Even more Bend fresh hop beers to share, with a wider variety of hops than last time (since the previous three were all hopped with Strata).

Bridge 99 Brewery – Fresh Hop IPA

Bridge 99 brewed one fresh hop beer this year, with fresh Cascade and Chinook hops from Tumalo Hops; the only local brewery I’m aware of that went ultra-local sourcing its hops (all others went to the Willamette Valley, Yakima, etc.).

It’s 5% ABV with 50 IBUs. I picked up a fresh crowler on September 23 and drank it September 25. My notes:

Clear, bright, copper-gold color with nicely lacy white head. There’s a nice fruity aroma that’s a bit stone fruit, a bit candied citrus. Some nice graininess too. It’s spicy (like mustard or radish greens) with a big bitter presence that takes over the back of the throat, almost to the point of astringency. Scotch broom?

Boss Rambler Beer Club – The Fresh Fresh Centennial West Coast IPA

The third and final of Boss Rambler’s fresh hop releases, this one was hopped with fresh Centennial hops. It was my favorite of the three from the brewery.

It’s 6.8% ABV, no idea about IBUs. Canned on September 17, I drank it September 27. Notes:

Clear, bright gold. Spicy, sweaty hop aroma with citrus and crushed sorrel. Minty-fresh, lightly piney, with a touch of cedar and broiled/bruleed grapefruit. Spicy greens, perhaps a hint of tobacco. Also the base is just a really nice IPA with good malt body. Tasty.

Worthy Brewing – Hop Gusher Fresh Hop IPA

Worthy is the only local brewery to use Comet hops in both of its fresh hop releases. And unless I missed something, Worthy didn’t brew a fresh hop beer this year with hops picked from its own property, which is a shame. As for Hop Gusher, here’s the description from Untappd:

Brewed with over 100 pounds of freshly-picked Willamette Valley Comet hops, this IPA gushes with huge cantaloupe, passion fruit, and grapefruit flavor. The bursting dank, resinous aroma takes you directly to harvest day.

It’s 5% ABV with 44 IBUs. I picked up a fresh can off draft (basically a 16-ounce crowler) on September 27, and drank it that same day. My notes:

Hazy yellow-gold appearance. Catty aroma for a first impression, earthy, dank, slight whiffs of rotting compost. Flavor is thin and grassy, with wet leaves and a slightly oaky bitterness. Slight taste of vegetal decay at the edges, moldy grass-ish. Some notes of fruit rind, bay leaf, a very very mild peppery note.