Fresh Hop Comet Hazy IPA

Fall is a glorious time of year for limited-release beers, like dank and zesty wet hopped IPAs, malt-forward Oktoberfest märzens and the obligatory pumpkin spiced ales.

Another classic style from this time of year is the fresh-hopped IPA, a beer made using freshly-harvested hop ‘cones’ straight from the farm vs dried hop ‘pellets’ that are normally used for IPAs. Fresh hops generally provide more grassy, plant-like flavor profiles (think dank and resinous) without the bitterness typically associated with regular old IPAs.

33B-EXP.037.MKII Fresh Hop Comet Hazy IPA is one of 75+ beers that 33 Acres have released under their Experimental Series over the past two years. This Hazy IPA was made using fresh Comet hops from Bredenhof Hop Farms in the Fraser Valley.

Typically the Comet hop’s flavour profile rests heavily on a strong accent of grapefruit and citrus zest with undertones of old-school earthy bitterness. Given it’s high-alpha bitterness, Comet makes an intriguing choice for a Fresh Hop IPA. The result is a beer that flaunts the hop’s natural citrus characteristics without the high bitterness that would usually be present with this hop.

Fresh hopped beers tend to lose their flavour profiles quickly, so make sure you enjoy this unique seasonal style while it’s still fresh!

Tasting Notes

Pours a murky orange-brown with a quickly disappearing head. Aroma is hops, tropical fruit, pineapple juice, guava, orange candy. Taste is fresh, zesty and sweet, with mouthfuls of tangy under-ripe pineapple. Very low bitterness. Faint biscuity lactose present on the finish. Solid fruit-forward fresh hop IPA. Much less resinous than is typically associated with this style.