Hop Wallop- simcoe?

I cracked open my first Victory Hop Wallop last night, I gotta say it was a good beer, very different than other IPAs I've had, and I always appreciate an opportunity to broaden my portfolio. The main thing I noticed was a strong cat piss smell. This beer reeks of feline urine. Is this the famous simcoe hops at work?

Ironically this beer looks like pee as well, if you don't like it you can certainly employ it for practical jokes

gtpro said:

I gotta say it was a good beer...... The main thing I noticed was a strong cat piss smell. This beer reeks of feline urine.

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I don't know about the Simcoe hops, but I don't think I've ever experienced these two thoughts at the same time: Good Beer/Cat Piss.

Cracks me up!

HomerJR said:

I don't know about the Simcoe hops, but I don't think I've ever experienced these two thoughts at the same time: Good Beer/Cat Piss.

Cracks me up!

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I thought the same thing

I used Simcoe for the first time last weekend putting together a Dreadnaught-inspired IIPA. I gave 'em a sniff, and didn't detect anything smelling like cat pee. Did I get gypped at the LHBS?

HomerJR said:

I used Simcoe for the first time last weekend putting together a Dreadnaught-inspired IIPA. I gave 'em a sniff, and didn't detect anything smelling like cat pee. Did I get gypped at the LHBS?

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Sounds like you got an inferior batch of hops.

gtpro said:

. . . . . The main thing I noticed was a strong cat piss smell. This beer reeks of feline urine. Is this the famous simcoe hops at work?

Ironically this beer looks like pee as well, if you don't like it you can certainly employ it for practical jokes

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Well at least it doesn't cut the palate like a dull knife with a finish of wet dog?
Are you sure you're not on the recieving end of said practical joke?

It sounds weird, I dont know how to describe it, it smells unpleasant, but the taste works. Theres gotta be someone else whos had it and thought the same thing.

I've got a batch of an all-simcoe IPA at home. I'll have to investigate this cat urine business this evening. :shifty:

I have heard it described on here as cat pee or kitty litter.

Oddly enough after reading that, I went and picked up a pound of them from the brewery. I'm thinking one can 'Over Simcoe' pretty easily but what do I know.

But that is the expected aroma.

I do not think Hop Wallop smells like cat pee at all. I think it is an awesome IPA. Although admittedly, I have never had cats and don't know what cat pee smells like. If it smells like hop wallop, they should sell it as perfume.

Perhaps you got a mishandled sixer.

Copy and paste this into a Google search box:

site:homebrewtalk.com simcoe cat piss

Update-why are all of victory's brews so light in color? I just tried their Golden Monkey "Belgian Triple" and I was really surprised to see such a light colored beer, I was slightly disappointed by this one.

Prima-pils on the other hand, mmmboy those are some superb suds.

I don't get any cat urine in any form from Hop Wallop or any beer that is heavy on simcoe....weird. This is the first time I have ever heard anyone associate that hop with cat pee.

gtpro said:

Update-why are all of victory's brews so light in color? I just tried their Golden Monkey "Belgian Triple" and I was really surprised to see such a light colored beer, I was slightly disappointed by this one.

Prima-pils on the other hand, mmmboy those are some superb suds.

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cause they's tryin ta make money? it's all about the dollarrrrr.

somebody please do a search on simcoe and cat piss, the only reason I made that association is because of threads I've seen on this website

gtpro said:

Update-why are all of victory's brews so light in color? I just tried their Golden Monkey "Belgian Triple" and I was really surprised to see such a light colored beer, I was slightly disappointed by this one.

Prima-pils on the other hand, mmmboy those are some superb suds.

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A Tripel is *supposed* to be pale.

Try their Stormking Imperial Stout. It's not pale!

;-)

Results 1 - 10 of about 44 from homebrewtalk.com for simcoe cat piss. (0.17 seconds)

Kinda makes me not want to use this hop.

I've had plenty of Hop Wallop and I've brewed plenty of times with Simcoe and I never noticed a cat piss smell - could your bottles have been light-struck?

Edit - I guess the search results speak for themselves - but this could also be one of those things that achieve reality by constant repetition, like LME twang. I have cats and if Simcoe really reminded me of cat piss, I would probably never drink another Simcoe IPA!

The cat urine smell, or black currant leaf smell as it is known among the more nuanced, is certainly a characteristic in beers using one of several hops in sufficient quantity.

It's not a bad thing, in fact that same character is required in sauvignon blanc.

remilard said:

The cat urine smell, or black currant leaf smell as it is known among the more nuanced, is certainly a characteristic in beers using one of several hops in sufficient quantity.

It's not a bad thing, in fact that same character is required in sauvignon blanc.

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It doesn't smell like black currant leaves, it smells like cat piss. It bothers some people and others don't notice it

niquejim said:

It bothers some people and others don't notice it

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+1

I think this is the reason that a lot of people look at you like you are an idiot when you say it. At least, that is what happens to me about half of the time I say it smells a bit like cat pee.

There is a brewpub in Nanaimo, BC, Canada that has a hugely popular reputation around here. Constant ads, everyone always talking about how good their beer is. Well, I went there for the first time the other week to try their beer.

Their so called 'famous' IPA tasted exactly like cat urine SMELLS. I mean, I have never drank cat urine, or even tasted it. But I know what an old carpet smells like when it has been soaked with cat urine... and that is exactly how this beer tasted. I actually laughed out loud, as my work colleagues looked at me funny... because I have been home brewing for like 6 months and my IPA is waaaaaayyyyyyyy better than that. I mean, it was not godd at all. I actually detected some kind of infection, like maybe their beer lines needed to be cleaned or something... I dunno, but your Simcoe story made me think of the same thing, you are not alone.

niquejim said:

It doesn't smell like black currant leaves, it smells like cat piss. It bothers some people and others don't notice it

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Have you smelled black currant leaves?

You know I have had cats and I do not know what cat pee smells or taste like. I am not sure why so many do?

On another note Hop Wallop is delicious.

BendBrewer said:

Copy and paste this into a Google search box:

site:homebrewtalk.com simcoe cat piss

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https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/dry-hopping-simcoe-cascade-159615/

I was posting elsewhere about just that phenomena.
It's gotta be the interaction.

Lesson: Don't blend Simcoe and Cascade.
Unless you like tom cats.