Juicy Harvest

Juicy Harvest by Upland Brewing Co. was judged as a 14B ( American IPA ) according to the BJCP Guidelines.  The aroma of this beer was very subtle considering that this is an I.P.A. - a very hoppy beer both in aroma and flavor.  I got a light hint of pineapples in the nose which made it very tropical.  The appearance of this beer was that it was very hazy and cloudy with a nice carbonation level.  The color was a light yellow and very milky in color - very beautiful.  The flavor of this beer was well balanced between the malt and hops.  Again, the flavor had a tropical component that revealed a subtle pineapple flavors.  The hop bitterness was very smooth and well balanced.  Some IPA's the hop bitterness can be a little assertive, but this was not the case.  The hop bitterness came off as somewhat subtle and smooth, but still retained that criteria of being an IPA.  This beer was ' wet hopped. '  Most hops are dried in a kiln and then shipped off to breweries.  This beer is made with fresh hops that were NOT dried, but rather picked very fresh.  Being close to the hop farm is essential as time is a factor in making this beer.  Once the hops are picked from the vines they are shipped ' fresh ' to the breweries to ensure that the hop flavors are retained for brewing.   The mouthfeel and body of this beer was medium.  it had a very nice creaminess due to the right level of carbonation.  The overall impression of this beer is that it is very well balanced with hints of tropical fruit (pineapple) and the bitterness was very smooth.  Because of this factor this beer can be drunk in large quantities.