SIERRA NEVADA - Harvest Series - Southern Hemisphere Review

SIERRA NEVADA - Southern Hemispere - Harvest

Type: American IPA

ABV: 6.8%

Color: Translucent amber-brown with a tinge of red to add a little uniqueness. The head poured thick, creamy, tan, and lasting.

Aroma: Nicely Hoppy...Alot of hop nose, but not too much as too make you turn your head like with some other beers. A slight hint of spice tingles the back of the throat.

Taste: Tingly and bitter with a nice amount of dryness, i take it that, that is from the earthy hops the beer was focused on. A note of citrus rings through(most like lemon). The dryness holds the tongue firmly, not letting go til the next swig. The end finishes buttery and again helps the dryness hold on for some time.

Overall: It pours nice and has what i like...Bitter, and Dry. There is a little off-balance action going on, nothing to pull your attention, but it is there. I mean there is Bitter, and Dry, but I really don't get much malt action at all. I actually enjoy that this time around and that might be what makes this brew different. It could be over-enjoyed if not paying attention, that is how easy it goes down. Another fine product from Sierra Nevada.

Score: 8.8/10

"Brew at the Zoo" Brewfest Quick thoughts and observations

Coming back from the Maryland Zoo's "Brew at the Zoo" brewfest this Memorial Day weekend, I figured I post some observations I noticed while there.

First, the collection of Microbrewers in attendance was of quality brewers such as Stone, Ommegang, Magic Hat, and Dogfish Head, and a favorite of mine Oliver Ales. But it also didn't include such notable local Baltimore area brewers, and one of my overall favorites Heavy Seas(Clipper City) and Duclaw. They did make their way to a different fest in Frederick, Md though. It's ashame, and no offense to the Springfest, but alot of the proceeds to the Brew at the Zoo go directly to the Zoo(which is in need of the funding), so I think they deserved a representation from those two breweries specifically.

When arriving to the fest, we were quickly throught the gates to get our glass and age verification. After that the walk started with a kids play zone and some retail dealers selling fake pandora beads and personalized wooden barrels for home brewing(they were both overpriced). Up the hill were food stands, and more food retail dealers with sauces and such. Finally we headed down to the tasting area.

At the tasting area we skipped through the breweries and tried one type from each of them. Most of the beers there have already been tried and even reviewed by myself. I was a little disappointed with most of the offerings with regards to selection not quality. I would expect these breweries to bring at least one each of a unique or harder to find beer to the public to try out. Don't get me wrong, a few did bring some specials:

Oliver Breweries Ltd.(Baltimore, Maryland) -  "Iron Man IPA" - Which I'm gonna get a Growler of this week to review. This is a fresh brew that was finished just a week before the fest.

Evolution Craft Brewing(DelMar, Delaware) - "Summer Session" - This I have tried at the brewery, and reviewed. Good choice because they made it in limited quantity and it wasn't getting bottled for regional distribution.

Ommegang(Cooperstown,NY) - "RARE VOS Amber Ale" - I haven't heard of this one nor have I seen it anywhere in the region, so it was a good addition as well as a good beer.

We went through the 12 or so breweries in attendance then proceeded to the "Grilled Cheese Co." a new upstart "idea"...BCT - Bacon Cheese and Tomato(was so, so) & Crabby Melt - Crab meat and cheese(so so also). Nice niche concept but i don't think it will survive. I could an do make better Grilled Cheeses at home.

After some grub went back for a second round of brew and to cast my votes for best of fest. I gladly added six of my eight vote tickets to Evolution Craft Brewery booth.  All of the beers are top quality, but the "Summer Session" is worth the drive to Delmar, Delaware. Light, refreshing, with citrus and rye popping through. If you can check it out, it is worth the drive. My review is here: EVOLUTION CRAFT BREWING - "SUMMER SESSION"

I also put two votes in for Stone Brewing Co. - "Oak-Aged Arrogant Bastard" & Dogfish Head -"Aprihop".

The crowd was very docile and polite...not a total surprise, but with (unlimited)drinking, you never know what to expect. After the second tour of the beer booths we went out to see the animals of the zoo. Also a nice experience as always.

So all in all, it was a good fest. Great weather, good brews and good people. 

Score: 9.2/10