There’s a basic trend in the brewing community to gravitate towards a small group of American hops, most of which begin with the letter “C”. What many have never seen are the little green gems that don’t often enter into the spotlight. What many homebrewers see as the best options are the ones they’ve tasted, i.e the varieties established breweries use. By the same token, most big breweries play it safe, working with the established and successful flavor profiles of Centennial, Cascade, Columbus, Chinook, Amarillo, and Willamette. Those six names make up about 90% of what we see used in commercial and homebrew circles, but there are literally hundreds of “undiscovered” hop varieties with beautifully unique and delicious flavor and aroma characteristics. Fortunately for the homebrewer, we’re not bound to buying 100lbs of hops at a time, and are free to experiment as we please, forever crafting and perfecting our art. Now I’d like to share a few of my favorite varieties.
Ahtanum – American – Typical AA 4.0-6.0% – This hop shares a common vein with cascade, but with more subtle charactistics. A bit more floral than cascade, and lightly fruity with light citrus and notes of dried apricot and a unique subtle pine aroma.
Bravo – American – Typical AA 10.0-13.0% – Big mixed fruit expression with some earthiness in the profile. Think Centennial and Fuggle having a child bigger than each of his parents. Consider this trying this hop in a big American or Russian Stout, as the earthiness plays nicely with caramel and roast flavors.
Palisade – American – Typical AA 5.5-8.0 – Big tangerine flavor and aroma. Don’t let the simplicity of the description scare you away. Palisade is one of the most versatile and juicy hops out there. Try on anything, and consider pairing with ahtanum.
Sorachi Ace/ Sorachi - Japan/US respectively -Typical AA 10-15% – Lemongrass and dill on the aroma with a strong lemon peel flavor. Truly unique. Makes killer Belgians.
Aurora – Styrian – Typical AA 6.0-8.0% – Flavor and aroma of candied orange peels, a mild lime note, and a touch of fresh ginger-like spice. A little Aurora will bring complexity to any brew, and makes phenomenal pale lagers. Admittedly one of my favorites.
Saphir – German – Typical AA 4.0-6.0 -Bred from Hallertau Mittelfrueh for better growth yield and stability. Big grassy, hallertau-like characteristics with a pleasant peach-apricot-tangerine fruitiness. Fantastic aroma. (Try using it with Aurora)
Summit – American – Typical AA 15-20 – This is the nuclear strike of American hops. Maybe not quite as oddball as some of the others, but I need to mention Summit for its insane level of pungent pine-like characteristics. Try using Summit to dry hop an IPA.
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The following are brand new to me, but I’ve had the honor of repackaging several pounds of each. Here are my initial impressions.
Lublin – Polish – Current AA 4.2% – Very floral and genuinely “hoppy.” A mild, very pleasant finishing hop. Noble-like. I have a feeling this would benefit any lager or light/hoppy ale.
Komik - Polish? – Current AA 4.6% – Earthen spice. A caraway or curry-like aroma off the bag. I’d love to see this in a Saison or Belgain Pale.
Bobek – Styrian -Current AA 3.9% – This has got to be Fuggle’s estranged cousin. Super earthy, with notes of dried leather, jerky, and white pepper. Intensely unique.
Opal – German – Current AA 6.3% – Pleasantly herbal with notes of sage, thyme and a touch of peppery spice.
Merkur – German – Current AA 12.4% – Pungent herbs and quite spicy. Seems similar to Magnum, but with a bit more spice.
Motueka - New Zealand – Current AA 7.1% – When I first opened a bag of this hop and smelled the contents, my brain went numb and I tried to crawl into the bag. Big lemon-lime, tropical fruit, and melon aroma. I will be brewing with this hop soon.
So next time you’re at your local homebrew shop, ask what “oddball” hops they have to give your next brew the unique edge it deserves, whether it be a small melon note in a Belgian Pale, a touch of ginger-like spice lingering in the background of your big American IPA, or something mild and floral to finish off a pale lager. There is a whole world of lupulin-lovers out there and the addition of one of these hops could add an extra depth of character that sets your beer apart from the rest.
Cheers!
Dana
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