Meet the Hops

Hops, hops, hops.  Everybody’s lovin’ hops these days.  Except for those who hate them - or at least think they do.  Truth is, beer without hops would be almost unrecognizable as beer to the modern drinker’s palate, closer to a molasses soda.  Sounds yummy, right?  Hops provide bitterness to keep the sugary, bready malt from being cloying, sure, but they do so much more!  They lend complex fruity, floral, piney, citric, even earthy & funky character to beer, in all kinds of more specific combinations & sub-flavors.  Often these correlate with bitterness, but not always.  It can be a fun exercise in sensory training to try picking out the hops used in a beer, but there are also so many varietals – literally scores – that many profiles overlap & it can be splitting hairs to distinguish one from the other, especially when used in combination, as the majority of beers do.

 More breweries, like Flying Dog & Dark Horse, are releasing beers that use a single breed as part of a series, showcasing the ins & outs of these wonderful little plants & encouraging familiarity with their distinct characteristics.  Several years ago, Samuel Adams released cases of their Latitude 48 Deconstructed project, each case containing 6 different beers: Latitude 48 IPA, & 5 more IPAs, each one single-hopped with the breeds used in the Latitude 48 (Simcoe, Zeus, Ahtanum, Hallertau, & East Kent Golding). 

Like I said, there are so many hops it would be an overwhelming venture to single out all of them, but here’s a quick primer of some of the biggies:

Cascade – The quintessential American hop, known for a strong resemblance to grapefruit.  New Albion Ale broke ground for its use of this flavorful, aromatic breed, but Sierra Nevada Pale Ale really put it on the map, though it’s not single-hopped with Cascade.  Check out Dark Horse’s Edacsac Dekoorc Eert or Deschutes’ Mirror Pond.

Centennial – Prolific & popular for its floral characteristics, with a higher alpha acid content (read: more bittering power) than Cascade.  You might be able to find Flying Dog’s Centennial Single Hop Imperial IPA around, but if not, Bell’s Two Hearted Ale also uses solely Centennial for its flowery profile, & Founders Centennial IPA showcases it beautifully.

Citra – A relative newcomer that’s become hugely popular for its tropical fruit notes.  Three Floyds uses it in their beloved Zombie Dust, & more availably are Flying Dog’s Citra Single Hop Imperial IPA & Dark Horse Artic Dekoorc Eert.

Nelson Sauvin – Another fairly newer breed, sought after for its ‘white wine’ taste & smell.  Look for it in Widmer Brothers’ Nelson Imperial IPA & Schneider Tap X Mein Nelson Sauvin.

Noble ­Hops – Not a single breed, the “noble” hops are Hallertau, Tettnang, Spalter, & Saaz.  They are wild hops named for the areas around which they naturally propagate, & are prized for their high aromatic qualities & low bitterness.  Traditionally, they are used in German & Czech lagers & pilsners – think of the spicy, herbal qualities of Pilsner Urquell.  Sam Adams also highlightsts the aroma & flavor of these hops superbly in their Noble Pils.

Simcoe – A trademarked variety bred for its concentrated oils.  Known for a dank, resinous flavor & “catty” aroma, if you know what I mean.  Weyerbacher’s Double Simcoe is the perfect place to start with this bad boy.

That’s just scratching the surface.  I imagine more breweries will be dropping more single-hopped beers, & growers developing more varietals with their own unique characteristics, so stay tuned.  Another great exercise is to hit a homebrew store (the closest to us is Ruffled Wine & Beermaking in Oakmont), pick up some hop pellets yourself & sniff away!  Hops have so much to offer, so don’t be scared – bitter is just the beginning.