Big and rich, and fresh

No-Li ’s new Fresh Hop IPA isn’t exactly your typical fresh hop beer.

At 7.6 percent alcohol by volume, it’s considerably bigger than the other local offerings. And while Simcoe seems particularly popular this year , the No-Li version is all piney, spicy Chinooks – in quantities copious enough (90 International Bitterness Units) to offset the substantial malt body.

“When deciding which fresh hops to showcase, our partners at Hollingberry and Son (in Yakima) told us that the Chinook hops were at the top of their game this season,” said Brittany Dern, No-Li’s sales and marketing manager.

The deep amber beer, which went on tap today at the Spokane pub, is rich and complex. An initial Munich malt breadiness gives way to a pronounced caramel malt sweetness, followed by a piney, resiny, spicy hop finish that lingers long in the mouth.

It’s sort of like a supercharged, all-Chinook Born & Raised IPA – which certainly is a good thing in my book.

Look for it on draft now at the pub – where it warrants its more elegant presentation in a snifter – and soon at accounts throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The Lantern Tap House will be pouring it, along with a slew of other fresh hop beers from Spokane and beyond, at their second annual Freshtival from Thursday through Saturday.