Butte Creek Fresh Hop Organic India Pale Ale

Brewed by Butte Creek Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Chico, California USA

Bottle. Clear and reddish brown in colour with a white head. Somewhat unbalanced with notes of vegetables, raisins, fruit, pepper, red berries, light malty.

Pours a dark, slightly red amber color with a medium frothy white head. Aroma is oranges and apricots, honey, and of course, hops. The hops smell fresh enough, but there is a bit of a stinky earthy smell is the background as well. The flavor is very rich with molasses and apricot. Not much citrus in the flavor. Some bitter hops in the aftertaste. Medium bodied, creamy mouthfeel. Not bad, but it’s a bit too rich for me.

No date on this bottle. Pours dark amber with a decent off-white head. Good amount of lacing. Aroma was pretty minimal for a fresh hop brew. Good piney hops with lots of sweet roasted malts. A bit earthy overall. Would like to try a fresher example.

Bottle at home - tasting. Clear red/brown - white head. Vegetables, resin, fruity, peppery, wierd, red berries, light malty, light light sweetness. A bit unbalanced.

Pours a clear brown with a tanned head. Quite sour (hoppy). Lots of bittering hops. Aromas of pine and resin. Hint of earth. Harsh bitter finish. Not-so-good hopsprofile and too hoppy.

22 ounce bottle purchased from the Davis Food Co-Op, I think. Aroma is a little musty, cardboardy, with some pine hints. A little spiciness. Really, a disappointing aroma. Attractive transparent copper body with a nice, frothy, light yellow head that leaves good lacing. Start is a little sweet, musty, and tastes kinda old. Middle had lots of roastiness and some resiny hop flavors. Burnt pine hop flavors in the finish. I frequent the store that sold me this quite often and this is the first time I have seen this beer there, which is why I purchased it. I am wondering why a fall harvest beer like this is being put on the shelves 4-6 months after the fact? I will definitely need to re-visit this beer, as it is not in its prime and I certainly don’t detect any fresh or wet hops.

Amber coloured, clear beer, nice thick ,semi-creamy lite tan head. Hoppy aroma but backed up by toffeeish maltiness, quite pleasing. Pretty balanced taste with the creamy soft toffee malts blending well with a floral hoppiness, the hops do take over as expected near the end and leave a pleasant after taste. Very nice on the palate, thick and creamy for the style. Overall a nice drinkable IPA.

22oz bottle from bottletrek.com Poured a rusty caramel color. Not as much in your face floral hop aroma as other Fresh Hop IPA’s I’ve had. A very clean finish with a nice malty backdrop.