Sierra Nevada wants you to know there is a difference between fresh hops and wet hops.

Wet Hops are un-dried hops, picked and shipped from the growing fields within 24 hours.

Fresh Hops are the freshest dried hops to come from the fields, typically within seven days of harvest.

They lay claim to the first wet hop ale with their seasonal Northern Hemisphere Harvest Wet Hop IPA. Normally hops are dried after picking them, lest they spoil. The hops for this beer are picked in Yakima, Washington and shipped to the Chico, California brewery within 24 hours. These days many craft breweries are doing fresh hop ales this time of year, but Northern Hemi still stands out.

This beer is maltier than the super dry west-coast IPAs, or the NEIPA hop teas out there. This gives it a really nice richness and complexity. I suspect this maltiness also helps it avoid the grassy flavor that some fresh hop beers have. The citrus, pine, and herbal hop flavors blend perfectly with the smooth malt backbone. Each sip brings new and interesting flavors.

Honestly, I forgot how great this beer is and grabbed just one twelve ounce bottle from the brewery gift shop. I’ll be going back for a six pack or three.