What does hoppy mean? Bitter? Lots of hop aroma/flavor (citrus, floral, etc.)?
I like that Untappd added one word descriptors that users can select to describe beers. You can get a feel for the group think on a beer. For example, Untappd drinkers use the following descriptors for Sierra Nevada Sidecar IPA: citrusy, hoppy, crisp, citrus, and funky. (Note: I don’t get funky for this beer.)
After a while the group think likely gets self-reinforced because users probably select from the short list of common descriptors provided rather than type their own.
One descriptor that comes up a lot is “hoppy”. Should I check it for bitter beers or hop flavored beers?
PS. Sierra Nevada is so reliable. I love all their beers. Give me Sierra Nevada and Yellow Hammer and I am good.
Hoppy to me would be aroma/flavor. Lots of hop presence. Bitter would be it’s own separate thing. You can have bitter with no aroma, you can also have bitter that’s not from hops, roast malts, husks, astringency type bitterness that’s not hop related.
That’s just me, it’s gonna be different for everyone.
Hoppy and bitter are not the same thing. Hoppy is the perception of hop-derived flavor or aroma. Bitter is the perception of a drying and bitter sensation at the back of the throat that counters malt and alcohol sweetness.
You can have a bitter beer without hoppiness and you can have a hoppy beer that isn’t bitter.
This is a problem I came across a lot while bartending. People, expecially new beer drinkers, shy away from hoppy beers because they automatically associate hoppy and bitter. I did my best to educate people that hoppy does not always have to be bitter but I feel like its an uphill battle. Especially after the IBU wars a few years back.
Can I get an example of a beer that would be described as ‘hoppy’ and one that could be described as ‘bitter’? I am thinking hop bursting at the end of the boil for ‘hoppy’ and earlier additions for ‘bitter’. Or?
NEIPA are hoppy but not bitter. Bitter without hop flavor and aroma seems less common, but somebody else may have an example. However, I agree, something with lots of early additions but none late would be bitter.
What? So I guess malty, watery and yeasty are right out too.
If hoppy describes a Knee-Pa, then I suppose watery would work to describe the water in a Dortmunder or ESB. Malty works for Scottish, Dunkel, or Stout. And yeasty works for Belgians and Weissen
