Tropical Fruit and Hops

Yes. & that's mostly what I end up with. I'd actually like some recommendations for the tropical fruit-types ( a la SN Beer Camp Tropical IPA.) , just to break it up , on occasion.

The was something long ago, that I wish I could recapture. Don't remember what it was, but I remember the flavor of the hops. It was with East Kent Goldings & Fuggles. Might even have been my own. (Used to home-brew, before the floods, & moving.)

 

I'm with you...sometimes I just want to throw back a throw-back.

Anchor Brewing just released a mixed six-pack of cans in Southern California. I grabbed two of them, mostly for the fresh Liberty Ale within.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

 

Nope.

A Classic American Pilsner is brewed using Adjuncts.

I would suggest this beer to you: http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/straub-1872-lager.144714/

Better yet, maybe start homebrewing and make your own.

Cheers!

 

What happened to 'styles are always evolving' and 'everyone's palate is different' and 'it's all good' and all that disparaging of arguments for 'authenticity'? Have I really been away that long...?

 

You may not have been "away that long" but you sure haven't changed a bit.

 

I think they're lovely. I don't much give a shit if the beer is hazy or crystal clear, but I'm definitely drawn to bright hoppy notes in hoppy American ale styles that we're seeing with these new hop varieties. Even back in the day drinking old school IPAs I used to gravitate to the relatively fruity pointedness of Amarillo or Centennial over the likes of Simcoe and Cascade. Now with the fruity, tropical New World hops it's far easier to find a beer that fits that bill and these hops showcase a more complex, wider spectrum of fruity hop flavors than we used to see. They're clearly not appropriate for many beer styles out there but I think they're just awesome in IPAs and APAs.

 

I'm with you! Although I do occasionally enjoy the tropical characteristics of new wave IPAs, give me Saaz (or any Noble) everyday of the week.

 

Well, it may not be pre-pro pils, but it is a compelling story.

California always has it's own version of history, and if Mark Carpenter and Bob Brewer vouch for it...well, I'm on board.

 

To answer the OP yes, I do like beers featuring Noble or Traditional hops. Have some Anchor California Lager on hand at present, in cans no less.

 

I love citra and mosiac hops, they give great flavor and are hops I like to throw into IPAs as a homebrewer. I feel that they have changed modern IPA/DIPA, I still enjoy IPAs with the "older" hop profile. Both types of IPAs and hops have thier place, personally I like the "newer" hops more than the "older" ones, they are still a great part of IPAs!

 

Kind of in an odd position here -- I've really liked Galaxy hops in every beer I've tried with them so far (I wouldn't describe those beers as Jell-O or candy-like though, more like... drinking the smells of walking through the fresh produce aisle at the grocery store. There's definitely some of the same "leafy green-ness" of the older piney-style hops present, not just alcoholic fruit juice... at least in the Galaxy-hopped beers I've tried so far.)

But some of the other "tropical" hops seem to vary wildly in flavor (even in the same beer) from one time to the next. Sometimes I get the fruity/tropical flavors as intended, other times I get more of a spicy and onion-y flavor... from the same beer, and not a much older bottle or anything. The spicy/onion type flavor isn't necessarily a bad thing (some beers are consistently on the spicy/oniony side and they can be pretty good), but it is a bit disappointing when I'm expecting a tropical-fruity thing instead. I'm guessing my taste buds are just weird when it comes to hoppy beers.

On the other hand, the piney/citrus ones are pretty consistent to my taste buds (the only wavering bit is how much I detect the citrus flavors, or whether they come across orangey or grapefruity), and the European pilsner-type hops are also super consistent. Haven't had enough of English hops to say one way or the other for them, unfortunately.

And then there's Citra; the one beer I've had so far that used lots of it, I can't honestly say I'd go back and order a full pint. It wasn't bad, but... along with the lemony/citrus aspect it reminded me a bit of dish soap. Oddly, some of the Galaxy hop beers I've liked also had Citra and I didn't notice this problem at all, so maybe it was something about the specific beer or the fact that it was single-hop Citra (if I'm remembering right), so it'd have a lot of that one hop rather than a mix. Guess I'll have to try more beers that use that hop before I can form much of an opinion on it.

 

Although I love the new hops and all their candy-like flavors, I still enjoy and appreciate the old school hops like fuggles, etc. I like 'em all !!

 

IPA thread of the year. You nailed it. Totally agree. Although there are a select few truly amazing new school IPAs I must at leat admit.

 

New wave hops have changed things forever. I'm seeing so many newcomers to "craft" who just "love ipas". But not just any IPAs. Tropical fruit reigns supreme. I personally like both, but that took a 5-10 year tasting cycle.

For most of us, there was this piney really bitter progression. Not in a million years would I have thought there would be newcomers to the drinking hobby who are going straight for IPAs. Something resonates in people for the juicy fruit, OJ like taste.

I've made mention before in other avenues about how NEIPAs don't really even feel like IPAs. But I guess that's for another thread.

Locally, I am glad to see the earthy piney combine with some tropical elements, as well as pilsners with noble dry hops. So there is definitely a best of both worlds out there.

People definitely want IPAs that aren't quite bitter and taste almost nothing of hops (many IPAs smell and taste like a bag of hops). We definitely need to branch out for the IPA styling imho.

 

Mosaic and Galaxy hops oh yeah! Those are my two favorites hops around. I love A good IPA that features piney, resinous, grapefruit, dank hops but I'll take the tropical hop bomb first then then the classic hops 2nd.

 

Love Mosaic hop but its too common right now... recently tried like 3~4 IPAs ib a row from different local breweries, smelled all same lol.