High on Hops: Experimental Hop Varieties

By Lee Heidel Published December 4, 2015

Hops, Grow your own hops — Image used with permission by copyright holder

After you’ve sampled enough beer, you start to pay close attention to things like hops.

For drinkers consumed with getting the most hop bite possible, researching International Bitterness Units (IBUs) becomes a religion. That’s an easy enough road to travel. But for those looking to understand the more subtle aromatic or flavor profiles available from hops, knowing the individual hop varietal names becomes important.

Recommended Videos

The old standbys of Willamette, Cascade and Saaz are still around, each providing mild bases for all-purpose brewing. As palates for more extreme flavors have grown, the rise of new, trendy hops like Citra, Galaxy and Falconer’s Flight have come to the fore. But even these fairly recent hop creations are already being edged out by experimental hops so new they don’t even have proper names yet.

Hop Breeding Company is making many of these new strains available directly to home brewers and commercial breweries alike. Recognized by its use of the “HBC” prefix, these hops are re-creating favorite varieties with new twists and forging new profiles. “HBC 342” is a dual usage hop that addresses aroma and flavor by infusing citrus notes like melon and mango.

In the United Kingdom, Charles Faram Hop Merchants is similarly looking to crack the code on new hop creations. Named using the “CF” prefix, these hops are bringing the stalwart hop producer, in business since 1865, into the modern age. CF103 (or Duchess) is prominently showcased in Eden Brewery’s Antifreeze for floral, pepper and spicy notes.

Sierra Nevada has been bringing experimental hops to the masses with its Harvest : Newly Developed Hop IPA. This beer allows the seasoned craft brewery to test out fresh flavors and hopping techniques against a large sample group. The hops in this release, listed only as 472, 05256, 431, and 06300 bring in a multitude of complementary sensations such as cedar, coconut, chocolate and orange.

Related Post: Best Chocolate Beers

Deschutes’ Hop Henge IPA utilizes newcomers Millennium, Mandarina Bavaria and still-numbered hops into a brew brimming with fleshy orange sweetness, grapefruit bitterness and a cracker-malt base.

As with any new endeavor, trial and error will play in to whether any of these new, experimental hop varieties will become mainstream. But with the continued growth in craft beer, differentiating brews by use of new hops will be a big trend as breweries attempt to push the flavor envelope.

Topics

Liquor, Beer, Wine & Drinks

Lee Heidel is the managing editor of Brew/Drink/Run, a website and podcast that promotes brewing your own beer, consuming the…

Food & Drink

Founders Brewing’s non-alcoholic hop water is rolling out across the U.S.

You can now get this hop water across the U.S.

founders brewing hop water microsoftteams image 32 jpg

The huge rise in non-alcoholic drink options in the last few years means that alcohol-free beer no longer has to be dull and tasteless. Now there are terrific alcohol-free beers that let you enjoy the flavor and experience of drinking a beer without the booze -- whether that's because you're the designated driver, you choose not to drink for health or personal reasons, or if you simply want a night off once in a while.

But there's also a new option available for booze-free drinking: hot water. This hop-flavored seltzer is somewhere between an NA beer and a soda, designed to be refreshing and floral and to offer the pine and citrus flavors of hops without the malt and other ingredients that make beer hefty and more grain-like. The hop water trend has seen releases from big craft beer brands in recent years, including the Hoppy Mood from Founders Brewing Co., but this has previously only been available in the brand's home state of Michigan.

Health & Fitness

Did you know these popular foods are high in saturated fat?

The foods high in saturated fat you may want to cut out of your diet

An array of meats and cheeses.

Saturated fat is a fat that is solid when at room temperature. This happens because all of the carbon molecules are connected by double bonds. Butter is an example of a food high in saturated fat. On the other hand, olive oil contains unsaturated fats, and that is why it is liquid at room temperature rather than solid.

Foods high in saturated fat have long been associated with raising “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and increasing the risk of heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and certain inflammatory conditions. However, there is also newer evidence potentially debunking this thinking, as some studies show that certain saturated fats, such as those found in coconut, can lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Most nutritionists and dietitians suggest limiting your intake of processed saturated fats—such as those in hot dogs, doughnuts, or mayonnaise—to no more than 10% of your daily caloric intake or a daily value of 20 grams. Instead, focus on foods high in monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, such as anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Not sure what kind of fat is in your favorite foods? Keep reading for a list of high saturated fats foods, and see if you can replace some of them with healthier options.

Food & Drink

Alpha acid to wet hopping: A craft beer terminology guide

The glossary craft beer enthusiasts need

Beer pint

Speaking the language is a big part of knowing a trade. Craft beer, like art, snowboarding, or whiskey, has its own lexicon. Important words are assigned to a specific beer's nature, from how it is made to how it tastes.

The best beers in the land are all the better when you understand a bit of the context surrounding them. When you can identify things like the importance of certain ingredients and the differences in various brewing styles, you're well on your way to greater appreciation. And that's an invaluable thing in the world of craft.