Skip to main content

Fresh Hop Extra Pale Ale by Cannery Brewing

Image
By


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.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Down the New Zealand Pilsner Rabbit Hole

By
There are many different beer styles but the majority are well-established and well-known to brewers. Their characteristics and the ingredients that comprise them are generally understood and accepted. That said, the craft beer explosion over the past decade or two has led to an evolution and expansion of traditional beer canon. New styles have emerged. Some have trended then waned—take white IPAs or India Pale Lagers for instance—while others seem to have completely redefined the brewing industry. (Yes, I'm talking about hazy or New England-style IPAs and pale ales.) New Zealand (NZ) Pilsner is a relatively new and seemingly only loosely defined style. Most articles on the style have been written in the past three years. Popular primarily in its country of origin and among homebrewers, its defining features seem to be that it is brewed mostly with Pilsner malt and NZ-grown hops. Much has been written about hops from NZ, especially Nelson Sauvin , a particularly standout vari...
Read more

Classic IPA by Nokomis Craft Ales

By
This is a quick review of Classic IPA by Nokomis Craft Ales from Nokomis, Saskatchewan. Appearance: Classic IPA comes in a traditional 335mL can featuring clean and simple graphic design. The beer pours a little hazy but has a nice copper colour with head that lasts throughout the glass and leaves thick lacing. Aroma: I smell resinous pine and a touch of candy. Taste: Citrus, pine and just the right amount of sweetness. This is a really well balanced. Mouthfeel: Carbonation is slightly less than medium. Body is slightly fuller than average. Perfect for the style. Overall: It's rare to find such a prototypical example of a West Coast IPA released by a brewery that was founded in the last 10 years. I really enjoyed this beer, which is the first I have tasted and reviewed by this brewery. Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Read more

Naughty Hildegard ESB by Driftwood Brewery

By
The classics never go out of style. Naughty Hildegard ESB is not a new beer to me. Instead, it's an old favourite from earlier days of my foray into craft beer. A friend recommended it to me over a decade ago, advising that it was a decidedly North American take on English Special Bitter. And that it is! Appearance: Naughty Hildegard pours a beautiful copper color that brings to mind classic American craft beers like strong pale ales, red ales and IPAs. I drank this from a classic Spiegelau PA glass. White foam pours thick but ebbs as you drink, leaving just a touch of lacing. Aroma: It smells like fruitcake. In a good way! There's a touch of dessert-like sweetness coupled with the scent of dried fruit. Underneath all of that is a subtle hint of resinous pine. Taste: This beer is sublimely balanced in the old school way with a solid malt foundation and decidedly West Coast hop profile. Caramel malt adds colour and sweetness without overpowering the bitterness and fruit flavour...
Read more