale
Alcohol Level: 6.7 Percent by Volume
Calories: Unknown
Carbs: Unknown
Sierra Nevada is one of America’s best craft brewing operations. Time and time again, this California brewery creates some excellent products and it ranks as one of only a few breweries that never fails to impress. One newer product from Sierra Nevada that continues this tradition of excellence is Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Fresh Hop Ale, a beer brewed with New Zealand hops.
Looking at the basics, this beer pours to an orange/amber color and emits a nose that combines floral and citrus notes, with a touch of pine. The foam is lumpy and solid. It maintains a thick, two- finger layer that holds together until the last sip. The body of the beer is crystal clear, indicating that the beer is well- filtered.
Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Fresh Hop Ale offers a fresh taste, just like the manufacturer promises. It combines crisp hop notes of citrus, pine, and a touch of lemon along with other spices. The malt backbone of this beer is also evident with each sip, offering tastes of caramel malt with a medium body overall. This beer leans toward the hoppy end of the spectrum, but it is still smooth enough to enjoy sip after sip.
Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Fresh Hop Ale is unique among beer products because it contains hops from New Zealand. Importing hops is nothing unique, but what makes this beer special is the fact that the folks at Sierra Nevada actually went directly to New Zealand to obtain these hops. They wanted fresh hops to brew this beer in the Spring, but hops are harvested in the United States in the Fall. If fresh hops are desired in March, April, or May, an excursion to the Southern Hemisphere is required, so Sierra Nevada went to New Zealand where they obtained the hops, prepared them for brewing, and flew them back to the United States in less than one week to ensure freshness.
The result of their efforts is Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Fresh Hop Ale and this beer is similar to other Sierra Nevada products. It intrigues the taster from the very start, not only due to the commendable effort by Sierra Nevada to obtain fresh hops for the brewing cycle, but also for its incredible appearance and its very pleasant American pale ale character. Many Sierra Nevada products are intensely hoppy and/or excessive in the spice department. This beer is different. It is most definitely influenced by the taste of hops, but the hops are not excessively bitter and there is actually a nice balance between the different ingredients.
Sierra Nevada has done it again with its Southern Hemisphere Fresh Hop Ale. It is a quality product and I enjoyed it more and more with each passing sip. Not many beer products use New Zealand hops as an ingredient and they impart a freshness and distinction that make this yet another delicious, quality brew from our friends out in Chico, California.
Rating: 9 Cheers out of 10
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