There’s a new brewery in town. With one of the largest, and most admired, craft breweries in town it’s hard to complain about the beer options in Chico, California. There is a surprising lack of variety though, with only a few breweries in a town that’s about the same size as Bend, Oregon which hosts more than twenty breweries. The opening of a new brewery in Chico is always noteworthy for locals.
Ramble West Brewing opened this Summer, with a small taproom and local distribution of cans and kegs. I recently made it by the taproom, tried a couple of their lagers, and grabbed a four-pack of Fresh C’s Wet Hop IPA. The taproom was comfortable, if a little warm, and the staff was helpful and friendly.
I always seek out wet hop IPAs, despite the wide variety in quality. If beer has terroir, wet hop IPAs are a good place to find it. Fresh C’s is named after the Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook hops that Ramble West grew themselves and used in the beer. Wet hop beers run the risk of having grassy flavors, not typically found in beers brewed with dried hops. They also offer the opportunity for a unique fresh, bright hop experience. Ramble West did a really good job with Fresh C’s. It has lots of fresh tropical and citrus hop flavor, with no grassiness. Perhaps a hint of sulfur flavor, but not enough to complain about with the abundance of pleasant fruitiness. The malts provided just enough sweetness and breadiness to provide a nice balance. This beer, and the excellent lagers I had on tap, are a great sign of things to come for Chico’s newest brewery.