Wee Tried the Fresh Hop Flight at Bale Breaker

In the heart of the Yakima Valley, harvest season is a holy time for fresh hop flight lovers. At Bale Breaker Brewing Company, located on the fourth-generation Loftus Ranches hop farm, “fresh” isn’t just a marketing term; it’s a four-minute commute from the picking machine to the kettle.

If you’re lucky enough to grab a seat in their taproom during harvest, the Fresh Hop Flight is the ultimate way to experience the sheer diversity of what a “wet hop” can do. Here is your guide to the six Bale Breaker fresh hop craft beer journey from the 2025 harvest.

1. Wish List | Fresh Hop West Coast Pilsner

• The Vibe: Crisp, clean, and surprisingly complex.
• The Details: This is the perfect palate-cleanser to start your flight. By using fresh Simcoe® and Loral® hops in a light Pilsner base, the delicate floral and citrus notes are allowed to shine without the heavy bitterness of an IPA. It’s snappy, bright, and proves that fresh hops aren’t just for the big brews.

2. Citra Slicker | Wet Hop IPA

• The Vibe: The legendary “Big City” meets “Small Farm” collaboration.
• The Details: Brewed annually with Seattle’s Cloudburst Brewing, Citra Slicker is a masterclass in its namesake hop. Expect a punch of lemon, pineapple, and that classic “dank” resinous finish. It’s light in body but heavy on the tropical aromatics.

3. Green Rush | Fresh Hop IPA

• The Vibe: A “Gold Medal” collaboration with Russian River.
• The Details: When you team up with the creators of Pliny the Elder, you get a West Coast IPA that is virtually perfect. Green Rush features freshly picked Simcoe® hops, delivering a rush of grapefruit zest and ripe peach. It’s crisp, bitter in all the right ways, and a tribute to the “Green Rush” of brewers who descend on Yakima every September.

4. Moon Holiday | Fresh Hop IPA

• The Vibe: A “cosmic escape” for your taste buds.
• The Details: Fermented with the brewery’s house lager strain for a super-clean finish, Moon Holiday uses a blend of wet and freshly kilned Citra®, Simcoe®, and Mosaic®. The result is an “out of this world” profile of melon, grapefruit, and a smooth, dry body that makes it incredibly sessionable.

5. Alpha Loop | Fresh Hop IPA

• The Vibe: A local loop with Varietal Beer Co.
• The Details: Brewed in collaboration with their neighbors at Varietal, this IPA uses Pilsner malt and White Wheat to create a soft, pillowy canvas for fresh Citra® and Mosaic® hops. It bursts with cantaloupe and berry notes, looping endlessly on the palate with a clean, dry finish.

6. Piled High | Fresh Hop IPA

• The Vibe: The OG. The one that started it all.
• The Details: Bale Breaker has been brewing Piled High since before they even officially opened in 2013. It is brewed in the middle of a hop field using exclusively fresh Simcoe® hops. At a massive 25 pounds of fresh hops per barrel, this is the most “pure” expression of the harvest you can find. It’s bold, resinous, and legendary.

Wee Tips for the Fresh Hop Flight

Check the ABV: While they go down easy, most of these sit between 6% and 7.5% ABV; pace yourself!

Drink it Fresh: Fresh hop aromatics are highly volatile. A Fresh Hop Flight of craft beer are at their absolute peak the day they are tapped.

Look for the “Lunge”: If you’re at the Yakima taproom, you can literally see the hop bines being processed just across the street while you sip.