DESCHUTES, GREEN FLASH RELEASE NEW WINTER BEERS
Although I typically shift my beer tastes more to the heavier, darker beers this time of year, I have come to appreciate the seasonality of the so-called “fresh hop” beers also released in the fall. Naturally, “fresh hop” refers to a beer made with just harvested hops to take advantage of their … well, fresh citrusy and spicy qualities.
This column reviews four such beers but also a couple of special releases of those darker beers I so anticipate.
GREEN FLASH
Founded in San Diego in 2002, Green Flash Brewing has built a reputation as an IPA specialist. By my count, there are nearly a dozen different types. And they’ve just released two new fresh hop IPAs to add to a portfolio that are worthy additions.
Jibe Session IPA (4.0% ABV, 65 IBU)
It seems every brewery is adding a “session” IPA to their lineup these days and Green Flash’s contribution is called “Jibe.” Sometimes these lower alcohol beers, regardless of style, also are lower on flavor. Not so with Jibe. Yes it is light and easy drinking. But its Warrior, Chinook and Cascade hops make for a still full-flavored, crisp drink with spicy, hay, and light malt aromas and flavors that fade into light citrus, while finishing spicy and with ample bitterness.
Soul Style Single IPA (6.8% ABV, 75 IBU)
Green Flash describes “Soul Style” as a Single IPA, in this case positioning the brew between the toned down session IPAs and the extremes of the Double and Triple IPAs. It featuring Simcoe, Citra, Warrior and Cascade hops and opens with strong lemon-lime citrus and touches of orange and malt. In addition to these qualities, it also shows a spicy herb character more pronounced in the mouth.
DESCHUTES
Deschutes Brewery, the 26 year-old brewery named after the adjacent Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon has just released this year’s models of Hop Trip and “Chasin’ Freshies,” both from the Bond Street Series: experimental beers made as part of an exploration of “the many nuances and endless possibilities of the almighty hop.”
“Hop Trip” Fresh Hop Pale Ale (5.9% ABV, 38 IBU)
In this case, fresh hop means the Deschutes team brings just harvested hops from nearby fields to the brewery within a few hours of picking. Those include Salmon Safe Nugget, Centennial, and Fresh Crystal hops from Sodbuster Farms that are balanced with NW Pale, Extra Special, Cara-Munich and Carapils malts. Refreshing citrus and pine meld with malt and bitter herbs. Even with its friendly ABV and IBU numbers, it delivers a solid and mouthfilling, yet nicely balanced drink.
“Chasin’ Freshies” Fresh Hop IPA (7.4% ABV, 65 IBU)
In contrast to Hop Trip, Chasin’ Freshies (a reference to the skier’s eternal pursuit of fresh powder) is made each year with different fresh hops(and it’s an IPA, not a Pale Ale). This year it is newly harvested Bravo and Fresh Mosaic hops (from John I Haas growers). These are complimented with Pilsner Malt and Flaked Oats . And it sure is fresh; it’s like a just sliced open grapefruit. But it is given more interest with touches of orange and a suggestion of piney spice and a malty note.
And now two Deschutes releases about as far away from fresh hop styles as you can get:
“Abyss” 2013 Reserve Imperial Stout (11.1 ABV%, 70 IBU)
The tenth vintage of this Imperial Stout, part of the brewery’s Reserve Series, is a powerhouse – note its high ABV and IBU. It is made with blackstrap molasses, brewers licorice, vanilla beans and cherry bark with 28 percent aged six months in bourbon, Oregon oak and pinot noir barrels. And how about the base of six malt varieties – Pale, Black, Chocolate, Black Barley, Roasted Barley, and Wheat – and four hop varieties – Millennium, Nugget, Styrian, and German Northern Brewer! What you get out of all this is a concoction that is so dramatic it almost suggests a barleywine. I pick up roasted grains, carame, bitter herb, and lemongrass aromas and flavors. It is intense with great depth and complexity. This is the kind of beer that actually can develop with age. Buy one to drink now and one to age for a year.
Zarabanda (6.7% ABV, 13 IBUs)
Zarabanda is a new collaboration beer with world famous Chef José Andrés. Deschutes describes it as a spiced saison – a Spanish take on the popular style that took their brewers three years working with Chef Andrés to create. The name takes its inspiration from the similarly named Spanish dance of the 1500s, which was so lively and animated it became controversial and eventually banned. A complex body formed from Pilsner, Vienna, Spelt, Flaked Oats, Munich, and Crystal malts is infused with a classic French Saison Yeast strain, Sour Wort and Saaz hops. The addition of dried lime, pink peppercorn, sumac, and lemon verbena provide the brew’s distinctive character. Not surprisingly it opens with aromas reminiscent of a Belgian farmhouse ale with pronounced clove, vanilla and a hint of lime. Spicy notes continue in the mouth but the lemon rally emerges to dominate.