Depending on when hops are added in the brewing process, they contribute bitterness, flavor, aroma or something of all three. The bitterness comes from alpha acids contained in hops, while flavor and aroma come mostly from volatile oils. The term volatile refers to the fact that the oils boil out of the wort relatively quickly — most within 15-20 minutes. This is why brewers normally add flavor and aroma hops closer to the end of the boil. For maximum flavor and aroma, and to preserve as much of the volatile oils as possible, some brewers practice dry hopping. Dry hopping is the process of adding hops to the beer after the wort’s been boiled; because these hops aren’t boiled, they impart more aroma and flavor and less bitterness than early-addition hops. These additions can be done in the primary fermenter, in the secondary or by adding hops directly to a keg. A term such as conditioning hops or secondary hops might be more descriptive. Today, Peaks and Pints presents a flight of dry-hopped beer we call Craft Beer Crosscut 9.20.17: A Flight of Dry Hop.
Narrows Diver Down IPA
5.5% ABV, 60 IBU
Narrows Brewing head brewer Mike Davis released his Diver Down IPA in the spring of 2015 to celebrate the opening of the Chambers Bay Whole Foods Market in University Place. The Diver Down IPA pours a deep copper with a nice “C-Hops” aroma. It’s brewed with American and British malted barley for the base malts, with roasted barley that adds the color and a hint of raisins and fruit. A strong malt backbones provides balance to the up front hop presence with a dry hop of Cascade and Centennial hops. Yes, this beer pairs with Neoprene.
Sierra Nevada Hoptimum
9.6% ABV, 65 IBU
Sierra Nevada Brewing has been running a “beer camp” at its Chico, California brewery for quite some time; Beer Camp 208 finished last weekend. After arguing over who gets top bunk, Sierra Nevada brewers and beer industry folks concoct experimental batches using the brewery’s pilot system. One of these collaborative efforts was released as Sierra Nevada Hoptimum Double IPA. Thanks to tweaks that involve mixing things up in the hop department to achieve a bit more balance, the 2017 incarnation of Hoptimum showcases a “tropical and citrus hop aroma that delivers a refined yet aggressive character.” Although the IBUs might be down a few ticks, the brewery steadfastly claims that Hoptimum Triple IPA – 2017 Edition is their “hoppiest beer yet,” aggressively hopped, dry-hopped AND torpedoed with Citra, Simcoe, Chinook for a blend of tropical and citrus hop aroma that delivers a refined yet aggressive character.
Fat Head’s Head Hunter IPA
7.5% ABV, 87 IBU
“Uncivilized and aggressive, this West Coast styled IPA packs wicked hop flavors and aroma,” states Fat Head’s Brewing‘s hype about its Head Hunter IPA. On the nose, there’s an immediate citrus aroma. That citrus flavor continues in the beer’s taste, with a subtle, subdued pineapple flavor coming through, and a pine-y aftertaste emerges on the back end once consumed. Touting its aggressive hoppiness, Head Hunter’s bitterness isn’t overpowering, but is impactful and accents the overall citrus flavor well. It’s a headbutt of dry-hop character with savage amounts of dank, delicious Simcoe, Columbus and Cascade hops late in the boil and in the dry hop that define this brew’s signature pine and citrus notes.
Skookum Mammoth Jack
8.2% ABV, 90 IBU
Skookum Brewery chose its double IPA Mammoth Jack as their first beer to package in 12-ounce bottles and for good reason. The brewery’s tagline is “big bold strong,” and that’s Mammoth Jack, which is named after the large-headed mammoth jack donkey. Mulligan and Johnny Green, of Arlington, are the artwork on the bottles and packs. The other reason Mammoth Jack was chosen to lead the 12-ounce parade? It’s a freakin’ delicious, well-balance West Coast IPA with a touch of rye and massively dry hopped with Yakima Valley hops. It arrives with resiny hops bitterness, pine and grapefruit rind along with some orange peel and mint toward the end for a long, tangy finish.
Drake’s The Denogginizer
9.75% ABV, 90 IBU
In January of 2004, Drake’s brewers sought to create a beer to turn some heads. They crafted a massive Imperial IPA with a full body, smooth malt backbone and an utterly irresponsible amount of pungent, dank, American hops. After three weeks in the tanks and one minor incident involving a pressure relief valve jettisoning across the cellar and nearly decapitating a brewer, a beer, and its name, were born. The Denogginizer Double IPA is a monster of a beer made with a colossal mash of malted barley and finished with an irresponsible amount of West Coast hops, including Warrior for bittering, Chinook and Exp 07270 in the whirlpool and dry-hopped with Cascade, Centennial and Chinook. An epic tsunami of dank, chewy hops cuts like a guillotine through the warm embrace of velvety smooth sweetness.
