Hops are one of the essential ingredients of brewing, and for those of us who are hop heads, one of the ingredients that we enjoy very much. With the growing number of breweries across the county and the growing number of breweries brewing IPA's and other very hoppy beers, there has been much discussion about hops.
Many hop issues including shortages and new varieties may very well play into what breweries are brewing over the next few years. I saw recently that an unnamed brewer told Beernews.org that they had a shortage of Amarillo hops, which are quite often used in IPAs. Because of this shortage, that particular brewer may have some production issues and may need to start using a blend of hops in that particular recipe.
Other breweries such as Surly Brewing are starting to look at alternative hops out of necessity. Some of the hop contracts for Surly didn't get fulfilled this year, including one hop that is used for there flagship IPA Furious. Because of this they will be blending in a 5th hop variety to keep production going.
That brings us back to Bell's Brewery where they are taking hop experimentation into their own hands. Over the past few visits to Bell's, I have enjoyed their EXP Hop 2011-1 (American IPA, 7.1% ABV). This is the first in a series of beers brewed at the downtown brewery, for the pub only. It is very much a beer for hop heads- lots of punchy pine and citrus in both the aroma and flavor.
Zythos, which is in it's first year of commercial use, is the newly developed hop used in EXP Hop 2011-1. There will be 6 more experimental beers from Bell's each using a different type of hop. With these experimental brews, Bell's hopes to learn more about the aromatic qualities of each and determine whether they will have future potential for brewing.
"This is a series of beers where we are actually working hand in hand with hop growers. Just like brewers, hop growers are also looking to expand the flavor profiles available to craft beer drinkers and we are very fortunate to have this kind of unique access,” said Andy Farrell, one of Bell’s brewers working on the project.
Bell's will continue working with Pacific Northwest hop growers on this project using new hop varietals that will probably be for now, very limited. Here is the rundown on hops that will be used during this brewing project:
EXP Hop 2011-1: Zythos – Citrusy, with a bright grapefruit note and apricot & pine aromas in the background
EXP Hop 2011-2: Type 366 – Tropical fruit notes and piney, reminiscent of Simcoe hops
EXP Hop 2011-3: Type 509 – Floral, with an interesting herbal note
EXP Hop 2012-1: Type 423 – Very pungent fruity & floral aroma, with pine as a secondary note
EXP Hop 2012-2: Type 556 – Intense floral character with fruity undertones
EXP Hop 2012-3: Type 998-13-1 – Distinctive lemon notes
EXP Hop 2012-4: Type 291 – Citrus & pine notes, very pungent