Meet the American roughneck, Chinook. This hop is usually used for its bitterness but has lately gained popularity for the aromatics it imparts in many American craft beers across the style spectrum. The Chinook hop is a cross between the Petham Golding and USDA-selected male (#63012, if you want to be specific), and was first released from the breeding program in 1985. Primarily grown in the Yakima region of Washington state, this hop is primarily used for its high alpha acid content as a bittering hop. These days, however, late additions and even dry-hopping with Chinook is becoming more popular. This hop can contribute herbal, piney, and smoky aromatic qualities to a beer.
Let’s sample five craft beers with Chinook as part of their recipe.
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
6.8% ABV, 65 IBUs
Now that it’s wintertime, where do all the hops go? They’re currently hibernating in this yearly seasonal from California’s Sierra Nevada Brewery. In the midst of the many big and malty winter ales, Celebration Ale provides a comfortable winter home for the season’s displaced hops. A little darker than the average American IPA, this ale has a citrusy, piney and resinous hop character — thanks to a blend of Cascade, Centennial and Chinook — and a medium body.
Breakside IPA
6.8% ABV, 70 IBUs
This copper-colored ale smells of citrus without being too citrusy, tastes of pine without being too piney and shows off its Citra and Chinook hops without being over-hopped. It would almost be boring, if it weren’t so good.
Black Raven Trickster IPA
6.9% ABV, 70 IBUs
Hops on hops on hops on hops — Chinook, Magnum, Simcoe, Amarillo and Cascade hops can be found in this craft beer from Redmond, Washington. But, it’s not a hop overload because the beer is properly balanced. Expect a nice, light fruit, citrus and piney hop aroma with a full hop flavor.
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
9.6% ABV, 96 IBUs
Keep your eyes peeled for a Bigfoot sighting on your next hiking trip. This cult classic was first brewed in 1983 and is considered to be one the best American barleywines being brewed today. Wildly hoppy — Chinook as bittering hops and Cascade, Centennial and Chinook for finishing hops — and balanced by a fierce malt backbone, this brew will age gracefully for years and years — much like the story behind that blurry photo you took that one time of something that could maybe probably be Bigfoot.
Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale
7.2% ABV, 100 IBUs
Stone Arrogant Bastard is less-than-amber but more-than-pale IPA with a little “oomph” in the malt and hops department. The malt profile of Arrogant Bastard, while not overwhelming, definitely has a good backbone of caramel, rich, and somewhat raisin-bread type toasty flavors. It has more richness than your standard IPA. This malt body is balanced with a very aggressive-tasting hop treatment using the Chinook, giving it a West Coast citrusy bitterness, but also contains a more rich, herbal, and maybe even a bit of a “rough” pungent element.
