I had a Saranac Wild Hop Pils yesterday, and the bottle says it's made with Belma hops, a variety growing wild in the Yakima area. Anyone know of other beers made with these hops?
Don't know of other commercial beers, but Belma was found growing on the property of Puterbaugh farms, and was cultivated by them. It is new this year, and had a low introductory price that made it attractive. http://www.hopsdirect.com/leaf-hops-domestic/ Click on the Belma hop "see details" for more information. The name Belma comes from a settlement that was on the same side of the river as the hop farm. http://www.hopsdirect.com/project-belma/
I think the first commercial beer made with Belma was an English beer. It doesn't seem to have a lot of traction with brewers (both commercial and home) because it doesn't beat you in the face with flavor. I have a couple pounds and I agree that the flavor isn't overwhelming but they pair really well with citrus peel and brett. Both do a great job of bringing out the melon and subtle citrus flavor in the hops.
Yeah, I was kind of surprised by the mild/subtle flavors. I saw "Yakima" and thought it'd be a pine/grapefruit kind of hops, but it seemed more herbal/earthy to me, but I'd like to try other beers that use Belma so I can compare the flavors.
I've been hoping someone would post some more about Belma hops on this thread in the homebrewing forum.
