Hop Knife Harvest Ale by Troegs Brewing Company
Trying a seasonal brew from a local brewery today. I am trying a brew from Troegs Brewing Company, they are located in Hershey, Pennsylvania. I have tried a brew from Troegs before on the blog and that was Troegenator. I am trying Hop Knife Harvest Ale today. Hop Knife has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 6.2 and an IBU or bitterness of 87. Looking at the IBU of this beer, I think I took more than I could handle but I figured let's expand the palate. According to Troegs website, 'Hop Knife Harvest Ale recognizes the meticulous, time-honored tradition of hand-harvesting hops at the peak of maturity'. I am curious to see how hand harvesting at their peak maturity plays an impact on this brew.
Appearance of Hop Knife
Looking at this brew I am curious to see what is Hop Knife and what is behind this brew. The color to me looks like two different colors, first you notice the amber tint to the brew. Then the beer almost has a deep golden color to it, in certain light. There is a nice quarter inch of foam or head the top of the glass. In addition the foam or head has a thick appearance to it and has a steady stream of carbonation adding to it. The head or foam has great retention and adds to the enjoyment of the brew. Aroma is an part of beer that can be hit or miss and can make people either like or dislike what they are drinking. The aroma I pick up from this brew is a citrus and a bitter hop aroma. Based off of the aroma and the IBU this makes me think this brew is like an India Pale Ale. Which makes sense considering the handpicking of mature hops and the name of the beer.
Taste of this brew is where I might get alittle confused or not pick out as much, because of the hop notes. I think the more and more I drink this brew I pick up on the tiny subtleties of each hop used in the beer. Cascade, Centennial, Citra, Chinook, El Dorado, Columbus each have their own uniqueness and I think that Hop Knife brings out each of their uniqueness out in this brew. There is a citrus note while drinking this and I think that you do notice the high IBU but it not overpowering, which allows you to still enjoy the brew if you are not into hops. Hand Picking the hops at their maturity really comes through in the taste of Hop Knife. Hop knife is light and very drinkable. I really enjoyed this brew from start to finish.
Troegs Hop Knife Harvest Ale
If you really are looking for a nice harvest ale and enjoy hops this Hop Knife is for you. I also think that if you are looking to try a good hop beer this is also a beer you can try. For me as not a big hop fan, I did enjoy this beer, I think this was a stepping stone to trying more hop heavy or bitter beers. Make sure you get this brew while you still can, this is a seasonal brew and it is only available from August to October.
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