The USDA’s Hallertau hop triploid breeding program produced quite the American ancestry of hops. Among them include the Mount Hood hop and one of its half sisters, the Crystal hop. Out of all the siblings, Crystal is the most pungent. Created in 1983 in Oregon, this hop is most widely used in the U.S., but it can be found in English and German beers as well. The scents of a forest are comparable to how Crystal smells. With pungent floral, woody and green tones, these natural earthy aromas make Crystal distinct from other descendants of the Hallertau hop. Its low alpha acid rating set the stage for idyllic aromatics. Despite its spice and fruit notes scaling more to the mild side, Crystal is still spicier than its parent the Hallertau. Peaks and Pints features this hop that was born and raised in the USA with our Craft Beer Crosscut 5.8.17: A Flight of Crystal.
Founders All Day IPA
4.5% ABV, 42 IBU
Founders Brewing‘s All Day IPA accounts for 27 percent of all of its production. And we can see why. The All Day IPA pours a golden wheat, and notes of citrus and mango immediately float to the nose, making us crave hot summer days and sessionable beers. All Day IPA has the hoppy characteristics of an IPA (Simcoe, Amarillo Gold, Crystal), but light on the alcohol side for the style. It’s heavy on the citrus and medium on the pine resin, with a very light bready malt character.
Sierra Nevada Hop Hunter IPA
6.2% ABV, 60 IBU
Sierra Nevada has always been on the cutting edge of brewing technology, and Hop Hunter is yet another result of the brewery being a leader in the craft industry. Hop Hunter, an IPA made with oil steam-distilled in the field moments after the hop harvest. The result is Hop Hunter, a bold, very fresh IPA with a vibrant hop aroma that is lively but very smooth to drink. Crystal, Simcoe, and a Sierra classic, Cascade, finish out the hop aromatics, creating a vivid though well-honed hop character.
Saint Archer IPA
7% ABV, 66 IBU
Don’t let the fact that San Diego-based Saint Archer Brewery was entirely owned by X-Games athletes then bought by MillerCoors throw you — the beer is solid. It pours light yellow with hints of orange and amber. A complex blend of tropical fruit, floral hops, lemon and peppery spices in the aroma. A chorus of resinous American hops such as Crystal, Amarillo, Simcoe and Citra provide a citrusy and tropical character that deftly hides the 7-percent alcohol content. The somewhat disguised oaky notes are a nice touch.
Deschutes Swivelhead Red
6.5% ABV, 70 IBU
This India style red ale has a signature Deschutes Brewery twist: herbal hop character from European varietals (added in American quantities), along with a light melon accent from Australian hops. Tropical citrus this is not; it’s much closer to an amber ale, with English yeast and a mixture of seven hops (Nugget, Delta, U.S. Tettnang, Crystal, Northern Brewer, Triskel, Summer) that create more of an herbal-tea feel. While hoppy, it doesn’t slam the tongue with them at all — a pleasant diversion from the norm. While the label alone on this beer is enough to turn heads, cracking open the bottle is when the real magic happens with a distinct hop aroma and smooth caramel maltiness.
Ballast Point Dorado Double IPA
10% ABV, 90 IBU
Ballast Point’s revered and super-bitter Dorado Double India Pale Ale’s recipe uses six Northwest hops varieties including Simcoe and Crystal. Mash hopping, kettle hopping and dry hopping makes this beer a serious hop lover’s prize catch. The initial taste is actually a mild floral honey sweetness that quickly shifts to bold hop flavor with hints of grapefruit pith. The bitter hop aftertaste stays on your tongue for a bit. The San Diego brewery chats up hops, hops, hops, but that’s not what makes this double IPA memorable. It’s delicious due to its balance and drinkability.
