Let's Play Musical Hops!

I drank an ale called Cashmere recently, a single hopped ale from the excellent Kent Brewery (website), and, when I shared it on facebook, a friend immediately did what I did, and linked it to a song by Led Zeppelin (YouTube). I'd thought the same, but had been thinking this Musical Hops idea for a while. However, that song is Kashmir, spelt differently. Anyway, I'm not giving up on this as I'm adding another 5 hops to this blog that start with the letter 'C' - bear with me!

The Cashmere hop was developed by Washington State University and released in 2013, being a 'marriage' of Cascade and Northern Brewer hops. Cashmere has flavours of lemon, lime and melon, exhibiting a smooth bitterness, mildly aromatic with a subtle herbal bouquet* - I certainly don't remember much aroma, but have lost my previous notebook, sadly. So I didn't use an image from that ale, but the image above is of this year's Duvel Tripel Hop Cashmere, and I have recently written about their previous  Tripel Hop (blog), a bottle of which I happen to have in my fridge 😉 and, just now I ordered a few bottles of the Cashmere pictured above!

My second "C" hop is Calypso, which was one of the 3 hops used by the, also excellent, Yorkshire brewer Mallinsons (website) in their 'Tropical Blonde' (above - and blog). This tune is haunting, frankly beautiful, and sung by Suzanne Vega, and Calypso was one of the 2 hops that gave me the idea for this blog well before I'd even heard of Cashmere, so Calypso (YouTube).

The Calypso hop was bred in the Yakima Valley of Washington State, with Hopsteiner lineage. It features crisp, fruity aromas and flavours, and is complex* with hints of stone fruits, apple, pear and lime. For the Tropical Blonde I got citrus and tropical fruit in the taste, noticeably mango and pineapple in the aroma, but then there were 2 other hops involved as well! 😉

My third hop, and another of the earliest influences for this blog is Cascade, one of the 3 hops used by the American brewer Sierra Nevada (website), and you'll likely have noticed these "C" hops are mostly from the U.S. of A. The beers I mention in this blog are of the, highly influenced by the craft brewers over the Pond, and mostly labelled American Pale Ales. So, to the music for this one, and Cascade by Siouxsie and the Banshees (YouTube), quality!

The Cascade hop was pioneered at Oregon State University in the 1950s and is widely used, indeed Cascade hops have been grown in England since 2002, after development at Wye College (website). However, Cascade was originally developed from the English Fuggle hop and the Russian Serebrianka hop and released in 1972. Cascade provides spicy citrus flavours, particularly grapefruit.* Indeed, the Sierra Nevada (blog), certainly has grapefruit in the taste.

So to my fourth hop, and, for the music I had to dig deeper, it wasn't as automatic for the next 3, and so a wee bit eclectic! Anyway, the Crystal hop, which is one of the FIVE hop varieties used in the eponymous Revelation, which is a revelation, and is brewed in Sussex by Dark Star (website). Music is Crystal by New Order (YouTube), never heard of it before, but not bad.

The Crystal hop was developed from Hallertau, Cascade, Brewer's Gold and Early Green hops, with floral, fruity and spicy flavours, notably cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper.* I'm sorry, but the Revelation has so much going for it (blog), that I couldn't guess how much Crystal hops influence the flavour, but influence they must, cheers! 😄

OK, I'm slipping in a couple of 'googlies' here, first although used in many pale hoppy ales (and other styles!), the Challenger hop is actually English, but certainly can be included as a "C" hop! And my second googly is the music, I said eclectic earlier, and a wee bit space agey... Challenger by Creo (YouTube). Oh yes, and Challenger hops are one of 2 hops used by another excellent brewery, Oakham Ales (website), in their session ale JHB.

The Challenger hop, as I said, was developed in England, at Wye College, and is the result of marrying Northern Brewer and German Zattler hops, and was released to the public in 1972; also know as Wye Challenger. Challenger provides floral, citrus and spicy undertones, and is good for bittering ales.* JHB certainly has the citrus flavours expected, as noted in this blog.

My final hop for this blog is Chinook, one of the 3 hops used in Proper Job, which is brewed by the Cornish brewer, St Austell (website). The music is again a wee bit electronic, and bowls us yet another googly, Chinook by Julian Jordan (YouTube), likely more about the wind than hops. 😉

Chinook hops were released in 1985, a cross between a USDA male and Petham Golding hops, and has a spicy pine bouquet and definite grapefruit flavouring. They are widely used in APAs.* I regularly drink Proper Job, whether cask-conditioned, bottle-conditioned (my favourite!), or even from a can (blog), which has forest and citrus fruit flavours, notably grapefruit, nice one!

*If you're surprised by my wealth of knowledge about hops, don't be, I've used the excellent hopslist website as a source of much of the relevant content, many thanks to them.

I do hope you've enjoyed this blog, and some of the music too, cheers!

Congratulations to Hastings' Dolphin Inn!

Congratulations to The Dolphin Inn, 11-12 Rock-a-Nore Road, Hastings TN34 3DW (facebook page), for winning the CAMRA South East Sussex Community Pub of the Year 2019. Well done to Mark and Mo, Laura, Louise and Fraser, and all the bar staff, plus to Clare and her kitchen staff for adding a new dimension since she took on the kitchen. 

The Dolphin Inn, its staff and customers do make this not just an excellent place to knock back 6 real ales, always in perfect condition, at any one time, including 3 regulars (Dark Star Hophead, Harveys Sussex Best and Youngs Special), and 3 guest ales, usually locally brewed, for example, I enjoyed a couple of pints of Dark Star Revelation, a truly 'revelationary' 5.7% hoppy ale, one to savour, and brewed in East Sussex still! 

But also, good food, and a true community pub, with locals from all walks of life joining in with community projects, looking out for each other, charity work and fund-raising £thousands, at least three days a week with live music played by local musicians and singers, and welcoming to all ages, and visitors and tourists too... 

Yet again, this is certainly a well-deserved award, nice one and cheers!

Recent Excellent Paler Ales!

From the many very drinkable paler ales I have experenced recently, I have to start close to home with the ever-excellent Franklins Brewery of East Sussex (website) and their Citra IPA (5.5%). Very hard to beat, this gorgeous pale golden bitter, single hopped, ie Citra, has a big citrus fruity aroma, plenty of body, with a bitter orange, but mostly grapefruit, taste, dry and very bitter finish, I love it! But Franklins also brew other great paler bitters (and more!), including their 5-hopped session ale English Garden (3.8%), Resurrection Pale (4.4%) with Amarillo, Galaxy, Centennial and Citra hops, and North Shore IPA (5.5%) with its New Zealand hopped Rakau!

I'm getting thirsty just writing about them! 

Then, across into Kent and Angels & Demons (website) and their Goldilocks is Dead (5.3%), indeed, enjoyed yesterday! This isn't the only ale of their's I've been drinking recently, but it is a very good beer from them (I won't use the phrase in my notes!). You've got it by now, pale golden dry and very bitter, big citrus aroma and taste, notably grapefruit, what more could I ask for?!?

Up to Buckinghamshire and XT Brewing Company (website), who also brew limited edition ales as Animal Brewing Company, from which I recently loved this 'American Pale' ale, Alligator (4.6%). Brewed with Azacca hops, a very pale and very dry and bitter ale, with exotic fruit flavours, citrus, peach and mango, "lovely!!" I noted. 

I won't insult anyone's intelligence and say where North Yorkshire Brewery is based (facebook - their website is a work in progress it appears), and I deleted my photograph of the pumpclip, so thank you to Google and North Yorkshire for this image! Anyway, North Yorkshire White Lady (4.7%) is apparently brewed with lager malt and German hops (Huel Melon, which gives a melon and apricot aftertaste), effectively a real ale lager! Although it tastes pretty much like a pale bitter to me, indeed, it is very refreshing to drink, much enjoyed.

Whilst talking about great ales from Yorkshire, recently I also drank one brewed by Bad Seed Brewery (website), ie their 5.5% Free Fall, an "American Pale Ale" that is "unfined and unfiltered." Indeed, a pale golden ale and, although not fined, surprisingly quite clear, which shows that finings aren't always necessary to ensure a clear beer! Hops used are Azacca, Ekuanot, Simcoe and Chinook, producing a tropical fruity aroma, although a more subtle fruity taste. Plenty of body and nice and dry and bitter, great stuff!

Also, of course, I've been drinking other more regular pale hoppy ales, with many thanks to the Tower and the Dolphin inns in Hastings, where all the above were enjoyed too. Notably, the excellent Burning Sky (website) Aurora (5.6%), a "Strong Pale Ale" brewed using hops from the USA. A pale golden ale with plenty of body, tropical and citrus flavours, and a dry and bitter finish, too easy to drink! Plus the ever excellent Hophead (3.8%) and American Pale Ale (APA 4.7%) from Dark Star (website), now owned by Fullers, who appear to be letting them get on with their brewing, having problems it seems, trying to brew Hophead at Chiswick.

And not to forget Dark Star Revelation (5.7%), with its massive use of Warrior, Cascade, Columbus, Crystal and Chinook hops, indeed, a revelation of an ale... and congratulations must go to the brewers as it has won the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) 2018 Gold Award in the category of "Strong Bitter." Quality, cheers!

Old Favourites at The Tower

I've visited The Tower, 251 London Road, Bohemia, Hastings TN37 6NB (tel: 01424 721773) on a few occasions recently, last time a couple of days ago, when I enjoyed drinking a couple of old favourites!  In addition, I enjoyed chatting with the lovely landlady, Louisa, and with a friend, Darren, who's birthday it is today, so Happy Birthday Darren, have an excellent day!

There was a mild and a stout available too, but I'm going to be writing about darker ales very soon, so not in this instance, but, all the way from the beautiful west of Scotland, from Fyne Ales (website), was their refreshing 3.8% session ale Jarl. I've written about this before, and what can I say, it's a dry, pale golden hoppy ale, with citrus flavours, a slightly nutty flavour too, and a fruity aroma. Good old Citra hops are used in the brewing of this ale, and it finishes with a slightly sour bitterness, and at just £3.20 a pint, nice one!

And the ever excellent 5.7%, more than a session ale, indeed a 'revelation', Dark Star (website) Revelation! This is packed with hops, Warrior, Columbus, Crystal, Chinook and Cascade, and dry-hopped too, I seem to remember, so in your face hops! The Revelation is a deep coloured golden ale bursting with flavours with a fruity aroma, tasting of mango, peach and plenty of citrus too, plenty of body with a dry finish, and just £3.50 a pint... Yes, I do love this!

Of course, there are 6 ales in all, plus 5 or 6 real ciders and perry, and the two regular ales are also from the Dark Star Brewing Co. Their 3.8% Hophead, is the regular session ale, brewed with Cascade hops, with more flavours than you would expect for a session ale, indeed, one of my nicknames is 'Hophead Steve' and not just because I'm a 'hophead', but because I regularly drink this pale golden bitter, it is excellent, and costs just £2.90 a pint at The Tower. The other Dark Star ale regularly sold here, at only £3 a pint, excellent value, is their 4.7% American Pale Ale (APA), brewed with Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops, obviously with more body than the Hophead, and with a greater variety of citrus and tropical flavours too, and a yeast strain from the USA is also used to create this APA style ale, again, an excellent beer!

Many thanks again to Louisa for keeping and serving up excellent ales, and a Happy Birthday again to Darren, cheers! 😎