French hops (Aramis, Elixir, Mistral, Triskel) are known for their distinctive flavor and a unique ability to round out a hop bill. The team at John I. Haas (HAAS) began a new, exclusive partnership with Hop France in 2020, and the team discussed the nuances and virtues of French Hops in a recent HopCast with Tim Matthews, VP of Operations/Brewing at CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective, and Francis Heitz of Hop France Comptoir Agricole. Here are a few highlights:
When Tim discovered French Hops: “It was about six and a half years ago that the journey began. I was looking for hops that could get us more of the profile for our pilsner beer. Momma’s Little Yella Pils leaned on Saaz hops and had a little bit of Sterling in it in the boil. It was always about trying to get that spicy, floral, citrusy, herbal thing going on, but we were here having trouble getting something consistent.”
What stood out about the Aramis hop from Alsace? “I don’t know…there was something in there, a spice, that was just tingling in my nose. We did further evaluations with the Aramis hops and, on blind sensory evaluation, it was the clear-cut winner. So we went head-first into it. We actually took a trip out to Alsace and spent a week out there really digging in. But we also looked at the other foods that were produced out there, as well as the grapes, and really got to know the terroir. Ever since then, we’ve used Aramis in several beers including pilsners and even IPAs, along with other Pacific Northwest flavors and Southern Hemisphere flavors, to round off the hop profile.”
What stands out about Elixir? “Watching a hop develop over time, getting to see what a hop is capable of, and what it’s meant to be, is really special. Really, it’s incredible to be a part of that entire agronomic experience. When we started out trialing it, this was about six or seven years ago, we did two beers with it. One that used Elixir heavily on the hot side. And one that used it in both early fermentation and late fermentation. We saw different things from every different hopping strategy, and that was cool because it showed us that the hop has substance—something more concrete to it than just the big hop aromas. Elixir had a bit more juice to it.”
Why Tim keeps gravitating to French hops: “Ultimately, I’m a big fan of the aromas that come out of France, and Europe in general. I just think that they add something to any hop bill. To the point that we are incorporating Alsace hops into every single dry hop, just to see what it adds. And it’s very interesting because, while you can’t necessarily pick it out, the overall impression rises a bit when you have those hops in there—they fill in the blanks. And I’m a big believer in having a wide spectrum in every single hop bill.”
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