[The September calendar and other months have again been updated. Too many fresh hop beers and other fall seasonals are coming out in order to let it sit too long without an update. I ran out of time before I could get to updating pictures. The calendar now extends to about 200 beers coming out since 9/1 through next year so there is a lot to which we look forward!]
I have at least 10 or so fresh hop beers coming out now or soon in bottle on the calendar. This does not include the dozens of fresh hop beers going on tap all around the country (I’ll let you dig for those). Here is a rundown of the growing list of bottled versions in no particular order:
Deschutes Hop Trip – Here is John Foyston’s original report. And an article appeared in yesterday’s Bend Bulletin on Deschutes’ hop harvest, revealing that the brewery is making an astounding seven different fresh hop ales for its pubs in addition to Hop Trip.
Rogue Independence Hop Ale – See our story from 9/4/08 here. Fair warning: these Flickr pics of the harvest will make you salivate. The beer will be released in late September and be one of a few of these to also appear at GABF.
Bridgeport Hop Harvest – An Imperial IPA that is triple hopped. This was released over the weekend on tap but will also hit store shelves soon if it hasn’t already. The Oregon Brewers’ Guild has more. And Jon Foyston was there for harvest day.
Full Sail Lupulin Fresh Hop Ale – I will cheat here and include a draft-only offering (only because I just realized it). Here is the scoop via the newsletter on Full Sail’s website. It is a mid-September release featuring Cascade, Nugget, and Mt. Rainier hops. Can anyone name another commercial brew with an emphasis on Mt. Rainier hops?
Founders Harvest Ale – One I have seen asked about in forums and for good reason, one being that it is the highest-rated (at a quick glance) of all of the fresh hop beers listed here on RateBeer. The brewery released it in four-packs for the first time last year. Though the release party falls on October 11, assuming this is again bottled, it is possible that it will be available before then. At least this is what has occurred with this year’s Breakfast Stout releases.
Sierra Nevada Chico Estate – You have read about it before here. Now check out the video of it being made over at the Sierra Nevada website. The beer is out now. You can also see a video for Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale. The 12th edition is tentatively scheduled for release the week of September 21st. If there was a fresh hop award to give out, it may just go out to the people at Sierra Nevada. Between these and Southern Harvest, released earlier in 2008, I would be surprised if they didn’t make more fresh hop beer than anyone this year.
Port High Tide Fresh Hop IPA – There is more going down in California. Here is the story from last week. Due out on October 15, Tomme is in the process of brewing the largest batch of this beer ever.
Harpoon Glacier Harvest Wet Hop 08 – There was a full-page ad for this on the front inside cover of the current issue of Yankee Brew News. This was packaged during the last week of August according to the web site’s official page for this beer. Have seen no reviews for the new batch thus far though it is possible that it arrives this week.
Weyerbacher Harvest Ale – They are growing them in PA, too. This was our initial revelation, and then followed up with more info on the release. This should be out now in the Pennsylvania area.
Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale – I covered this as well last week. The beer will be released during the week of October 7 as part of Great Divide’s revamped look.
Fresh Hop Events:
The 6th Annual Fresh Hop Ale Festival – Over fifteen breweries will be pouring fresh hop beers on October 4. All proceeds will benefit the Allied Arts of Yakima Valley, Washington.
According to the Oregon Brewers Guild, for the first time at Great American Beer Festival, “the Brewers Association will have a State Guild’s pavillion on the floor of the festival.” Members will be pouring several fresh hop beers from Oregon breweries.