Yes, more fresh hop madness! This time we were fortunate enough to be invited to a massive fresh hop tasting. Our friends Geoff (Seattle Beer News) and Dave (Urban Beer Hikes) took a road trip to Portland and came back with a bunch of growlers full of fresh hop beer. The tasting was absolutely amazing with some ridiculously good fresh hop beers and some not so good. About midway through the evening, before we even knew what was happening a full-fledged Growler Grudge Match broke out. Rock Bottom Portland and Rock Bottom Bellevue squared off and it wasn't pretty. For this match we skipped the tasting notes and just let everyone vote for their favorite.
The Bellevue Rock Bottom won handily. It was way more aromatic with a ton of delicious fresh grapefruit and citrus in the aroma and flavor. The Portland Rock Bottom wasn't terrible, it just got clocked upside the head by a big wallop of Bellevue fresh hop whoop ass. Final tally was Bellevue 10, Portland 1.
Other standout fresh hop beers: Mirror Pond Fresh Hop, Issaquah Brewing Wet Frog, Snipes Harvest (see Tap Tussle).
Thanks to the guest tasters: Geoff, Dave, Jeanne, Colin, Bekky, Philippe, Chris, Francesca and the one and only Beerdouche.
Rock Bottom Portland
Hop Harvest
ABV ?%
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Mediocre +
Rock Bottom Bellevue
Fresh Hop Pale Ale
ABV ?%
Overall (Fantastic, Good, Mediocre or Bad): Fantastic
Winner by unanimous decision: Bellevue.
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Growler battle, that's cool! The Portland Rock Bottom Hop Harvest is really good this year, so I'm impressed that Bellevue stomped it like that.
ReplyDeleteBill,
ReplyDeleteIt was an epic night of fresh hop. You should have stowed away in the trunk of their car before Geoff and Dave left Portland. Of the 15 or so fresh hop beers we tried the Bellevue was in many people's top 3 or 4. Solid beer. Hopefully you'll find a way to get a taste (road trip?)
I was going to step in and break this one up, but it was just too fun to watch. (And I was tired.) It's nice to see Bellevue win at something once in a while.
ReplyDelete