Later this week, Americans will gather with their families and celebrate Thanksgiving. The holiday has become a bacchanalia of feasting, football, and if you’re fortunate, falling asleep on the couch. It started of course as way for people to give thanks for the successful harvest and the resulting bounty that would sustain them through the lean winter ahead.
So what better way to celebrate the day than with a wet hopped beer that utilizes the freshest ingredients from the hop harvest? Founders Brewing Company in Michigan produces many a stellar beer including their Harvest Ale:
This liquid dream pours a hazy golden straw color with a white, two-finger head. Your first sip rewards you with a super juicy hop presence bursting with fresh citrus, then finishes to introduce toasted malt undertones.
Four-pack of 12oz bottles goes for $9.99 (if you can still find ‘em). Follows the usual Founders look with a label featuring succulently fresh hops.
ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 7.6%
COLOR (0-2): Golden brown. 2
AROMA (0-2): Floral and citrusy hop aromas with a touch of sweetness. 2
HEAD (0-2): White color with good volume and lacing. 2
TASTE (0-5): Follows the nose with big hop pop and more subdued malt flavors that provide just enough balance. It has a bitter edge and a clean, crisp finish. Decently carbonated with a medium body. Quite drinkable and the alcohol is not all that apparent. 4
AFTERTASTE (0-2): Bitterness lingers nicely before slowly fading out. 2
OVERALL (0-6): Like almost everything Founders makes, this is a damn fine beer. The hop flavors are fresh and full without going over the top. Founders Harvest Ale is definitely one of my favorite wet hopped beers of the season. 4
TOTAL SCORE (0-19): 16
