It is a truth universally known that the four ingredients used to make beer are water, barley, hops and yeast.
Three out of these four ingredients can be found just about anywhere. Not that interesting. I mean, sure, you can find all kinds of different yeast strains that alter the flavour and yes, different malted barley will give you a plethora of different flavours, even water makes a difference, but the one component to beer that is unique to all else is the hop.
Historically used to add bitterness to the beer, it was discovered that it imparted flavour and aroma when added later in the process of brewing. Hops are also an excellent preservative so when England found that their Pale Ale was not lasting the expedition by ship to India, the brewers decided to put more hops into the beer and the India Pale Ale (IPA) was born.
In time, the style has popularised purely because a lot people (myself included) really enjoy the flavours that can be added and enhanced by more hops.
An excellent example and showcase of hops is the Hopinator from the Holgate Brewhouse, located in Woodend.
It’s my belief that this is the premier beer made by a Victorian brewery, but my guess is that you readers don’t really care about the favourite beer of someone you’ve never heard of.
Fair point.
The Hopinator is a 7.0% ABV Double IPA that’s a rich amber colour in the glass and smells like a glass full of hops. It’s one of my favourite aromas. I’m considering developing a cologne that smells like Hopinator. Holgate, if you’re interested, you know where to find me…
What makes the Hopinator so good is just how balanced the taste is. It’s a full flavoured hop hit, but the highlight is the beautifully sweet, caramel malt character that balances out the bitterness of the hops.
This is a beer-lovers beer, but one that is just too good not to try.
