Cue the "not as hoppy as last year's" jokes... It could just be me, but a couple of my favorite fresh-hop beers—Fremont Cowiche Canyon and Deschutes Hop Trip—struck me as a little less bright and pungent this season compared to last fall. Seattle is just a couple hours' drive from where the hops used to brew these beers are grown, so I know that last summer was generally cooler with more precipitation than this summer, which came later but then followed a long sunny, dry weather pattern. East and west of the Cascades have dramatically different climates, but I think it's reasonable to assume that regional weather follows similar overall trendlines; i.e., you're not likely to have a hotter, drier summer east of the mountains and a cooler, wetter summer over here. I could be mistaken about this though. What I'm wondering is, does anyone know if the resins, oils, alpha acids etc. in hops are affected by general climate trends season to season? If so, what are optimal conditions for a "good hop year"? I suspect any variation in taste/aroma would be most evident in fresh-hop beers, where hop character is generally at its peak. Or, can I attribute the difference between this year and last year to changes in my own palate, possible recipe modifications, and/or other variables? Cheers!
Sounds "horrible" ;-) OP - Can't answer but great question. Curious to read further into the replys in a couple hours...
it was sooo terrible, i almost dumped all of them. Then i realized they were glorious and drank the hell out of them.
