Really strange earthy taste from New Zealand hops.

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

reinstone

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2011
Messages
1,238
Reaction score
117
Hey. I have a buddy who made an ipa with some hop called striselbreck. It' had a strange earthy taste. I didn't care for it. I made a wheat and used a little nelson sauvin to finish it, noticed the same taste. Anyone else notice this. The hops smelled great and fresh. Hop union bagged. It's an odd taste, it's not an off flavor, it's a bland earthy taste.
 
Just had an amazing IPA from New Zealand. It was fresh hop Nelson Sauvin and Moteuka. I picked up a very different and distinct earthy flavor, almost airy or even grassy (I hate to use that word with all the negatives with it, it was really good)

I wouldn't say it was bland but its certainly different, and not what most people who drink American hopped IPAs are used too.
 
Just had an amazing IPA from New Zealand. It was fresh hop Nelson Sauvin and Moteuka. I picked up a very different and distinct earthy flavor, almost airy or even grassy (I hate to use that word with all the negatives with it, it was really good)

I wouldn't say it was bland but its certainly different, and not what most people who drink American hopped IPAs are used too.

You described it well. It's not bad.....,its just like whoa. What the heck is that.
 
Earthy is not really a descriptor for either hop based on beersmith's description. Steispalt should e more of a medium intensity hoppy aroma hop similar to mount hood or halerteur hersbrucker and Nelson savignoun should be more of a fruity gooseberry type of deal.... This is just from the description of beersmith. I have never used either hop though I know a lot of people use striespalt hops in lagers. NS being somewhat new I think has in every style out there at this point.
 
The flavor you're referring to may very well be what a lot of folks perceive as "cat piss," it can be quite strong from some of the new NZ hops, particularly Nelson Sauvin. The flavor usually comes across mid-palate, not immediately when drinking or even in the nose, but a couple seconds after taking a sip. In slight doses, it can be quite nice in my opinion, but too much is, well, too much.
 
I'm getting a bit of this in certain bottles of my amber ale. I used NZ Chinook and Motueka (Saaz). Only some bottles and not all, it's really bizarre. The description in the post above is spot-on, although I'm a bit offended at the 'cat-piss' remark :p
 
Hey. I have a buddy who made an ipa with some hop called striselbreck. It' had a strange earthy taste. I didn't care for it. I made a wheat and used a little nelson sauvin to finish it, noticed the same taste. Anyone else notice this. The hops smelled great and fresh. Hop union bagged. It's an odd taste, it's not an off flavor, it's a bland earthy taste.

Earthy is not really a descriptor for either hop based on beersmith's description. Steispalt should e more of a medium intensity hoppy aroma hop similar to mount hood or halerteur hersbrucker and Nelson savignoun should be more of a fruity gooseberry type of deal.... This is just from the description of beersmith. I have never used either hop though I know a lot of people use striespalt hops in lagers. NS being somewhat new I think has in every style out there at this point.

The other it could have been going by the spelling is Sticklebract - which is suposed to be citrus with pine neddles. I use it for bittering in a few beers and have not got this flavour - but those were 60 min additions only.
 
The other it could have been going by the spelling is Sticklebract - which is suposed to be citrus with pine neddles. I use it for bittering in a few beers and have not got this flavour - but those were 60 min additions only.

nope just double checked beersmith says :

name -Strisslespalt


country of origin- France

Description- Aroma hops used widely in the Alsace area of France.
Used for: Pilsner, lager, wheat
Aroma: Medium intensity, pleasant, hoppy
Substitutes: Mt Hood, Crystal, Hallertauer Hersbruck

I'm not sure where the hop name Sticklebract is coming from I just went and searched for like 30 minutes and cannot find that hop anywhere period except in a search this thread comes up...... that's why I assumed a misspelling of the hop name and it was strisslespalt he used. I very well could be wrong as their are a large amount of new hops being introduced at this time.
 
Yep that's the one I was talking about, when used as an aroma hop I only really noticed a citrus/pine flavour/aroma. No earthy character (but this was a 2010 crop I think). Really only using it for bittering at the moment now.

That's the one .......mid pallet, an alkaline taste, like mint tea....at the back of my tongue. The taste I was getting from the other hops declined with age. The striselbreck stayed, could it be a packaging issue, all other hops I use are hop union bagged. Regardless, I don't care for it, but if someone does like it, it's a unique flavor, to each his own! With time I learned to appreciate it, but not like it, it reminds me of the flavor I get when I have a zinc cold remedy tablet.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top