Fresh Hop Beer

Notater

These ales or lagers are brewed with freshly harvested hops, typically no more than 72 hours prior to being added. Such hops might be undried fresh or frozen cones or ground material, or freshly kilned dried cones or pellets. Due to the large volume of plant material these beers encounter during the brewing and/or conditioning process, they should exhibit some perceptible chlorophyllic character, mouthfeel, and/or texture that should be harmonious with base style characteristics. These beers distinctly highlight the fresh hops used and are typically consumed while fresh to maximize the bright fresh hop attributes. Aging these beers will typically modify and reduce fresh-hop characters resulting in unique flavor outcomes. Within the framework of these guidelines, Fresh Hop India Pale Ales are classified as Fresh Hop Beers rather than Experimental India Pale Ales. Competition organizers may create subcategories for ales and lagers, or which reflect groups of entries based on fresh hops in unprocessed, frozen, or kilned form. When using these guidelines as the basis for evaluating entries at competitions, brewers may be asked to provide supplemental information about entries in this category to allow for accurate evaluation of diverse entries. Such information might include the underlying beer style upon which the entry is based, or other information unique to the entry such as hop varieties used, unprocessed, frozen, or kilned, processing or timing of addition(s) (kettle, whirlpool, fermenter, aging tank, etc.), other ingredients used or other factors which influence perceived sensory outcomes.