Does hop flavor of the beer depend on the served temp?

I opened a brew on Saturday which was nearly a month old in primary and 2 weeks in bottles. Well carbonated (my first attempt at priming sugar instead of Coopers carbonation drops), nice color, more head then previous brews, etc

I noticed that when you take the first sip you feel the bitterness of the hops more. As the same beer sits and warms a little bit it becomes less bitter. A girl took a sip of my beer a few times and she actually said the same thing as I did about first and next sips.

The beer we are talking about is AHS Newcastle clone but I had the question about hops performance in different temperatures. Does it matter or am I just crazy?

As I type this I am drinking a bottle of above mentioned beer. After a few sips it feels less hoppy (less bitter). Am I going crazy? (the girl who tasted is potentially crazy from beginning) Is it just newbies taste buds are not developed?

One reason could just be taste perception. For instance, I've been switching a lot between German styles (malty) and British styles (more bitter). When I haven't had a German style, for example, in a while... when I first taste it, it's super malty. But as I drink it, it seems less pronounced, even though it's the same maltiness in reality.

So, in short, it's probably that your taste buds aren't yet "used to" it when you first drink it. It's the same reason why I've found that people who've learned to like a lot of sweet things don't like beer in general because it's too bitter. Their taste buds are conditioned for sweet things.

I did notice that original Newcastle (drank one last night) is a lot more hoppier then my clone. I like mine better because it feels a lot more fresher and smoother . In the end I am a happy customer. This is 3rd bottled batch and I think they are getting better and better. I will be bottling 2 more batches within the next 2 weeks and slowly establishing a proper pipeline.

Mensh, since you are my worker, when are you going to send me some beer you made for me?

Warmed beer will often taste a little smoother in general. Probably more at work in this circumstance is the beer going a little flat. You (and she) might be perceiving a little bit of the carbonic acid from the CO2 as almost being a bit "bitter"; as that dissipates, the beer smooths out.

You ever have beer served on cask, where it's served at cellar temps and with minimal carbonation? It's almost in some ways like drinking a pint that's been sitting out for a little while, it's warmed up and gone a bit flat. It's almost a "rounder" flavor, less harsh overall.

Pivzavod said:

Mensch, since you are my worker, when are you going to send me some beer you made for me?

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Worker, not brewer! Brewing is not work to me.

As your employer I still demand some beer!

Pivzavod said:

As your employer I still demand some beer!

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DOES... NOT... COMPUTE

Cold beverages are "sharper" tasting than warm beverages. It's not the bitterness that is subsiding as the temp increases. It's just the general mouthfeel that mellows out with warming temps. Also, as the beer warms, the CO2 in suspension decreases. Carbonic bite can also give the perception of bitterness.

Hops aroma and flavor actually increase as beer warms up.

the_bird said:

You ever have beer served on cask, where it's served at cellar temps and with minimal carbonation? It's almost in some ways like drinking a pint that's been sitting out for a little while, it's warmed up and gone a bit flat. It's almost a "rounder" flavor, less harsh overall.

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Cask IPA is a wonderful thing. I really do think the malt comes through a lot more and the beer seems more balanced / less bitter when it's served at cellar temps (around 60*F).

Saccharomyces said:

Cask IPA is a wonderful thing. I really do think the malt comes through a lot more and the beer seems more balanced / less bitter when it's served at cellar temps (around 60*F).

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You've got that right! There's a pub near me that occassionally puts their American IPA on cask; it's the most wonderful beer EVER on cask. It's really good just on draft; on cask, it's etherial.