Hops are a vintage crop, which is harvested
once a year in the autumn. Increasingly brewers are producing beers that highlight the harvest by producing green hopped beers, which use fresh
un-kilned hops to create striking fresh hop aromas. Here in NZ we have several
examples. Brewjolais from Macs has been the most high profile but there have
also been examples from Emerson’s in Dunedin,
Nelson’s Sprig and Fern and from Galbraith’s in Auckland.
Harvest ales are big in America. On the
periphery of Americas
west coast hop fields brewers seize the opportunity to pack the zesty pithy
resinous character of green hops into their beers. America’s
largest craft brewery Sierra Nevada releases
three harvest ales each year. Two of these beers are produced using un-kilned
American hops. Northern Hemisphere Harvest is brewed using un-kilned American
hops from Washington, Estate Harvest is brewed
using hops from Sierra Nevada’s own hop garden situated in the grounds of its
brewery in Chico California. The third Sierra Nevada Harvest
Ale is now available at Regional Wines. Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere
Harvest uses New Zealand
hops that are quickly flown from the hop fields of Motueka to California. The whole flower Motueka and
Southern Cross hops are dried as un-kilned hops would not survive the trip
across the Pacific without perishing however they are extremely fresh meaning
they retain a lot of their ‘green’ character. Southern Hemisphere Harvest pours
a golden red hue with an enthusiastic white head. The aroma features a good
amount of tangy slightly grassy citrus, tangerine and mandarin along with a
good dose of biscuity malt. In the mouth there is more fresh citrus, nutty malt
flavour and a long tangy finish. Try Sierra Nevada Southern Hop Harvest with
something spicy cooked on the BBQ.
