Nelson! Nelson! is a West Coast IPA from Harland Brewing Company clocking in at 7.0% ABV brewed with 100% Nelson Sauvin hops from Freestyle Hops.
This beer is a single-hop beauty that highlights everything good about my most favorite hop. The white wine characteristics. The tropical citrus. The dankness. All of it.
Back Story
A few weeks back a beer buddy of mine let me know he was headed for a trip to one of the meccas of craft beer, San Diego.
He mentioned one of the stops would be Harland Brewing Company and casually said “he couldn’t wait to SD to get some Nelson! Nelson! brew.”
Before I even fished reading the message, my thumbs were working overtime to see if he’d bring me back a 4-pack. And (spoiler alert), he did.
Nelson! Nelson! Tasting Notes
The appearance is everything you want in a WCIPA; perfectly clear, light yellow hue that pours with a bubbly white head.
Lower your nose to the glass and you’re greeted by a bright citrus nose dominated by pithy, ripe grapefruit and pomelos.
Take a sip and your tastebuds are greeted with some sweet pineapple notes.
But the sweetness is short lived as the tasting tour takes a bitter, dry turn.
Loads of sauvignon blanc flavors and danky hops take over, cranking up the volume on the flavor profile.
The finish keeps with white grape theme, leaving your cheeks puckering like a sip of a dry, white wine.
Very clean overall, and even though it’s got a fair amount of bitterness, it’s not overwhelming by any means.
It’s All About The Hops
All of these flavors and aromas are made possible by Freestyle Hops (Nelson, New Zealand), and their incredible crops of Nelson Sauvin.
Freestyle is one of the most well known hop farms in the world and is used by the best brewers on the planet (as evidenced with this beer).
They grow their intensely flavorful and aromatic hop varietals at the top of Te Tauihu (the South Island) of Aotearoa, New Zealand in the iconic Moutere Valley, an area renowned for its vineyards, orchards and hopyards.
And this beer Harland produced with it is living proof of that.
Closing Remarks
What can I say? This was my first Harland beer and it didn’t disappoint.
Favorite style (West Coast)? Check.
Favorite hop (Nelson Sauvin)? Check.
Perfectly clear hue? Check.
The brew hit all the notes. Properly fingered, bubbly head, aromatic nose, dank and bitter.
A beer worthy of having two exclamations in it because the Nelson needs to be emphasized.
Have you tried Nelson! Nelson!? Let us know what you thought by dropping us a line.
