Hoppy Tuesday Friends!
Yes, yes, I know it’s Wednesday. I’m only human. Don’t get used to this. Hoppy Tuesday will be a thing.
Anyways, this week I’m going to be covering a truly unique hop that I feel doesn’t get enough loving amongst brewers. Sure, it may be a little difficult to work with but what legendary rock star isn’t? With that said, let’s get right to it.
Hallertau Blanc
When people think of classic, German, Hallertau they’re actually thinking of Hallertau Mittlefruh, a low alpha-acid, intense noble hop with a floral, citrus, and spicy character (fun fact: there is an American hop just called Hallertau that originated from Mittlefruh). Blanc shares some of its aromatic character with Hallertau but that’s about all they have in common. Blanc is notably fruitier than its counter-part, it has higher alpha-acid content, and it actually didn’t even originate from Mittlefruh! It actually comes from Cascade which came from Fuggle, an English (obviously not German) hop! Sorry, I nerded out for a moment. Let’s just move on to the stats.
Alpha Acids: 9%-12%
Beta Acids: 4.5%-5.5%
Total Oils: 1.2-1.5
Aroma & Flavor Profile: Intense pineapple, gooseberry, white grape, fresh lemon grass stalk, and passion fruit. Kind of like a Southern Hemisphere variety but not as “dank”.
This hop gets me pretty fired up. Like I said before, some brewers think this variety can be difficult to work with but who doesn’t love a good challenge. And with such a fruity aroma profile it’s no wonder that it’s finding its way into the hearts and brews of American brewers.
That’s all I’ve got for you folks this week. Let us know what you think of this week’s variety and maybe even share a recipe you’ve tried with it, I’d love to give it a go. Make sure to drop by the store or order online to get your hands on this bad-boy.
I’ll see you all next week with another interesting hop variety!