WHAT A SERVICEABLE HOP TRIP IT'S BEEN

Careful readers will know that I used the word "serviceable" another time I reviewed a DESCHUTES BREWING beer - the Cinder Cone Red Ale some months ago - and I guess that sorta disappoints me, because I used to think their beer was so much more than "serviceable". But perhaps I've just been seeking out and finding the best of the best recently, and while eveything Deschutes touches is far better than average, beers like Cinder Cone and this new HOP TRIP HARVEST ALE are only "good enough". Hop Trip is noteworthy because it's the first fresh hop beer I've ever tasted. This is a style gathering much attention lately, and I have to admit I was pretty excited to give it a whirl. Read about it more in this Wall Street Journal piece.

Anyway, HOP TRIP has a very classic pale ale taste to it and it extremely crisp. There was this sort of murkiness and deep, cloudy taste to it that was interesting, and very different than most beer I've had. Not "light" but not overwhleming either. There was no head whatsoever - it dissapated before it even got going. And yeah, of course it was hoppy but not like an IPA at all. I guess you could color me disappointed, but not so much that I can't still give it a 7/10, which is pretty effin' good, right?