The Term "Hoppy Beer"

[brewnscooter]

My tastes tend to lean towards a less bitter bite in my beer. I like brews that are not real high on the IBU scale. I know that hops add bitterness when added early and taste/smell when added later. When someone says a beer is very "hoppy" does that generally mean bitter hoppy or taste/smell hoppy? I recently had a local micro brew that had a huge hop smell and taste, but low bitterness. I loved that beer. It was A Southern Tier Hop Sun if anyone around my neck of the woods has ever had one....

 

[HenryHill]

Bitterness should be balanced to malt character and OG.

Aroma from late additions or DHing is to suit your own tastes. People call things by different names, so don't ever assume that the person describing a taste or aroma is or isn't describing how bitter the beer is. Many people are fast and lose with terms and names.

i try to specify 'bitterness', 'flavor' or 'aroma', but people can be screwy when they describe things.

 

[david_42]

Many hopheads don't differentiate between highly bittered beers and hoppy flavor and aroma beers. If you are focused on IIPAs, it's the same thing. Sloppy, but only being whipped into shape by a good BJCP instructor will cure them.

When I refer to beer as hoppy, I'm talking flavor and aroma. When I call a beer bitter, it's bitter.

 

[Brewin_CRAZY]

I think this is a very commonly mixed up ides. Generally when people use the term hoppy they are talking about the aroma, as this is usually what comes most in a "hoppy" beer. Bitterness of course comes from hops, but is not really the hoppy flavor in beer. Like mentioned above people will usually say bitterness when that what they are talking about. If you really want to mess with your tastes, brew the same beer three times (just do like a 1 gal batch on your stove top) adding hops only at the beginning (bitterness), only at the end (aroma), and then make the beer the way it should be. Taste the malt of all three, dont forget to let it cool (that really will give off the taste of the beer). Then let it age and taste all three its fun and teaches you a lot about what hops do to your beer. If you have the time its always fun to mess with beer.

 

[Yooper]

When I refer to beer as hoppy, I'm talking flavor and aroma. When I call a beer bitter, it's bitter.

Me too. "Hoppy" to me means hoppy flavor and aroma. Bitter is just that- bitter.