Last week, the Tap & Growler hosted a blind tasting with a twist - all the beers were local and fresh-hopped. I went with a couple friends to check it out.
Here's how it worked: you paid $12 for 4oz pours of 9 beers, and were provided a slip to take notes and rate the top 3 beers. It wasn't a truly blind tasting, however - a promotional flyer at the bar revealed the breweries and beers participating in the event. The price also included a free pint of any of the 9 beers on the day the winners were announced.
Even with these limitations, the tasting was a lot of fun! Beers made with fresh hops are the only true seasonals - their characteristic bright, grassy flavor and aroma start to degrade much faster than beers made with dried hops. And it's always interesting to experience different brewers' takes on their best use.
Unsurprisingly, the beers ranged widely in quality. The best were excellent, the worst nigh undrinkable. Here were my top 3:
Falling Sky's So Fresh, So Green: This one really surprised me, as I'm not usually a fan of Falling Sky's beers. It was clean, bright, and eminently drinkable. I may have to stop by their pub for another pint of this!
Hop Valley's Citra Self Down: Hop Valley loves their Citra hops, and this beer was immediately recognizable for this facet alone. Fresh Citra really shines - it's bright, lemony, and grassy. This beer was the highest-rated among all participants.
Claim 52's Fresh Hop Insta IPA: Hop-saturated, especially in the nose, with a very smooth, clean finish. Another surprise for me. Claim 52 usually makes good, if unexceptional beer. I've had the non-fresh Insta several times in the past without it making much impression. Again, I may have to watch them more closely in the future!
Having run a blind tasting in the past, I appreciate all the hard work it takes to put one together, and I hope there are more in the future! There's nothing more rewarding than testing your palate without knowing exactly what you're tasting.
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