White Birch Hop Session

My wife and I are home from the hospital with our first child and getting into the swing of things. It is definitely a huge life change, everything revolves around the little guy’s schedule. While being responsible for the life of another human being is a little terrifying, it is also a fun and exciting experience and we are enjoying every minute. With the hours devoted to helping with changings/feedings/cleanings/household chores etc., I haven’t had much time to drink beer let alone write about it. I’m actually writing this post with my son napping on my chest. The other issue I’ve noticed is that even a small amount of alcohol exacerbates how tired I am from the frequent nightly interruptions. I drank a beer while I was making dinner last night and by 7:30 I could hardly keep my eyes open. I know this will get better as I find my groove, plenty of fellow beer enthusiasts and writers are also parents. For the short term I think I’ll focus a good portion of my limited beer consumption on session beers, which allow me to enjoy the full beer flavor without the yawn-inducing booze. One session beer I recently enjoyed was Hop Session, the flagship session IPA from White Birch Brewing Company out of Hooksett, New Hampshire. Hop Session is brewed with a variety of West Coast hops and is available year round on draft and now in 12 oz. cans!

White Birch Hop SessionWhite Birch Hop Session pours a slightly cloudy orange with a moderate off-white head. The scent is solidly hoppy, floral and fruity. The taste features the distinct flavor of New World hops with notes of lemon, grapefruit, mango and pine. The hops also add noticeable but not overwhelming bitterness. Some session IPAs are too one note, omitting any malt flavor, but that is not an issue here, with noticeable touches of biscuits, bread and a hint of caramel. The beer is light bodied and goes down very easy, at 5% ABV it fits into many definitions of a “session beer”. The finish is dry and crisp with just a touch of floral hops in the aftertaste. This is a very tasty session IPA, well balanced with plenty of delicious and aromatic hops. Hoppy Boston score: 4.25/5.

Previous White Birch Reviews:

White Birch Belgian Style Pale AleWhite Birch Nyx American Black Ale

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