Hop Hunter IPA

Hop Hunter IPA

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Chico, CA and Mills River, NC

Type of Beer: India pale ale

ABV: 6.2%

Made with drops of distilled hop oil (a process the brewery shares here), this is a huge step forward in the presentation of the ubiquitous IPA. It’s all in the nose. Thanks to the oil, the vibrant aromas tossed off this deep golden ale include fresh resin and grapefruit. The olfactory experience is akin to rubbing fresh hops in your hand, staining them with lupulin. The brewers said they wanted to recreate the experience of drinking a wet hop beer (that is an ale brewed with just-harvested hops) year round. Mission accomplished. As for the taste, it’s well balanced, and the aromas yield to caramel and biscuit malts. It’s an easy finish with moderate bitterness. For a brewery that built a bicoastal empire and solid beer reputation on hops, this is the first of its new generation beers that will surely become an instant classic.

Read tasting notes on Sierra Nevada’s Nooner and Beer Camp Hoppy Lager.

John Holl
John Holl is the editor of All About Beer Magazine and author of “The American Craft Beer Cookbook.” He lives in Jersey City, NJ. Contact him via Twitter @John_Holl or email