Image by Flickr user bizzlenj The whole-leaf version of the hops in question.

This Tuesday at 5 p.m., the Charleston Beer Exchange brigade will present the public debut of All Simcoe Pale Ale, the latest seasonal from prolific local favorites, COAST Brewing.

All Cascade Pale Ale was a twice-brewed seasonal from COAST, showcasing the beauty of that popular hop varietal. This time around they've duplicated the recipe, but substituted the slightly more esoteric Simcoe hop, a varietal known for its pine presence and bitterness moreso than its citrus or grass-like character.

Simcoe generally shows up as a member of any number of multi-varietal teams used in more hop-forward, especially American craft beers. It has occasionally been the star of the show thanks to beers like Mikkeller's Simcoe Single Hop IPA, or Weyerbacher's devastating Double Simcoe IPA. The latter gets credit for making this writer jump from "casual craft beer enjoyer" to "die-hard craft beer enthusiast" a few years back.  So, yeah, you can say I'm excited.

The Charleston Beer Exchange wins every day at 14 Exchange Street downtown.