Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest Fresh Hop Ale
Poured into an imperial pint glass. Glass of cold water on the side to sip from periodically. Appearance: As poured the beer is nice copper color with a 1 ivory head that recedes slowly to leave about 1/8 of foam and nice patterns of lacing that cling to the side of the glass. Sipping the beer Smell: The aroma is an interesting mix of floral, fruity and citric components, with some orange zest and a bit of apricot and pineapple, all backed up by some light caramel malt backbone. Taste: The flavors include those predicted from the nose with the pineapple intertwingled with orange zest and touches of apricot. The resinous bitterness is well concealed by the caramel malt until the finish. Mouthfeel: The mouth feel is medium bodied with adequate carbonation. The finish is relatively long, involves first the fade of the malt backbone, then the various hop flavors, leaving a dry resinous bitterness in the back of the mouth and throat. Drinkability and Overall Impression: This is a nicely drinkable IPA which Im glad to be having again and Ive just expanded my shopping list to see about a repeat in the next week or so. My overall impression is that this is a typical SN beer in that it is well made, quite enjoyable, good value for the money.