Founders - Harvest Ale

Tonight I'm drinking some wet-hopped deliciousness from Founders Brewing.  I don't remember this being around last year.  If it was, I just wasn't paying attention.  Founders has a very diverse line-up of beer so it's no surprise that they have a fresh hop ale in their arsenal.  Most recently Duns reviewed their Cerise and just couldn't quite get past the tartness of the cherries.  My last Founders brew was KBS, a bourbon-aged Russian Imperial Stout.  Not the best, but still pretty tasty and better than average.  With tonights review, we are really rounding out a diverse set of reviews from these guys.

The label is one of the cooler ones I've seen for a fresh-hop ale.  Even though its relatively bland, the giant hop cones and font used for "Harvest Ale" gained my attention.  I've always debated on getting a tattoo of a hop cone.  Maybe this label will be in the running when I finally decide to suck it up and go under the needle.

This wet-hopped ale is a hazy, bright orange.  Holy hops!  Before I even have time to put the bottle down a wave of citrusy hops cut through the air like an airplane propeller through an Indiana Jones enemy.  That's what I like to experience with any beer claiming to use wet hops. The aromas are prominently citrus with grapefruit easily winning the battle against orange rind and hints of fresh cut grass.  Some malty sweetness attempts to flail its arms in the background to get noticed, but fails to garner any notoriety here.  My first sip is a blast of grapefruit with that malty sweetness finally able to break through and add some balance in the taste.  More grassy and herbal flavors make their presence known and bring a bit of complexity to this otherwise straight forward wet hop ale.  Very juicy!  The 70 IBUs keep the finish bitter and refreshing while the 6.5% ABV hides behind this hop assault.

Overall - One of the better harvest ales I've had so far this season.  The aromas were pleasant and remained strong throughout the brew, even if it was a little one sided towards the grapefruit.  The flavors were what really brought it all together for me.  I really enjoyed the hop complexities and the solid malt base to keep a semblance of balance.  Definitely give this one a shot if you are a hop head.