The Misconceptions of a “Hoppy” Beer
It’s fairly common to hear craft beer patrons misuse “hoppy” when describing “bitter”. Using these terms interchangeably over time has led to a misunderstanding that all beer that is “hoppy” therefore is “bitter”. Knowing the difference between the two can be key to understanding the beers you enjoy.
When you hear someone say “I don’t like hoppy beers”, what they most likely mean is they don’t like beers that have a strong bitterness.
Hops provide the bittering element to beer, but the level of bitter can range dramatically depending on the type of hop, amount, and how it is used.
Beer is a balance of ingredients and taste.
International Bitterness Units (IBUs), which is the scale used to measure the bitterness of a beer, are a great way to measure a very specific aspect of your beer. However, this doesn’t mean the beer will be bitter.
Confused yet?
IBUs do not take into account flavor, aroma, or perceived bitterness.
Hops are magical at what they do and are used in every style of beer. They provide a wide range of flavors depending on the type of hops. Piney, fruity, earthy, floral, etc. They provided balance between sweet and bitter, and without hops, beer would be way too sweet.
Hops are also used as a preservative to help shelf life and longevity.
Another great example are Stouts. This style of beer uses more malt than any other style (more malt = higher ABV). A stout can have IBUs that are 60 or higher similar to IPA’s, and have almost no bitterness.
So, the moral of the story is when someone says “hoppy” they should be referring to the taste, or smell of the hops characteristics. It does not always mean that the beer is bitter.
A good balance of ingredients makes all the difference in craft beer.
