Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest

August 5th is an excellent day to celebrate the near-end of Summer with a pre-Fall celebration. It's situated directly between the 4th of July and Labor day, a perfect point to maximize leisure activities. While the fanfare associated with National Catfish Month may overwhelm August as whole, August 5th shines through with a party all its own. August 5th is International Beer Day!

My selection for International Beer Day is an IPA gem I've been holding for a while. It's an annual produced by Sierra Nevada called Southern Hemisphere Harvest. It's one of two annual "Hemisphere Harvest" ales produced by Sierra Nevada. The Hemisphere in the name denotes the hemisphere of earth where the hops were obtained. They are both made with freshly harvested hops that are shipped directly to the brewery from the farmers. The Northern is a true "wet" hop ale made with fresh, un-dried Washington hops that are brewed the day after harvest. The Southern is made with dried hops that are brewed within one week from being harvested in New Zealand. Since our Spring was New Zealand's Fall we were graced with Southern Hemisphere Harvest just a few months ago.

The pour beams a foggy amber orange with a thick meaty tan head. Bright citrusy fruity hops fill the air and take charge of the nose. The caramel malt backs the vibrant hop nose nicely while a distant yeast beckons for attention. The taste is a hop-head's dream come true. The delicious resinous hop takes shape quickly as the grassy earthen nature of the fresh hop blooms from the citrus bouquet. Not bitter at all for an IPA but also not lacking significant hop character. The firm caramel malt gives the hop a frame to grow on while providing just enough delicate sweet to savor its quality. The hops are defiantly the star here but without such a wonderfully focused malt their complexity would be lost. Nice creamy mouthfeel with medium carbonation. Hop essence lingers with a mostly dry finish. 62 wooden dibbers out of 41 billhooks. This IPA made my International Beer Day quite enjoyable.

cheers