
Fresh-picked hops at Billy Goat Farm in Montrose. Photo courtesy of Austin Studio Denver
Once a year, the hops gods deliver a truly unique beer to Colorado breweries.
What to know: It features hops — the much-hyped flavoring element in beer — fresh from the bine, often within 24 hours of being picked.
- Because each harvest varies, every year's edition is a different flavor exploration.
The intrigue: A panel of beer experts — Axios Denver's John Frank included — gathered Tuesday for a blind tasting of 16 fresh hop (also known as wet hop) beers made by Colorado breweries.
- The entries covered the entire range of styles, from pilsners to IPAs, but the best had a punch of fresh fruit flavors from the hops without being too bitter.
The results: The top three finishers:
- Comrade Superdamp, the fresh-hopped version of the Superpower IPA, both multi-award winning beers
- Station 26's fresh-hopped Juicy Banger IPA
- Ratio's wet-hopped Antidote IPA
John's picks: Two other favorites were Outer Range's Strata Gems, a fresh-hopped hazy double IPA with strawberry hop flavor, and Odell's Strata Fresh Hop IPA.
The bottom line: Now's a great time to visit your local brewery and try the freshness.

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