Hop to It!
Hops. We've all heard the word. We know they're an integral part of beer, and they pop up in advertisements as the origin of the flavor of your favorite brew. From Schlitz's timeless "Just a kiss of the hops" to Miller Lite's recent campaign of "Triple hopped," the flowering Humulus lupulus has been synonymous with beer and been aiding people to get stoned almost as long as its family member Cannabis has. But what exactly are hops? Or perhaps even more importantly: what do they taste like and why should you care?
Beer is generally comprised of water, yeast, malts, and hops. The oils from these dried flowers are extracted through various steps throughout the brewing process. While they certainly balance out the sweetness the malts provide, hops bring a lot more to beer than just sharpness. Bittering varietals with high alpha acid content (those delectable oils) are thrown into the mixture, known as the wort, while it is boiling. Adding them in the beginning lends itself to more bitter flavors, while adding them later in the boil allows the more nuanced floral and aromatic characteristics to come out.
Aroma hops -- those with lower alpha acid contents, but more aromatic/flavor characteristics -- tend to be added later in the boil or even directly to the storage tanks to add flavor profiles unique to the particular hops. This process, known as "Dry Hopping," has been rediscovered recently and is a large part of the contemporary craft movement.
So what do they taste like? While there are a number of single hop beers made by Mikkeller, Weyerbacher, and Harpoon that allow you to taste just that particular varietal, most brewers use a combination of many hops to achieve the desired taste of the beer. However, here is a very brief rundown of some of the most popular hops, their predominant flavors, and where you can find them:
Centennial: This member of the “American C’s” (along with Chinook, and Cascade) has the most pronounced flowers and citrus. A medium aroma with mid-to-high bittering value makes it a great all-purpose hop. The fantastic grapefruit and subtle pine notes of Bell's Two Hearted Ale is an excellent example of this hop. Big Hunt always has a fresh keg of this popular beer on tap for you to taste.
Hallertau: Named for the region in Germany it is grown in, it is a staple of many German beers. This noble hop imparts a mild taste with huge aromas of spice and fruit. These usually create the subtle hop flavors of your favorite Hefeweizens and Oktoberfests. The newly-opened Biergarten Haus will have all of your Hallertau needs.
Saaz: This classic hop is known for its spicy and slightly peppery notes. Low alpha acids make this one used primarily for flavoring. When you taste Pilsner Urquell, you're tasting the Saaz. You can often find this on tap at The Reef.
Challenger: A newcomer to the British beer movement, this flavoring agent starts slightly spicy, but remains fruity throughout: think tart fruits without the bitterness. Coniston's Bluebird Bitter is a delicious, low alcohol (3.6% ABV) beer exemplifying the new wave of British brewing. CommonWealth usually carries this in bottles.
Warrior: This hop imparts only subtle flavors but is important in American craft beers. It has a large role in some of the bigger beers we've come to love due to their huge acid profile (upwards of three times the amount of some varietals). Dogfish 60, 90, and 120 minute beers are great examples of this and can be found anywhere from the revered ChurchKey to the rockin' DC9.
Fuggles: While a quintessential British ingredient, Fuggles are also used in Belgian ales for their light flavors. Slightly woody and almost earthy tones make it wonderfully mild and multidimensional. Westmalle Triple predominantly uses Fuggles and is available at Brassiere Beck and Belga Café.
So the next time you're sipping your favorite beer, think about some of the flavors swirling around your palate. You just may be able to pick out some of the ingredients -- and impress your date/friend/bartender along the way.