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Tuesday 28 December 2010

My favourite hop is ..........

For a long time now I have been trying to find that one hop that I consider my favourite. I think I have now found it. Don't me wrong its taken lots of hard work (drinking beer, brewing beer and smelling hops mainly) but I think I'm finally there.

These are some pellets of my favourite hop!
Can you guess what it is yet?

I shall give you a clue. Its a relatively new hop only being first sold in 2000 and it is registered which means it is controlled by one producer. BrewDog use it in 5am Saint (which was where I first got to brew with it), DogFish Head use it in 60 Minute IPA (So I'm told) and The Kernel Brewery make an IPA with it.

It delivers pine-like qualities and gives a wonderful floral and tropical bitterness. It is simply wonderful and I used to love measuring this hop when I was at BrewDog because of the lingering smell it left. 

Got it yet?

Its Simcoe! 

This may seem like a pointless post but I needed to tell the world how much I love this underrated hop (with the hope that it may encourage some people to give me some tips on beers with a huge Simcoe hit, any ideas?)

  Copyright www.real-ale-reviews.com, I hope you don't mind!

2 comments:

  1. Surely not that under-rated? I'm sure many people rate it pretty highly! That and Citra are my perception-changing discoveries of the past year, on a personal basis. I've realised I'm totally in thrall to both these hops and nothing else I've tasted in 2010 has shaken their hold!

    My aim in 2011 is also to drink more Simcoe - would love to get hold of some bottled single-hopped from different breweries so I could really get stuck in with getting to know this hop a lot better.

    The DFH is a great example and the first place I would have tasted it (without knowing it was Simcoe) and started searching for that similar piney, resiny taste ever since my first DFH 60-Min. The other great example I think is the Hardcore / Tesco DIIPA.

    Looking forward to trying the S.C.A.N.S. from Kernel, which uses it in a blend, and hunting down a few others this year. Keep us updated on Twitter if you make any great Simcoe discoveries and I'll do likewise!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Maybe under-rated isnt the right turn of phrase. Under-used?

    There is a Mikkeller Simcoe IPA on the rounds too. I think BeerMerchants still have some left.

    Thanks for the comment. Good to hear from you.

    ReplyDelete

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