When (h)opportunity knocks

As a hop-loving former-East-Coastian now-Seattleite, my bi-coastal proclivities occasionally pop up in the most interesting ways ‒ and notably, often when it comes to hoppy, delicious beer.

If you judged me by my beer tastes alone, you'd assume I was born into a mossy, water-logged PNW family who enjoyed hop-infused vitamins at breakfast. I'm a one-trick IPA pony with, quite literally, just one one-liner at the bar: "What's your hoppiest beer on tap?"

Yet if you judged me by ambulatory speed and/or competitiveness surrounding fairly nonsensical things (e.g., being among the first in line for Pliny the Younger; waking up at 4:30 am PST to partake in a random drawing for 40 quid "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" tickets), you'd see my East Coast origins as clear as a beer-water Bud Light.

So what happens when a surprise off-night is upon me ‒ and my two (now) favorite fresh hop beers are available for purchase?!?!

HOP-DOWN. YO.

That's right. Fremont Brewing just released its Field to Ferment Citra Fresh Hop Pale Ale yesterday (September 28), and HOLY MOLY ‒ it's amazing. I may or may not have a text from J requesting a purchase of a second pint, quote "IT WAS TOO DELICIOUS."

But then ‒ drum roll ‒ there's Reuben's Brews' Amarillo Fresh Hop Pale Ale (released on September 26), and that's topped my fresh hop list ever since I learned that fresh hops were a thing (circa two-to-three years ago). My dad ‒ an arguable IPA aficionado (I constantly thank whatever DNA sequencing gave me my dad's appreciation of bitter, hoppy beer) ‒ still raves about the Amarillo Fresh Hop I brought to upstate NY for him.

So ‒ the hop-down.

To do this right and proper, you'd ideally concoct some kind of blind taste-testing, perhaps conduct a good palate-cleansing in between tastes. Usually one would need an additional participant for said blind taste-testing, preferentially someone who knew which brew went where and then could say "Ta DA, you liked THIS one the best!" upon your report of the most beloved sample.

As a single person in residence without roommates, it's not as immediately easy (or scientifically robust) to host an impromptu taste-test/hop-down for...one's self. Can you really create the (h)optimal experimental conditions worthy of such two great beers?

Yes. Or at least a second-rate experiment of sorts.

Solution: pour a bit of each beer into a pint glass previously stored in freezer. Note which fresh-hop goes with each glass (for some reason, I immediately associated Woodchuck Cider/Vermont with Reuben's), close one's eyes, and then switch around the two pint glasses until you really can't recall which one could be on each side. Take a small sip of each without seeking a peek (however tempting that might be), and repeat. And the winner is...

...Citra Citra Citra. Fremont Fremont Fremont. 

After swearing by the Amarillo for so long (aka a year, perhaps two to three ‒ what still seems like a long time, oy), I will posit, for better or worse, I selected Fremont's Fresh Hop Citra Pale Ale as my preferred brew in the Hop-Down 2016 ultimate fight...to the...delicious beer of the evening.

 And that, my friends, is what you do when (h)opportunity knocks.

Cheers,
N

Hoppy (fresh hop) fall!

For better or for worse, my beer tasting and consumption has been much more consistent (and ok, fine, plentiful) than my upkeep of this blog in 2016. Truly, I've meant to update it every once and awhile (eg, "Ohhhh, this Skookum Billing Waves IPA is sooooo good - I really should write about it the beer blog" "Hotline Bling? Can Cloudburst do any wrong?"), but inevitably, something else would distract me ("What - a GSP puppy - WHERE?!") and/or usurp my occasional bouts of free time (it might rhyme with Smogal Durban of Gisease).

I may or may not have run after this adorable GSP puppy on Cannon Beach.

Three things have prompted the return of the beer blog:

(1) The pace at work has slowed down for a few beats.

(2) Our new Director of Research Management asked me about my beer blog on his first day.

(3) It's FRESH HOP SEASON, the most wonderful time of the year in the PNW.

Yes, I've pre-ordered 12 bottles of Reuben's Amarillo Fresh Hop Pale Ale, my most favorite of Seattle-based fresh hops to date. I'd like to hit up the Latona Pub's Fresh Hop Festival on Thursday (and then of course the Pine Box and Brouwer's respective fresh hop events in early October). Fresh hoppity-hop-hops - oh how I love thee.

So what exactly is fresh hop beer? Outside of the PNW, it's not a term that one frequently encounters - I certainly didn't know about it until I moved to Seattle. I'm sure there's a much more technical definition of "fresh hop beer" that the true gurus of brew would give you - I will never claim such knowledge or expertise - but in sum, what makes a "fresh hop" beer fresh and hoppilicious is that a bunch of hops picked directly from the vine are used in the brewing process without additional drying or processing. Apparently there's a "24-hour rule" for fresh hops, such that the "fresh hop" title only should bestowed upon an ale if the hops used have spent less than 24 hours off the hop vine. Apparently fresh hops can be a bit wild and unwieldy for brewers (a Washington Beer blog article I read is super helpful in describing some of the challenges associate with fresh hops), but if done right, you get this amazingly delightful, bursting-with-flavor, and yes - FRESH - beer that makes your tastebuds want to do a hoppy dance. 

Fremont Brewing, one of my all-time favorite breweries, has introduced a really cool program this year, Field to Ferment. I've thoroughly enjoyed comparing the differences between the Centennial and Simcoe fresh hops thus far, and I look forward to sampling the Citra and Mosaic (though I fear I've missed the Citra this week). Amarillo remains my favorite hop (I think), but who knows what this fresh hop season will bring...

Cheers,

N

(Cloud)bursting onto Seattle's beer scene: No Recess IPA

Guys. I might have a new favorite IPA. I mean, favorite favorite. Potentially a new, all-time favorite IPA.

I've been a bit nervous to say anything about it, even though I've felt this way for a few weeks now. It's a little like when you've gone on a few stellar dates, but you haven't spilled to your best friends yet. As if by remaining mum, your excitement for this new unknown can't be ruined by reality's frequent letdowns.

Well, I can't keep it a secret any longer: I kind of love Cloudburst Brewing's No Recess IPA.

A number of us went to Cloudburst on January 8, its second official day of operation. Upon opening the door of its low-key, warehouse-style storefront, we were immediately greeted with a hoptastic medley of aromas and chatter ‒ the place was packed.

And soon it was very clear why. Upon my first sip of No Recess, I audibly moaned. "Ohhhhhhhhhh. This. is. a. really. good. beer."

Second sip. Moan number two, followed by "Guys, this is an amaaaaaazing beer. You need to try it. Now."

No Recess IPA, at 6.8% ABV and 65 IBUs, is jam-packed with hops (Chinhook, Centennial, Citra, and Amarillo) but remains an incredibly well-balanced, crisp and citrus-y pint of wonderment. And since it's a slightly lower ABV than a number of my other favorite IPAs (e.g., Fremont's the Brother), it's very, very drinkable. Perhaps dangerously drinkable.

Perhaps the amazingness of No Recess shouldn't be surprising ‒ after all, it's a first-class IPA lovingly crafted by the brewer who concocted few of my Elysian favorites (e.g., Dayglow and Space Dust). Yet each time I have it, whether it's at the brewery or on tap at this city's fine beer establishments, I'm once again blown away by No Recess.

Well done Cloudburst. You may have just upended my top IPA list. Or at least until I try your new hop-laden brew, Pigeonhole IPA, which apparently tastes like a grapefruit beer bomb...(yayyayyayyay). Welcome to the neighborhood and congratulations on a smashing debut on the Seattle beer scene.

Cheers!
N