Style: "Wet Hop" Pale Ale. The phrase "wet hop" does not endear this beer to the casual drinker. However, to me, this is most intriguing phrase I've seen on a bottle in a long, long time. In the case of this beer, the hops are boiling in the brew kettle within one week after being picked to create the freshest well-hopped pale ale possible. Due to the timing of this release, Sierra Nevada had to source hops from Australia as that is the only place on Earth (apparently) where hops are growing in the spring. So, this beer gives a solid middle finger to locavores in the name of freshness. And they succeed pretty well. Read on...
Consumption Method: Fat 24 oz. bottle poured into a pint glass. I really like this bottle. It has girth.
Alkyhol Content: 6.7%
Label: The label sort of looks like an old scroll and has a lot of information about how the beer came to be. I like a label to be informative, but I also like it to be badass. However, Sierra Nevada is consistent in their design and I respect them for that. I can't fault this label as a result.
Why Did I Buy This Beer? Again, I must mention Sierra Nevada's consistency. They have been brewing fantastic pale ales for almost as long as I've been alive. I make it a point to try all of their ales as I am never let down. In fact, I would pick their Torpedo IPA as one of the best beer values on the market. I believe I paid $8 for a six pack of one of the top 5 IPAs that I've ever tried. However, this review isn't about their Torpedo. It's about the 2009 Southern Hemisphere Harvest Wet Hop Ale...
Is This Beer Any Good? Hell yes it's good. It's fucking scrumptulescent. It's the best beer I've had from Sierra Nevada. Where the Torpedo IPA has a slightly more alcoholic and bitter hop bite, the SHHWHA is perfectly balanced. The malt is not too sweet, the hops not too biting. In fact, I think I like this beer so much because the malt is so subdued that it's almost bitter and the hops are so fresh that they are almost sweet. This is the first ale of any type where I have gotten this sensation and I find it to be awesome. It's sort of like being attracted to a woman more for her personality than her looks. It's quite the rare thing, but when it happens, it's beautiful. I think I found my ale soulmate. I am in love with this beer, but I am still in lust with others (coughtwoheartedcough), which is why I can not name it my Favorite Beer Ever. I can put it in my top 5 though.
This Beer Would Pair Well With: Food-wise I would have to say Iberico ham and arugula, mostly because that's what I'm craving after drinking this beer. Otherwise I would say that this beer would pair really well with sexytime. Sexytime with the woman who has a great personality.
The Experts Speak: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/52679
More on Sierra Nevada: http://www.sierranevada.com/ (beautiful website- copious amounts of hops)
Conclusion: Top 5 beer, no question. This poses a problem, however: I need to revisit my Top 5. Look for a new post with my current favorites.
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