In today’s ever-evolving craft beer market brews are constantly surprising with innovative new flavors. From farmhouse ales made with foraged ingredients to imperial stouts aged in spirit barrels it seems like the potential flavors of beer know no bounds. Yet shortly after beer was probably invented as a mistake much of the flavor of brewing has been derived from just a handful of ingredients.
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This plant makes beer taste like beer…
Beer's flavor is created by a mix of malt yeast and hops. While each ingredient contributes flavor hops in particular provide an aromatic hit. Hops are loaded with a variety of acids and oils many of which contribute bitterness. Bitterness is a flavor note that is deeply ingrained in beer — for some a selling point of the beverage — and is especially prominent in styles like IPAs barley wines and strong ales.
Hops aren’t just the key to bitterness though. They also play a role in the overall flavor structure of all beers. The flavor of hops contrasts with the sweetness of the malts enhancing the flavor and body of the beverage. When someone says a beer tastes like a hobby they’re usually referring to all of those factors not just bitterness. Beers aren’t made without hops so even if there’s no bitter flavor in a particular brew those flavored hop components are still involved.
The primary contribution to beer bitterness comes from alpha acids a type of terpene found in hops. This category of acid occurs naturally in the resin glands of the hop plant and the longer it is boiled in the wort the more prominent the flavor becomes. As a result alpha-acid-saturated hops are added early in the boil with brewers selecting the amount and variety to adjust the resulting bitterness.
