Butte Creek Fresh Hop Organic India Pale Ale

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

From a 22 oz bottle this poured a reddish amber with an off-white head and good lacing. Nose of caramel malts and floral hops. Flavor is malts and floral hop again. Medium bitter finish. Nice IPA.

Thanks to SamuraiArtist for forwarding this one. My love of the fresh hop style right now is going to result in a higher rating here. Clear brown color with a faint red hue. Grass and straw aroma. Flavor is very similar and dominated by the fresh hops. Light body that could use a little more back bone but for a straight IPA, I’ll give it a chance. The hops make this one seem bigger than I think it really is.

Clear brown. Sticky hop aroma with some caramel. A little sticky with some fresh cracked pepper. This really tasted bigger than 6.6%.

Name: Fresh Hop
Date: 11/24/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

clear dark amber, wispy beige head, bits of drippy lace, sweet caramel and crystal malt aroma with soft floral hops, sweet crystal malt flavor, well balanced with floral hops, lasting bitterness,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.1/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4
-------- /> Name: Fresh Hop
Date: 12/15/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party

clear dark amber, wispy off white head, drippy lace, sweet crystal malt aroma with earthy hops and a strong solvent character, mostly dry caramel malt flavor, lots of earthy hops to balance the caramel keeping it dry, just a touch of sweetness, light bitterness lasts into the finish,

Aroma: 3/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 2.7/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: *4

Auburn pour, average white head. Fragrant floral aroma, pine, sap, grass, and some grapefruit and earth. The taste unfortunately did not follow through. Nice hoppiness, grapefruit, resin; but the earthy/dirty/sour malt ruined the clean hop taste. Seems like this is a common problem among the "organics." Maybe if the malt and funk was toned down, this would have been much better.

Bomber. Nicely balanced aroma of floral hop and caramel malt. Red tinged amber color with a beige head that looks decent. Thin to medium body with fizzy/creamy carbonation. The flavor starts roasted brown malty, and the floral hop is not quite enough to wholly balance it. The hop is a bit sharp though, and it builds in the mouth, so by the finish it is holding it’s own. After awhile there does seem to be a grapefruit note. Pretty good ale. I don’t think they skimped on ingredients.

On draft at O’Briens Wet Hop Festival, under the name of Butte Creek "Sustainable Harvest", but I’m pretty certain it’s the same beer. Arrived a clear ruddy amber color with a asmall beige head that left spotty lace. Nice malt character, toasty with hints of brown sugar and crisp, lightly floral hops. Smooth flavor, burnt toffee and spicy floral and herbal hops. Medium body and easy carbonation. Like a couple of others, I initially had this pegged as an APA.

Bottle from Tj’s. Pours is amber with dark edges and a pillowy off-white head that is retained. Nose has a lot of grapefruit and some floral aspects, slightly grassy. Earthy, dirty malt flavor with an harsh bitterness in the finish. What a letdown. I actually enjoyed the double ipa from Butte Creek, but this really lacks any character and doesnt even taste that fresh. Thank God it was only about tree fitty.