The lovely hops have bloomed!
Beautiful hop creations were introduced.
The hop harvest season was good to all of us brewsky loving, imbibers.
I made way this year to the Portland Fresh Hops Festival!
http://oregoncraftbeer.org/events/freshhopsfest/
With the hubs in tow, I was pumped!
Good times were had beneath the beautiful oak trees, along the lovely Willamette river.
With absolute glee, the fresh hop tastings began.
I felt like a kid in a candy store.
I started my initial taste with 'The Green Pig', by Coalition Brewing. YOWZA! A kick in the taste pallet. The Wet Cascades were like fresh slop to my taste buds. Big, bold, a little slippery, full of robust fragrance.
Thank you Coalition for starting me off right with a 4oz. Pour of pure OINK!!! http://www.coalitionbrewing.com
From there, I headed on down to the Ecliptic side of the playing field.
I was pumped with anticipation.
Altair Fresh Hop. John Harris's brews always fall onto my pallet like a shooting star.
He scored on this fresh hop selection. Perhaps those Meridian hops were picked with just the ideal gravitational pull. In sync with the mystifying grain moon, found only during the month of August. This Pale Ale was in a galaxy all of its own!
I went back for a full pour on this freshness. Thank you Ecliptic!
http://eclipticbrewing.com
Next up, I popped in for a pour from the Lucky Lab, where the beautiful Margaret, was pouring.
She served up some homegrown goodness.
The Mutt.
Bold. With a bite that any good, protective mutt would deliver.
There really is something sacred in folks coming together, growing their own hops, and uniformly contributing them to create a FRESH hop brew. The entire ideology that came forward, with this Lucky Lab, Fresh Hop Mutt mix, felt like home. Cheers!
http://luckylab.com
The final fresh hop creation that took my taste buds for a loop was the Widmer pour.
Fresh Hop Hefe. She came in like a warm Summer wind.
The fall equinox is creeping. I find myself holding on to every last bit of Portland Summer I can wrap my memories around. The Willamette fresh hop induction sent this Hefe spin straight to sunshine, happy times for this lass.
http://m.widmerbrothers.com/beer/
Widmer Beer. One of the OG homies of P-town. I will always have a tender place for them in my heart.
They've created quite the playing field here in Oregon, where all craft beer is celebrated.
Fall is upon us now.
Cooler temps. Lustrous foliage, and oh so many cozy brews. Looking forward.
Until the next episode. Sail on!
-The Brew Lass
