There are two kinds of fresh hop beer. Those brewed the hard way with nothing but fresh cones, and those brewed the easy way, where an otherwise conventionally hopped beer is exposed to fresh cones in the dry-hop. Fresh AF from Brothers Beer (Auckland) is somewhere in the middle, and quite possibly harnesses the best of both approaches. Fresh AF is brewed with a mix of fresh Riwaka cones (and goodness has that hop been on a tear this season) and T-90 Pellets straight off the production line from the same harvest. The aroma is restrained and elegant, with sweet citrus, grassy herbaceousness and just a hint of white jasmine tea. The palate is where the bigger flavours are revealed, with the juicy malt, lively hop character and finely balanced bitterness all melding into a strikingly aromatic lime marmalade that lingers long into the finish. Fantastic IPA, and not the first time I’ve tasted a great result from the application of ‘new’ rather than explicitly ‘fresh’ hops — see my review on Sprig + Fern Sprig Oast House Party — and if any brewers are reading, get in there while the pellets are still fresh!
