Forget summer and winter seasonal beers, in the Pacific Northwest its all about the fresh hop seasonals. Nowhere else in the world is there this sort of access to the hop farms where brewers can easily pick up whole cone hops straight from the annual harvest, to make one-of-a-kind fresh hopped beers.

Fresh hop season overlaps the light and refreshing summer beers and the malty and crisp harvest and festbier of autumn. A decade ago breweries were making one or two fresh hop beers each year, these days they are so popular that they are dropping weekly for more than a month, dictated by when the different hop varieties are picked over that span.

For strictly educational purposes, the New School Beer crew got together to drink as many early and mid-season fresh hop releases as we could get our hands on. However our eyes were bigger than our livers, and we managed to drink through and score 32 of them, but had to bale on about a dozen more we had collected as our notes started to blur. A panel of three of us (Nicole Kasten, Neil Ferguson, Ezra Johnson-Greenough) tasted and scored each beer on a 0-5 point scale in .5 increments. We then took an average of the scores for each beer, and ultimately found our overall top 10 revealed near the bottom of this list.

Irrelevant Beer: No Geography (Average score: 3.16)

Neil Ferguson: Grapefruit characteristics are up front with a good level of bitterness and nice hop linger. Hard to call it a West Coast IPA due to the strong bitterness but overall pretty solid. Score: 3 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Lemon and papaya aromas with light pine notes. Sweet orange is the dominant flavor with lingering bitterness rounding out a pleasant beer from start to finish. The back end presents quite warm. Score: 3.5 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Pours a pale hazy yellow with a thick cloud of bong water aromatics rising out of theglass. This dank weed-seedy IPA risesabove a soft cereal malt flavor with a sweet orange undertone, quickly enveloped again by mouth coating bitterness. This may be a love-it-or-hate-it beer for you depending on how that all sounds. Score: 3 / 5

Level Beer Fresh Hop Let’s Play (Average score: 2.5)

Neil Ferguson: Fresh Hallertau gives this brew honey biscuit notes to balance out the sharp bite and make for a beer that feels almost Kolsch-like with a pleasing breadiness. Oily notes coat your palate. The grassiness is killer but doesn’t overpower you. Score: 3 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Light wheat and under ripe banana, with some mineral aromas. Lemon and honey flavors play well together with a crisp finish. Highly carbed with the bubbles scrubbing the tongue in the finish. Score: 2.5 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Has a lemony, soggy-wet grass, astringent character that reminds me of some of the less bright hop waters, I also get a bit of port-o-potty funk from the fresh hops. Score: 2 / 5

Level Beer Fresh Hop Game On (Average score: 3.16)

Neil Ferguson: You know this is a fresh hop just by sniffing it when you get hit with a blast of fragrant Strata and a touch of petrol. Sweetness counteracts the bitter with neither overwhelming and leave the Strata to do its little dance. Little juicy but not hazy. Overall balanced and a worthy player in the fresh hop game. Score: 3.5  / 5

Nicole Kasten: Aroma of dried leaves transitioning to light cocoa. Flavors of cola with a thick mouthfeel and distinct fresh hop, green finish. Warm throughout with lingering sweetness. Score: 3 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Low aromatics with that earthy B.O. like hop aroma of dirty socks, but with a more positive flavor profile of milled hop powder and freshly packed and dried whole cone hops. Score: 3 / 5

Stormbreaker Brewing Fresh Hop Total ReKolsch (Average score: 3.16)

Neil Ferguson: This is an early season swinger that’s pretty damn hoppy for the style. You get those signature bready notes of the style but this feels like a quintessential PNW twist. Almost a jolly rancher green apple quality. Not amazing but a fun twist on one of their flagships. Score: 3 / 5

Nicole Kasten: High fresh hop bine aroma. Strawberry and other red fruits dominate the flavor, with a sweet berry taffy finish. Score: 3.5 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Hard to call this a Kolsch at this point, if I didnt already know I would think it had more of a hefeweizen-like wheat base. It has those bready notes and flavors of sweet orange, and marshmallow-like meadowfoam honey, with an appropriately spicy floral and earthy finish with a bit of a sweet creamy marmalade note. Score: 3 / 5

Level Beer Fresh Hop Rewind (Average score: 3)

Neil Ferguson: This amber ale has a dampness on the nose like wet cardboard. There’s very little fresh hops in this other than a slightly fruity note. As a whole, amber should be simple and balanced, and in this case many of the elements feel out of whack. Admittedly, amber is not an exciting style and hasn’t been for years but you have to admire a brewery for having some fun and taking it back, hence the name. Score: 2.5 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Honey, toffee and praline aroma. Sweet, without being malty. Light fresh hops are present in the finish. Light mouthfeel increases the drinkability. Score: 3.5 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Has a bit of a cardboard note on top of a more pleasant baked bread and molasses flavor and mouthfeel. You can tell it is fresh-hopped but those young and wet hops have that old-school green veggies and cooked spinach quality that some people miss and others can’t stand. Overall this is a mixed bag. Score: 3 / 5

Breakside Brewing Fresh Hop XPA (Average score: 3.5)

Neil Ferguson: Funk on the nose strong grapefruit flavor and aroma hitting you hard. Guava and tropical fruit flavor give this a fruit salad quality that is downright delicious. You don’t get a massive amount of fresh hop from the Chinook but it’s definitely present and this is the kind of approachable hoppy brew that makes Breakside such pros. Score: 3.5 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Corn, grassy and bark aroma. Peach ring, white peach flavors. Crisp mouthfeel with lingering sweetness. This beer’s intensity of fruit forward hop aroma and flavor make it a stand out. Score: 4 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: I feel like it’s more of the base beer than the fresh hops, but the XPA has the flavors/aromas I have found in some of the newer hop extracts and soluble concentrates and hybrid products created to mimic fruit and floral flavors that are a little bit too strong and unnatural to my taste. This one has distinct mango, passionfruit, and cream, with an overall very low bitterness. Score: 3 / 5

Breakside Brewing What Fresh Beast (Average score: 3.16)

Neil Ferguson: Their signature hazy pours decidedly less so and gets a coconut punch from HBC 1019. If you don’t like hops like Sabro then you might want to skip this one. This beer seems like it can’t decide what style it is but one thing’s for sure - that hop weirdness shines bright and that may or may not be great for you depending on your preference.  Score: 3 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Intense florality with rose and lilac on the nose. Subtle wood notes in the flavor lead to a toasted sage and honey finish. Score: 3 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Big potpourri scent like grandma’s house leaps out of the glass. I get big banana-cream notes, bubblegum, and hints of mint. Flavorful, soft and pleasant to drink as one of the more balanced hazy’s you can find. The fresh hops are mostly contributing to the aroma and that extra sprig of herb like garnish on a Tiki drink. Score: 3.5 / 5

Loowit Brewing Landohoprissian (Average score: 2.5)

Neil Ferguson: Chemical corn in the nose and unfortunately continues into the beer. Basically nothing about this would indicate that it’s a fresh hop beer and mostly it’s just bitter with a little bit of hoppy flavor. Also drinks hot. Score: 2 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Sweet corn and cinnamon aroma. Thicker mouthfeel with a warm finish. Somewhat of a traditional IPA feel. Score: 3 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Impressed and enjoying the super creamy and soft mouthfeel on this, and I can definitely detect the fresh hops, again used in that old school manner where you get this peppery, leafy, slightly astringent and bitter hops and finish to it that are not as fresh as I would like. Score: 2.5 / 5

Vice Beer Linoleum West Coast IPA (Average score: 3.66)

Neil Ferguson: Very diesel and herby right out of the gate with an oily element that makes it almost taste like hop nectar. If you love the way fresh hops can take on a vegetal garlicky note then you’ll love this. Also flavors of candied oranges work well and shine brightly. Score: 4 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Slight orange over the O/G aroma. Sweet mandarin flavor in front of a significant hop burn in the finish. The fresh hop flavor is present throughout with an overall complexity. Score: 4 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: I get a lot of that peppercorn, and green bell pepper out of this one, and a more enjoyable black lime that is so distinct and flavorful in some Asian dishes. Score: 3 / 5

Great Notion Brewing Fresh Hop Van Beer (Average score: 3.33)

Neil Ferguson: Juicy orange juice citrus character makes for an interesting combination with the 600 pounds of Strata. Lingering hop burn but if you love GN’s hazys then this beer is a nice offering. Score: 3 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Mango aroma with slight guava. Overall aroma is quite low, followed by unexpected big flavor. POG intense flavor with significant hop burn in the finish. Score: 4 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Take note haze bois and gurrls, this opaque yellow NE-style fresh hop has that wheaty, waxy, and oaty saturation that made this category so distinct to begin with. Unfortunately for me it also comes with some of that overly rich hop burn that scratches the throat and leaves you looking for a palate cleanser. Score: 3 / 5

StormBreaker Brewing Fresh Hop Ella Rose (Average score: 3.16)

Neil Ferguson: Note to self: rose petals in a beer doesn’t always translate and in a DDH fresh hop hazy they get mostly drowned out. Maybe there is a subtle floral spice but overall this beer is a bit lacking on the fresh hop front compared to some of Stormbreaker’s other offerings. Score: 2.5  / 5

Nicole Kasten: Nectarine with some florality in the aroma. Spicy herb flavor with a creamy finish. The first half and second half of the drinking experience are different, but still finishes strong. Score: 3.5 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Didn’t think I was going to like this marriage of perfume and hops but it actually works pretty well with a peppery, spicy-sweet aroma that translates into the flavor. It has a zippy body and bitterness, with a little bit of astringent fresh hops that mildly detract from an enjoyable and distinct entry into the fresh-hop-iverse. Score: 3.5 / 5

Baerlic Brewing Fresh Hop Punk Rock Time (Average score: 3.16)

Neil Ferguson: Baerlics flagship gets a fresh hop facelift with a heap of Chinook. Juicy and bitter and nicely crisp but something isn’t quite right. When you look for a FH most of us want something that feels decidely different and this isn’t a huge departure. Score: 3 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Lemon and rosemary aroma. Big lemon flavor with some savory herb notes in the mid palate. Finishes fairly warm and clean. Score: 3.5 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: The piney and grapefruit-like hops of Baerlic Brewing’s flagship West Coast IPA keep this beer into crowd-pleasing status…but the fresh hops green and papery quality only detract from the great beer underneath. Score: 3 / 5

Ruse Brewing Spirit Receiver (Average score: 3.5)

Neil Ferguson: This beer is as smooth and balanced and clean as anything you could hope for from Ruse. This is one of those beers that just stays the course while not taking many chances. It also raises the question of how much balance you want in a fresh hop beer? It’s bitter, it’s juicy and it’s just a touch sweet. Score: 3.5  / 5

Nicole Kasten: Guava and O/G aroma. Intense tropical fruit married with sweet, overripe orange flavors. Lingering bitterness with hop burn. Balanced for the style. Score: 3.5 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: This one goes out to all the stoners who want a little candy with their body high. Big whiffs of OG (orange-garlic) hops on this one, if you dont mind a little catty-savory hops that smell like a biting homemade pesto, this beer is for you. Underneath all of that ganja is a swirl of orange-creamsicle flavors weaved through a hazy/juicy base. My only real complaint is that it does suffer from a touch of hop burn in a strong bitter finish, but I think this will be a crowdpleaser for those who love the heavy hazies. Score: 3.5 / 5

Little Beast Brewing Green Keeper Fresh Hop Pale Ale (Average score: 3)

Neil Ferguson: Very solid and crisp pale ale. It’s got that bright citrus note. Very herby. Surprisingly there aren’t a ton of pale ales brewed these days during the season, so this one is worth a try. I don’t love this beer but I respect it. Score: 3 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Very clear. Intense green, chlorophyll nose with some light sulphur notes. Crisp mouthfeel with very light body. Score: 3 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Another fresh hop that I think will really divide the people between the old school fresh-hop-heads who crave that super greens quality and those who want the clean and distinct notes of new wave hops and techniques. Greenkeeper delivers the goods on the name, with plenty of chewy chlorophyllic veggie character, chives, garlic scapes, green beans, and garden fresh herbs. Score: 3 / 5

Zoiglhaus Brewing Fresh Hop Kolsch (Average score: 3.5)

Neil Ferguson: This beer is always a personal favorite for the way Alan Taylor masterfully integrates the fresh hop style into his very traditional kolsch. While this edition of the Kolsch isn’t as good as previous years, it’s a fine test of subtlety with notes of honey, bread, cinnamon. Easily a favorite and worth comparing side by side with their regular version to see the difference. Score: 4 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Lemon, cinnamon, nutmeg aroma. Soft grain flavor.  Full and creamy mouthfeel leads to a smooth finish with some green fresh notes in the finish. Score: 3 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: As always this is a fresh hop for those that appreciate subtlety. The young and unfiltered kolsch doughiness dominates with a comforting sourdough bread and honey flavors. The whiff of fresh hops on the top is like the dollop of whipped cream on a hot chocolate, they are not the centerpiece but the drink just wouldn’t be as magical without them. Score: 3.5 / 5

Boss Rambler Beer Club Liquid Fresh (Average score: 2.33)

Neil Ferguson: How many iterations of fresh hops can you pack into a beer to result in mediocrity? The only thing worse than the beer is the bland label. There’s no one distinguishing component and what you’re left with is a blurred bitter flabby mess. Score: 2 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Very clear beer. Score: 2.5 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Suffers from that leafy green bell pepper flavors and aroma like steeped greens in warm water. Score: 2.5 / 5

Gigantic Brewing Fresh Hop Centennial IPA (Average score: 2.83)

Neil Ferguson: I might love the label more than I am into the beer. This beer is decent but tends to skew more towards a mish mash and is ultimately not memorable. Overall it’s a balanced IPA and worth trying on draft but maybe not committing to a 4-pack. Score: 3 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Chili pepper aroma. Light body with some pine and herbal notes in the flavor. Finishes clean with a lingering bitterness. Score: 3 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Big and green, like fresh poblano peppers. Score: 2.5 / 5

Gigantic Brewing Fresh Hop Pilsner (Average score: 3.66)

Neil Ferguson: Straightforward Pilsner that checks all the boxes and manages to not make a super loud statement. Well worth it. Easydrinking, crisp, and nicely hoppy. Score: 3.5 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Wheat wrapped in green bine aroma. Cracker and lemon flavors with a lingering and clean bitterness. This beer showcases pilsner and fresh hop well. Score: 4 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Fresh Czech pils vibes here that remind me of the classic Victory Prima Pils. Crackerjack corn and honey-nut cheerios with a spritz of lemon and a pinch of hand chopped hoppy herbs. Score: 3.5 / 5

Boss Rambler Beer Cones Brigade (Average score: 3.66)

Neil Ferguson: Bursting with green, this is one of the first Citra offerings you’ll try this year and you might never get to try it since they produced so little. The label is unclear about what is freeze dried versus what are truly fresh hops but that hardly matters. This is a great beer and as much as I’d rather drink fresh hop offerings from Barley Browns and Boneyard on their own, this is a great collaboration. Score: 3.5 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Marshmallow, peach and under ripe raspberry aroma. Soft mouthfeel with muted fruit flavors makes this beer drinkable and balanced. Score: 3.5 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: This gots a bit of everything. Straight off I get that potpourri scent out of an antique store, but it’s only trying to cover up the stench of the potheads who were living there before the estate sale. Digging deep inside that liquid is stone-fruit jelly, concentrated joose, and that OG dankness from someone that didn’t wash their clothes after staying up late playing mario kart and smoking doogies all night. Score: 4 / 5

Living Haus Beer Co. Cole (Average score: 2.83)

Neil Ferguson: Nothing especially striking going on here but nicely bitter. It’s piney and citrusy but something’s off that’s tough to pinpoint and it’s just not a winner. Score: 2.5 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Low strawberry aroma. Light peach and pine needle flavors with a lingering bitterness. Score: 3 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: All of Living Haus beer names are based on historical people, I believe this one is inspired by everyones favorite Maconnaissance character Rusty Cole. Like a True Detective obsessing over every detail, I unearthed a bouquet of northwest hop character with everything from radishes to orange peel hops flavors. Still, I cannot fully unravel the lingering mystery of fresh hops buried into this beer which may or may not have a supernatural bent to them. After all is said and done and the glass is empty, I am not sure I reached a satisfying resolution but nonetheless it was bingable and I am looking forward to the next season. Score: 3 / 5

Ruse Brewing Alient Plant Farm (Average score: 3.66)

Neil Ferguson: Another fun hazy from ruse. Ca, ndied citrus, very good as a hazy but not a ton of fresh hop character. If I had this any other time of year I’d love it, but as a contender in fresh hop land it’s slightly underwhelming. 3.5 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Guava, carrot and light pine aroma. Soft and heavy mouthfeel carries sweetness and some fresh hop green until the end. Finishes smooth and sweet with a slight hop burn. 4 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Nice juiciness of pineapple, guava, orange, from hops and fruity fermentation character. Like the majority of Ruse fresh hops it does come with a little hop burn that some will enjoy, and others find a little distracting. Score: 3.5 / 5

Reuben’s Brews Fresh Hop Hazealacious (Average score: 3.66)

Neil Ferguson: Another installment into the hazy IPAs category that doesn’t showcase a ton of fresh hops which seems to be par for the course unless you’re using citra. That being said, this is a lovely offering that is worthy a try. Score: 3.5 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Raspberry, lemon, O/G aroma. Pineapple and papaya flavors with slight pine underneath. Finishes with fresh hop green notes. Score: 4 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Not a haze boi, but Reuben’s hazies are always worth trying and even moreso when fresh hopped. Hazealicious never disappoints because it brings the juice and the tropics in equal measure, while having plenty of sweetness without being cloying. In this version they just add that extra grassiness which comes with a punch of pine and harvest breeze. Easy to recommend, but just barely short of a higher score because the fresh hops are hard to find. Score: 3.5

TOP 10:

Block 15 Brewing Static Shatter (Average score: 3.83)

Neil Ferguson: This has all hallmarks of a Block 15 beer hop profile with its smattering of hops propping up a nice dose of fresh Strata. Notes of fruity pebbles, tropics, and stone fruit. Nicely crushable and smooth. Score: 4 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Peach and pine with slight mango aroma. Pine and mango flavor, matching the aroma. Clean and well integrated beer. Score: 3.5 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Mandarin baby orange in juice, extracted terpenes from a marijuana tincture, a pile of freshly raked pinecones and leaves on the first day of fall. All flavor associations found buried in the glass of a very NW-style IPA bridging contemporary and classic. Score: 4 / 5

Vice Beer The Fresh Hop Maker (Average score: 3.83)

Neil Ferguson: Super juicy and hard to to get a ton of fresh hop but overall decent. No one element really stands out but if you take it as a whole then this is a perfectly fine ipa. Chinook does lend a bit of pineapple that shines through. Score: 3 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Watermelon, and slight guava aroma. Concentrated pineapple flavor carries into the finish. Sweet and under ripe orange finish with slight hop burn. Score: 4 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Wow, crazy pineapple notes in both smell and taste on this one. Grass and flowers make me want to dance and frolic like Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music. There is some nice pink grapefruit and cotton candy in there too. Tastes like a Hollywood musical production of a successful stageplay. Score: 4.5

Hetty Alice Fresh Hop Italian Pilsner (Average score: 3.83)

Neil Ferguson: Sweet hay notes and a fruity zing in the finish. It steers on the bitter side but that’s what you want from an Italian Pilsner. Fresh hop aroma and greenness is super subtle but that tends to happen with lagers and this is worth a try. Maximum Crispy boi action going on here and refreshing as hell. Score: 4 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Light red apple meat aroma backed up by slight leather. Cherry licorice flavor with high carb brightening up the flavor. Lightly sweet leading into a clean finish. I had this beer a week apart and the second go around was sweeter, brighter and showcased the lager quality as well as the fresh hops. Score: 4 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Slightly sulfury aroma on first whiff gives way to bready, soapy, bright citrus-berry hop character and lightly grassy but not too-vegetal hop flavor. A playful and fun beer to sip that you could also crush without thinking about it. Score: 3.5 / 5

Baerlic Brewing Green Water (Average score: 3.83)

Neil Ferguson: Despite the creatively lacking beer name, this “premium quality” Czech-style lager wallops you with a football field’s worth of fresh grass on the nose. Little bit of spiciness, herbaceous, and nice malt backbone make this a real solid crusher. More or less everything you want in a fresh hop lager and a reminder that Baerlic is one of the best in the game for FH lager. Score: 4 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Fresh grass aroma with light sulphur notes. Clean lager flavor from start to finish. Light and airy mouthfeel with a snappy finish. This tastes like the brewers controlled the beer, not the fresh hops controlling the brewer. Score: 4.5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Powdery flour and floral flavor, light and drinkable with a crackery, toasted rice puffs and phosphorous and green flavor and very light scent. Easy to drink, but doesn’t really amount to much. Score: 3 / 5

Wayfinder Beer Fresh Hop Keller Pils (Average score: 3.83)

Neil Ferguson: Packs a dank hoppy aroma that almost hits like an IPA before you take a sip. Bright and fruit melon notes gives this beer a vibrancy that’s almost but not quite ever overpowered by lingering bitter notes to give it a long finish. While it may not be as crispy and clean as other lagers in this panel, it’s definitely enjoyable for its ability to keep pulling you back into that lagoon of fresh hop green ness. And it’s got none of that swampy chlorophyll. Score: 4 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Aroma of cornmeal and slight under ripe pineapple leaves. Dark wheat and honey flavors throughout. Light and clean fresh hop flavors. Significant carbonation keeps the flavor going until the end. Smooth drinking and intense flavor makes this an enjoyable beer. Score: 4 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Fresh herbal and grassy aromas, I get cilantro, green onion and parsley! Hiding underneath is that doughy-starchy flavor and aromas from young and unfiltered malts, and climbing out from underneath is a fruity gummy bear of flavor. Score: 3.5 / 5

Baerlic Brewing Fresh Hop Pioneer ESB (Average score: 4.0)

Neil Ferguson: Bombshell: Perhaps the hoppiest, most vegetal aroma you’ll experience comes from an ESB. While previous years have been a little more subtle, this year is pulling no punches where that grassy, garlicky meadow of delight truly shines on the light, malty foundation of this beer. Never thought I’d say this but if you want the full fresh hop experience, seek this out. This ain’t really an ESB but this is the kind of crazy beer you show to someone who wants to know what makes a fresh hop beer so different. Score: 5 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Lime, corn and white tea aroma. Light body with fresh, green leaf flavor.  Some nice cracker flavor and salinity throughout. Score: 3.5 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Refreshing change of pace from the bitter and veggie-like punches of the early season fresh hops. Pioneer ESB is a regular rotation British-style ale that is perfection in it’s relative dullness but made clean and cool again with a fresh hop makeover, like a single dad with a stylish new girlfriend. Tasting notes: dark and toasted whole grain seeded-bread, light caramel, rich hop flavor integrated well that is undestracting. Score: 3.5 / 5

Sunriver Brewing Fresh Hop Vicious Mosquito (Average score: 4.16)

Neil Ferguson: Most of us know and love this beer as a quintessential Northwest IPA and this version is somehow a major departure while keeping the foundation in tact. The balance and strong caramel malt is in tact but there is a refreshed zinging radiance to the hop character. Score: 4.5  / 5

Nicole Kasten: Lemon, rose and slight pine aroma. Clean, crisp mouthfeel with a balanced pine and grapefruit flavor. This tastes like a fresh hop version of the original beer. Score: 4.5 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Lightly seedy marijuana notes in a quaffable pale ale base. Light on the tongue but with plenty of flavor and balance. Won’t knock your socks off but does no wrong. Score: 3.5 / 5

Sunriver Brewing Fresh Hop Bondi Beach Party (Average score: 4)

Neil Ferguson: This beer isn’t as impressive as Vicious Mosquito but it’s super well done and very accessible. It’s always fun when breweries take their flagships and flip them with their fresh hop version and this is a clean worthy riff on the OG. Score: 3.5 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Peach, guava and cotton candy aroma. Slight mango with intense peach and pine flavors. Very clean beer that finishes with with fresh hop lingering green. Score: 4 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Accomplishes the near-impossible of keeping the best elements of a non-fresh contemporary IPA with it’s tropical fruit and citrus, plus flowery and kilned zesty hop flavors and moderate bitterness, with the tongue tingling fresh hop pop of bright kumquat and dank oil that is so illusive to capture in a beer. Score: 4.5 / 5

Trap Door Brewing Co-Hop (Average score: 3.83)

Neil Ferguson: Almost a horseradish peppery note and the Strata also lends those dank cannabis notes to give this a nice mouth-numbing quality. This is a super solid offering that straddles the line between West Coast and Northwest ipa. Celebrate your farmers with this vegetal beauty. Score: 3.5  / 5

Nicole Kasten: Resin, pine and low carmelt aromas. Bright, green concentrated flavor with a medium and smooth mouthfeel. Some pleasant savory notes throughout. It finished clean with pleasant lingering bitterness. Score: 4 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: I always enjoy when you get that fruity powdered sugar flavor/aroma off of a hazy that reminds me of lemon bars or pound cake, and this is it. If that doesn’t conjure up memories for you, think ground up sweet-tarts candy or smarties. This one also has pleasant apricot, bubblegum, mint, and coconut notes that make for a more complex and enoyable beer that may not be hazy, but has the elements of a really good hazy that I enjoy without the overly-sweet and sometimes hop burn character that comes with the worst examples. Score: 4 / 5

Little Beast Brewing Fresh Hop Pine Top (Average score: 4.33)

Neil Ferguson: This is a true fresh hop lover’s beer and close to perfect in most ways. Clean, clear West Coast IPA that’s got a delightfully dry finish with the optimal amount of greenness, nicely balanced with the malt but letting the hops shine. Lives up to its name and absolutely fucks. Score: 4.5 / 5

Nicole Kasten: Light pine and resin aroma with some citrus notes. Earthy flavor with a clean minerality. Very dry finish. The aroma and flavor match and this beer is harmonious. While I try not to over use that word, harmonious is the best word for this beer experience. Score: 4.5 / 5

Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Maybe the best clear-cut fresh hop version of a classic American IPA that I have had this season. As the name implies you get the piny notes that are both green and kind of woody and rich forest-like at the same time as bitter citrus, and earthy but balanced bitterness that made the American IPA so popular in the aughts’. Score: 4 / 5