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Fresh Hop Extra Pale Ale by Cannery Brewing

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Autumn is a wonderful time for those of us who really like good beer because two kinds of limited release beers hit the shelves: Oktoberfest and fresh hop. I enjoyed a number of Oktoberfest beers this year but I had a hard time finding fresh hop ales in Edmonton. My absolute favourite is Sartori Harvest by Driftwood Brewery but apparently it was not distributed in Alberta this year. Too bad!

Fresh hop ales are made with freshly picked hops during the fall hop harvest. The hops are typically picked and then transported directly to the brewery to be added to beers. Normally hops are dried and further processed for longer-term storage and stability so fresh hop beers are a special treat.

This is my first time drinking and reviewing this fresh hop ale from Cannery Brewing. Cannery has been in business for over two decades and I've been lucky to visit their taproom in Penticton, BC.

Appearance: Fresh Hop Extra Pale Ale comes in a very traditional-looking can that fits in nicely with Cannery's brand, which is admittedly a little dated. This beer was made with Mosaic hops according to the can. I poured it into a Spiegalau IPA glass where it displayed a beautiful golden colour and a slight haze. Head was minimal but laced nicely.

Aroma: This beer smells like grapes, generalized citrus and has a slight resinous character.

Taste: Aroma and taste are closely linked with grapes appearing here again, along with grapefruit specifically.  There some very nice fruit flavours happening here and as the beer warmed, the distinct flavour of blueberries started to come through. There's a fuzziness overall which I tend to get with fresh hop beers. Not much in way of sweetness or malt though, which makes this beer somewhat unbalanced.

Overall: I'm happy I tried this fresh hop ale because it is new to me and what was available this year was limited. But I wish this beer had a little bit more of a malt backbone to carry the strong hop flavours. Overall it was just a little too hop-forward for me. I liked it but I didn't love it.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

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