Weird hops question (Midwestern beer)

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by UrbanCaveman, Oct 9, 2014.

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  1. UrbanCaveman

    UrbanCaveman Pooh-Bah (1,866) Sep 30, 2014 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I've a bit of an odd situation with my girlfriend, and I'll be the first to admit I don't know enough about craft brewing to answer it myself. It concerns types of hops, and how they affect the palate.

    The gist of it is there are certain types of hops that each of us seem unable to detect. For example, my girlfriend finds the Great Lakes Eliot Ness lager to be "too hoppy" for her taste, but claims that Boulevard 80 Acre Hoppy Wheat is a tasty, non-hoppy wheat beer (side note: she really enjoys citrus). Whereas I get primarily toast and nut malt flavors from the Eliot Ness with little to no hop kick, and find the 80 Acre to be highly floral and citrusy.

    Is it possible that there are families of hops that each of us miss, so to speak? Or might she be confusing malt bitterness with hop bitterness?
     
    #1 UrbanCaveman, Oct 9, 2014
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  2. cookiequiz

    cookiequiz Savant (1,119) Apr 15, 2013 California

    Well, Eliot Ness does have hops in it, so that's probably the 'hops' that she's tasting, rather than being confused by malt flavours.

    Hops can be used for bittering, and they can be used for flavour and aroma, with pretty self-explanatory results. So perhaps you guys are just focusing on different aspects there.

    edit: here's a sort of short description of how hops can be used in brewing beer.

    edit some more: also as you did mention, different hops have different flavours, so you may be just having different associations with what 'hoppy' is. A lot of lagers use european-style hops, which are not so fruity like american IPAs/PAs favour.
     
    #2 cookiequiz, Oct 9, 2014
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  3. Immortale25

    Immortale25 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,775) May 13, 2011 North Carolina
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Probably this. I've found as of late that I get bitterness from lagers but not a hoppy bitterness. I think it's the alcohol combined with the particular malts that give me this flavor. Had a Bell's Lager of the Lakes a few weeks ago and didn't like how bitter it was without being very hoppy at all. Also, I don't find 80-Acre to be all that hoppy myself. Have never had Eliot Ness.
     
    #3 Immortale25, Oct 9, 2014
  4. robear

    robear Initiate (0) May 24, 2014 Wisconsin

    There are some hop varieties I can't stand because to me they taste just like taking a big bite out of an onion. I won't touch some great beers (Green Bullet) because of it.
     
    #4 robear, Oct 9, 2014
  5. BuckettOfBeer

    BuckettOfBeer Zealot (506) Mar 19, 2010 Minnesota

    80 Acre is only 20 IBUs which is pretty low for a hop forward style.
     
    #5 BuckettOfBeer, Oct 9, 2014
  6. MrShake

    MrShake Initiate (0) Nov 7, 2013 Illinois

    It may be only 20IBU, but 80 acre is an extreemly hop forward beer... but the hops chosen (nelson sauvin and others) lend toward not bitterness, but fun tropical fruit flavors and citrus.... and they are in abundance in that beer.
     
    #6 MrShake, Oct 9, 2014
  7. UrbanCaveman

    UrbanCaveman Pooh-Bah (1,866) Sep 30, 2014 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    This all makes sense. I have a tendency to use "hoppy" only to describe floral, citrus, pine, and similar characteristics, so I'm doubtless some degree of wrong in that regard. (By and large, those are characteristics I don't enjoy, so "hoppy" has also become something of a derogatory term for me, but I digress.)

    It's probably a combination of our definitions of "hoppy" being off, and hers including some of the bitterness from malt. I've got quite a bit to learn. Many thanks!
     
    #7 UrbanCaveman, Oct 9, 2014
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