Next up in my quick format fresh hop beer reviews, three Central Oregon fresh hop IPAs.

Cascade Lakes Brewing – Koosah Fresh Hop IPA

No Sizzle Juice fresh hop ale this year from Cascade Lakes, it’s been replaced with Koosah, named for Koosah Falls on the McKenzie River. I included a bit about this beer in my latest article for The Bulletin that came out last week; I’d emailed brewer Ryan Schmiege some questions as I was working with the article, and here’s what he told me about Koosah:

This is a new beer this year, right? Does that mean no more Sizzle Juice?

Both of our fresh hop offerings this year, Koosah and Watkins, are new beers; no more Sizzle Juice. Koosah is our fresh hop IPA made with Centennial hops from Goschie Farms in Silverton Oregon. Koosah is available on draught at our pubs and in 16oz. cans in stores.

How did you use the hops with Koosah– hot side, cold side, etc.?

We put the hops in our lauter tun using it like a hop back and ran the hot wort through the hops just before cooling into the fermenter.

It’s 6.1% ABV with 60 IBUs. Canned on August 31, I drank it on September 17. Notes:

Golden copper color, good white head. Aroma is mellow and “green” with some light spicy garden greens, some hop stems, and some mustard seed. Flavor is brightly bitter with savory herbs and… bitterbrush? Is that a thing? I don’t know but I like it. It leans heavily into this bitterness—earthy and wild greens and light spice (not quite peppery, but close). Pleasant with a “digestif” quality in this herbal bitterness.

Three Creeks Brewing – Conelick’r Fresh Hop IPA

In 2020, this beer won the gold medal at the GABF for the “Fresh Hop Beer” category, because yes, it’s a good beer! Three Creeks posted about it this year:

Every year, our brewers make multiple early morning runs to BC Hop Ranch in Woodburn, OR to bring 300+ lbs per batch of fresh Centennial Hops from vine to kettle in just a few hours, maximizing the indescribable flavors and aromas packed into every pint.

The abundance of hop resins create a subtle spiciness, along with the classic orange-rind and floral notes of fresh Centennial hops. Harvest only comes once a year, so don’t miss your chance to bring home this award winning beer.

It’s 6.8% ABV with no note on IBUs. Packaged on September 9, I drank it on September 18. My notes:

Bright brassy copper with a creamy white head. Resinous aroma with a touch of pine needles and some orange rind. Big spicy flavor with citrus oil and fresh grapefruit pith/peel. A hint of wet leaves, compost, though not detrimentally so; perhaps a touch of green bell pepper. Great malt character too. Really good and appealing.

Bend Brewing Company – Fresh Trop Fresh Hop IPA

This is the fresh hop version of BBC’s Tropic Pines IPA, brewed with fresh Simcoe hops. It also featured in my last article, and I’d emailed brewer Zach Beckwith regarding it:

How did you use fresh hops in each of these beers?
I am a militant proponent of using fresh hops on the “hot side”. We utilize our mash tun as a hopback and run the hot wort from the whirlpool onto the fresh hops and then knock out into the fermenter.

I know you favor hot-side additions with fresh hops; do you also incorporate dry hop/cold side additions at all?
We typically use a small dry hop addition of pellets on our fresh hop IPAs and pales, it helps accentuate the fresh hops.

Do you have a favorite hop that really shines when used fresh?
We’ve had great results with the Simcoe from BC Hop Ranch. This will be our 3rd season using them in our Fresh Trop. I have also historically been a big fan of Crystal as a fresh hop but they are harvested so late it’s tough to get a beer through before customers have moved on from fresh hop season but we were able to use some really nice ones from Goschie Farms in our Bines That Shine Fresh Hop Red this year.

Fresh Trop is 6.5% ABV with 65 IBUs. Packaged September 17, I drank it on September 18—I recommend drinking them only one day old, if you can manage! My thoughts:

Gold color, pretty clear, with an ample white lacy head. Getting fruit in the aroma along with a little sweatiness; mango, cantaloupe/melon, papaya—with a very ripe, rich, almost-starting-to-rot sweet aroma. Flavor is full of clean bitterness with a fresh savory herb note; hint of eucalyptus. Great malts, rich and very tasty. Does get some more sweatiness as it warms.