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I’ve been trying to stay away from the drunken rants and go for a more sober nuanced approach to thoughts about modern beer. So here’s one for fun.
I hear quite often in interviews with brewers of hoppy beer these days the avoidance of “OG”, the dreaded onion/garlic aroma that can come from hops. I understand generally wanting to avoid these flavors in exchange for more of the fruit aromatics which brewers want to feature in hoppy beers. But from a culinary perspective it’s got me wondering. Does avoiding the OG altogether lead to a more one-dimensional beer? I want to say, yes it might. Can the OG thing, in the right amounts, contribute an umami quality to ipa? I think of mirepoix in cooking. Or things like fish sauce, and anchovies. While not the stars of most dishes, they play a pivotal role in adding depth, complexity, and richness. So I’m wondering when in the past few years I find myself disappointed with IPAs that drink more like a mimosa, could bringing back a little of the OG pungency be a good thing? I would think perhaps it might be worth investigating at least.
I hear quite often in interviews with brewers of hoppy beer these days the avoidance of “OG”, the dreaded onion/garlic aroma that can come from hops. I understand generally wanting to avoid these flavors in exchange for more of the fruit aromatics which brewers want to feature in hoppy beers. But from a culinary perspective it’s got me wondering. Does avoiding the OG altogether lead to a more one-dimensional beer? I want to say, yes it might. Can the OG thing, in the right amounts, contribute an umami quality to ipa? I think of mirepoix in cooking. Or things like fish sauce, and anchovies. While not the stars of most dishes, they play a pivotal role in adding depth, complexity, and richness. So I’m wondering when in the past few years I find myself disappointed with IPAs that drink more like a mimosa, could bringing back a little of the OG pungency be a good thing? I would think perhaps it might be worth investigating at least.