Fresh hop season is well and truly upon us now, with a deluge of fresh releases landing day by day. It’s been less a case of hunting them out and more one of deciding what to choose…
The beginning of the season usually means a lot of hazy beers in the first wave while the brights are still conditioning, but with Hoptimus Prime, Eddyline has bucked that trend and somehow gotten this West Coast-style IPA out the door already.
Driven by the power couple of fresh Nelson Sauvin and Nectaron from Mac Hops, it delivers hugely pungent aromas of pineapple, gooseberry and tomato leaf, with sweeter mango tropicals on the end. The palate is clean and exceptionally tight, with the juicy malt and cleansing bitterness providing the perfect platform for the magnificent display of lush fresh hop goodness.
With an insane drinkability to boot, I think this one is going to hang on as my favorite release long into the season. Perhaps even to the end? Wouldn’t that be remarkable…
