are loaded with raison, plumb, date, and fig aromas, and it’ s no surprise that porters and stouts smell like coffee, the black malts in those recipes are roasted the same way coffee beans are.
Beer is basically sugar water and it would be too sweet to drink if it weren’ t bittered in some way. If you’ ve ever tasted a soda that’ s gone flat, you’ ll understand how the bitterness of the carbonation masks the sweetness of the soda. The same is true in beer. Throughout history many botanical herbs have been used to bitter beer to make it palatable. Ever heard of heather ale? Heather flowers are a flavorful and aromatic bittering herb that grows all over Scotland. Thanks to the English and the Germans, hops are the bittering herb used worldwide in brewing today. Hops are potent pinecone-shaped flowers that grow on very fast-growing vines. Their potency comes from lupulin, a yellow powder produced in the flowers that contain very aromatic bittering compounds and essential oils that not only make beer easier to drink, they also stabilize the flavor and keep it from spoiling. Hops have very potent aromatics that modern hop breeders and growers have been enhancing. Old hop varieties have very subtle herbal, piney, spicy and citrusy qualities. A classic German pilsner made with heirloom hop varieties will have aromas of wildflowers, hay, cut grass, earth and white pepper. An English pale ale will have hop aromas that complement the caramel maltiness like forest floor, tea leaves and oak. While classic hops will always be loved for their refined subtleness, modern hop varieties have been designed to knock your socks off! They have been bred to not only increase their potency but to produce new flavors and aromas. They feature fruit aromas like peach, pear, mango, pineapple, guava, cherry and raspberry as well as white wine, cedar, sage and mint just to name a few. These new hop varieties gave way to new brewing techniques and styles to showcase all of their flavors and aromas. A properly made, fresh New England, or“ hazy,” IPA
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While classic hops will always be loved for their refined subtleness, modern hop varieties have been designed to knock your socks off! They have been bred to not only increase their potency but to produce new flavors and aromas.
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Spring 2026 | Jacksonville Progress 27