Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale
Brewing with fresh hops is a big endeavor, requiring four to five times the hop volume compared to using pelletized hops. Although the process is complex, it brings impressive results: Fresh Hop is an American-style pale ale with moderate hop bitterness marked by a unique and intensely grassy hop flavor and aroma. Fresh Hop is a superbly refreshing, medium bodied, light-copper colored pale ale weighing in at 55 IBUs and 6.1% ABV.
3.7
1087 reviews
Denver, United States
Community reviews
Originally rated on 12/30/08. The aroma was my favorite aspect of this beer, it was a nice grassy, citrus mix that was noticeable upon opening. The body was a clear mid copper color with plenty of carbonation that left good lace. Mouthfeel was crisp but a touch watery. Flavor was pretty much pine, with very little malt presence. Overall this seemed more IPA than APA, but when somethings this good who cares
Very similar in style to the ipa. Very much a midwest ipa with fair body with plenty of malt balance.
5 month old can > IPA
A: Pours whole glassful of foam so off to a bad start. Eventually had to trowel it off the top. Otherwise, nice deep orange color with rocky beige head. Busy bubbles.
S: Pine resin and sweet caramel scent.
T: Big pine bitterness with just a faint caramel sweetness. More toasty or woody. A little grapefruit pith eventually shows up adding more bitterness but also some complexity.
M: Medium body with average carbonation level. Bitter resinous finish.
O: Fairly average overall though to be fair, it is very old. Still not a repeat purchase.
12 oz can with a canning date of Oct. 2016.
Look - Copper colored body with a creamy off-white head that leaves a thorough coat of film on the glass.
Aroma - Hoppy citrus notes dominate. Subtle herbal and floral notes. Moderate complexity.
Taste - Hoppy citrus notes dominate but with more pine and more grains. Moderate complexity and medium-mild bitterness.
Feel - medium body with medium+, soft carbonation.
Overall - a great Pale Ale that resembles a mild DIPA more than expected.
Another great beer from Great Divide. Fantastic flavor and well balanced. Great.
Poured from a can into a pint glass. The appearance is a bright orange color with a large white head. The aroma is full of hops and not much else. The taste is mostly hops with some malt in the background.
Can date of 10/12/2016.
This was poured into a becher pint glass.
The appearance was a hazy to transparent orange color. Sly carbonation rises. One finger white foamy head. Messy foamy lacing.
The aroma had a super nice sweet to bitter piney hoppiness bursting over a nice malt backbone, not overbearing.
The flavor leads with the piney hops, bitter and sweet. Dry piney aftertaste leading into the finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a great sessionability about it. Good carbonation and doesn’t distract from bitterness. Malt level seems appropriate to provide enough body.
Overall, really nice APA surprisingly enough even with the date, I could drink this again, preferably fresher.
Draft. Clear caramel color with an average white head and nice lacing. Aroma is piney with fresh citrus and grains. Taste is grapefruit, pine, citrus, and grains. Average thickness and dry.
12 oz. can, consumed on 11-15-16. Pours a clear, dark bronze with a large amount of beige head. Scents of apricot and pine. Some toffee and dill in the aroma. Simple, dry yet floral-sweet flavor. A touch of bitterness in the finish. Decent flavor but has little to recommend it. Dry aftertaste. Soft in the palate. Easy to drink. Seems insubstantial in the palate. Nothing special. I’m guessing this beer was a bit better a few weeks ago.
12oz can - it pours a clear copper color with a med fluffy off white head. Nice malty and piney hop aroma. Hop forward flavor with layered background notes of caramel, oats and a mild citrusy finish.
Clear, dark golden color with off-white head. Aroma is slightly dank and vegetal with nice grassy hops. Taste starts grassy with fresh hop flavor but there is also a nice nutty malt backbone. Finish is quite balanced with just a light to medium bitterness. Light body but quite smooth on the palate and well carbonated. Overall it’s a really nice, easy drinking fresh hop ale.
Pours a clear deep golden yellow with a thin white head. Sweet grass and pine aroma. Medium body with some lacing. Mostly light pine taste with some bitterness. Smooth up front with a slightly bitter finish and aftertaste. Not unpleasant but not that special.
aroma is super hoppy and grainy. flavor is light, crispy, dry and the hops explode. very crushable and refreshing. pours an liught copper with a thin white head. had at jerrys.
The description was right about the aroma; it is fresh and grassy, also very clean. Light copper color with a decent sized tuft of bright white foam. Lots of lacing on the glass. Tastes earthy. The hops are not sharp but long lasting without much sweetness in the background. Very drinkable, good representation of an American Pale Ale. Unpretentious, you could drink this right out of the can at a bonfire. The palate has an above average amount of carbonation, more dense than I would have expected, but I think that improves it. This is a very good APA, not watery, on the heavy end of the style but still refreshing.
Canned 10/12. From Casa De Oro. Crisp hoppy character up front. Good deal aof malt balance in there. Very fresh and clean. Some grassy hop notes are detected. Solid, well balanced pale ale.
12 oz bottle pours amber with a white head. Aroma of citrus, pine and grass. taste is caramel, citrus and grains.
Pours clear gold with a foamy white head. nose is moderately strong hops with a bit of apple sweetness behind it. the flavor is less hoppy than expected but quite well balanced between a pleasant malt and modest West Coast hops. finish is short and sticky. basically a session IPA, just higher alcohol.
Clear, light amber pour with a one finger, soapy, fluffy off white head, aroma is fruity, grassy, faint pine and citrus hops, some light cereal and breadiness. Flavor is light biscuity, cereal and bready malt, a hint of caramel, fruity, floral, and grassy hops with more juicy citrus than the aroma lets on. Fairly light body, juicy, slightly slick feel, medium carbonation, slightly drier finish with a decent hop acid bite. Good stuff, not great, definitely not worth the $12/4pk for me, maybe the same price for a 6pk, but even then there are better for less.
Hop and lemon aroma, light copper and clear, bitter and earthy flavor with hint of citrus, medium body and crisp finish
Deep amber golden, light tan. Light pine, grassy, citrus. Bitter, quite dry. Lighter body, some oiliness. Medium length finish. Good.
On tap at Middleton's. Refreshing pale ale with plenty of hops to give the beer the perfect balance of crispness.
Where: Old Line Fine Wine Spirits & Bistro.
How: 12 ounce bottle.
Appearance: Amber in color with a half finger of white foam.
Aroma: Faint pine, earth and some biscuit.
Taste: Mild grapefruit, some pine and bread in the finish, very good.
Palate: Crisp and clean with a slight bitter and dry finish.
Overall: Very hoppy and clean, really liked this one.
Draft at Odyssey. Pours hazy amber with a thick, fizzy off white head and lots of lacing. Tastes like citrus hops, leafy greens, hop resin, and caramel malt. Light/medium body and low carbonation. Smells like citrus hops caramel, greens, and hip resin.
This is delicious. Very, very good. It pours bright amber in color with a fair amount of foam and carbonation. The aroma is big, grassy hops and cereal malt. The flavor is wet, pungent hops through and through. Lemon and buttery sweetness on the finish. Really nice beer.
Poured from 12oz brown bottle into nonic pub glass, a clear medium orange amber colour with white foam, lasting with lace. Caramelly grainbill underneath predictable intense American hops, grapefruity and grassy, little else. I drank this super fresh, but didn’t detect any greater "freshness" than any other APA or A-IPA. Very coarse bitterness, not smooth at all. Light-medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter aftertaste. This is another one I can’t understand why the average ratings are so high.
Aromas of fresh crisp hops and juicy citrus. Nice golden body and white foamy head. Fresh piney hops and juicy orange flavors. Crisp and refreshing on the palate.
After tasting the monstrously fresh Born Yesterday, I was concerned Fresh Hop would be overshadowed. (Fresh Hop was just short of a month past the bottling date compared to a day past), but I need not have worried. Great Divide always turns out a great hop-focused beer. With a grassy aroma, Fresh Hop hints at aggressive American hops. Flavor, however, is balanced rather than intense. The dank earth tones are offset by sweet biscuit malt tastes. There’s also some grapefruit. Wet, bitter hop sensations on the palate. If you like pursuing fresh herbs, this doesn’t disappoint.
Fresh hop in all of it’s dank, wet forest glory. Pour is really pretty with a clear copper gold and a thick, rocky white head. Aroma is super grassy, dank, wet, vegetal, with just a hint of lemon. The flavors are brighter but remain very fresh hop like with more of the citrus showing through and good balance from caramel malts. Good medium body with lots of fresh carbonation. Solid styled fresh hop/wet hop pale ale.
Dank medicinal mango tropical hop aroma with a malty backing. Taste is malty and full flavored with an almost mango tropical hop forward and finishing grassy and medicinal. Bitter dry finish. Nice beer, but almost too dry. Hops are fresh and almost have a mildly oily feel. Can't really ding too much on this beer but can't find a reason to rate higher. Well made beer.
Bottle. Pours clear amber with big white head. Nose and taste are grass and wood. Nice sweetness in the taste. Bitter aftertaste. Good.