Oregon’s Full Sail Brewing is one of the nation’s oldest craft breweries and while it is a brewery we can count on for innovation, it’s also a company we know will continue to brew the popular beers we love, both regular and seasonal. One seasonal offering I always look forward to is Full Sail’s fresh hop offering and this year’s batch is already brewed and ready to drink. The beer is 8 Pound Pale Fresh Hop Ale and Brewmaster Jamie Emmerson says it’s a perfect example of the important relationship between a brewery and mother nature.
“As brewers we are always reliant on nature’s bounty, from the quality of the barley harvest to how the hops weathered through the Oregon summer, but no moment brings this relationship into sharper focus than our fresh hop beers,” says Emmerson. “When we brew with fresh hops, timing is everything. There’s such a small window to take advantage of these fresh hops. We need to get them to the brewery within hours of picking while their oils and resins are still at their peak as there are distinct flavors and aromas that you can only get brewing with fresh hops.”
Full Sail’s fresh hop offering changes each year, due to the fact that hops and hop harvests also change. This year’s harvest resulted in excellent Magnum hops, loaded with juiciness and a slight note of anise. The hops were used to brew 8 Pound Pale Fresh Hop Ale, contributing aromas/flavors such as lemon and spice to a beer that still maintains a rich malty body. Full Sail Brewmaster Jim Kelter says the annual ritual is great for beer lovers and highly anticipated by brewery personnel.
“Every fall we look forward to brewing a fresh hop beer to celebrate the hop harvest,” says Full Sail Brewmaster Jim Kelter. “It takes five to seven times more hops to brew a fresh hop beer. We use eight pounds of fresh hops per barrel to brew this beer but it’s absolutely worth it.”
8 Pound Fresh Hop Ale will be released as part of Full Sail’s Brewmaster Reserve series and will be packaged in 12 oz. bottles and on draft. The 5.6 percent alcohol and 54 IBU beer will only be available from late September through October, so get it while you can and enjoy the incredible flavor imparted by freshly picked Magnum hops.
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