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Simcoe Harvest Wet Hop IPA

Posted September 28, 2016

Category: Beer News, Beers

Simcoe Harvest Wet Hop IPA

Brewed to coincide with the harvest of Simcoe hops, Simcoe Harvest Wet Hop IPA is a draft-only Smokestack Series Limited Release beer that will begin being delivered in the Greater Kansas City Area starting on Monday, October 3rd. Regions that normally see Smokestack Series Limited Release drafts should expect to see Simcoe Harvest Wet Hop IPA in the coming weeks, but it’s important to note that we do not have access to our distributors’ delivery schedules and will be unable to confirm when the beer is available near you. Additionally, we are not able to confirm specific launch dates outside the Greater Kansas City Area.

Most beers we brew are hopped using pelletized hops. The pellets are formed from hop cones that have been picked, kilned and cooled. The kilning process typically reduces the moisture content of the hop cones from 70% to 10-12%. Hops that have not undergone this kilning or drying process that are shipped straight to breweries for use (typically) within 36 hours are referred to as wet hops. We received the wet Simcoe hops and immediately incorporated them into Simcoe Harvest IPA on our brewhouse, adding them to the wort near the end of the boil to extract oils to deliver huge flavor and aroma while also adding a slight grassy/green character.

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The malt base for Simcoe Harvest Wet Hop IPA is incredibly simple, composed solely of European pilsner malt, to allow maximum opportunity for the Simcoe hops to shine. In addition to the wet hops added on the hot side (during brewing), the beer was also dry-hopped with Simcoe pellets. Dry-hopping refers to the process of adding hops to the beer after the brewhouse, typically near the end of fermentation. Hopping while the beer is cold results in an extraction of beautiful aroma/flavor oils while not adding additional bitterness to the beer.

With bright aromas of berry and pine, Simcoe Harvest Wet Hop IPA opens with a subtle grassy/green flavor that transitions to apricot, woodsy and earthy notes followed by crisp bready/crackery malt. At 7.5% ABV and 56 IBUs, Simcoe Harvest IPA is our ode to the beauty of freshly picked Simcoe hops.

- Jeremy Danner, Ambassador Brewer