Hops that you DONT like...

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Apart from the very few hops I've disliked, I've lost count of the ones I've tried and been so nonplussed I can't remember what they were!
 
Could be you got a dodgy bottle? Wouldn't be the first time I'm sure, I know I sometimes get a bottle that's just not right.
 
I’m not sure there are any hops I actively dislike. I’ve never used Fuggles partly because the description doesn’t tend to particularly appeal to me, but @jceg316 sent me a beer made with homegrown Fuggles and it was great.

One hop I’ve used that disappointed was Hallertauer Blanc. From the research I’d done I understood it was going to be a ‘new world’ style hop with tropical type flavours and I got none of that despite using a lot in late and dry hops. The beer was fine, just not what I hoped for. Maybe I didn’t read enough sources, maybe it wasn’t a great packet of hops, maybe it was just a bit more of a subtle flavour. Or maybe I should’ve blended it with others.
 
Simcoe made my beer taste like playdoh never used it since

Hops i like
Topaz
Admiral
Pride of ringwood (cant get them anymore)
Cardinal
Wolf
 
I think it's important to try hops at different points in the brewing process. Some hops make terrible dry hops but excellent flameout / whirlpool hops. Also it's important to remember that the perceived tastes here are subjective.


On the less favoured list;

  • Northern Brewer in general.
  • Ekuanot( as a dry hop) adds a weird peppery earthy note.

On the good list;
  • Topaz as a whirlpool and first wort hop.
  • Mandarina Bavaria
  • Azacca
  • Galaxy
  • Mosaic
 
I used Atlas yesterday, and there was a bit more 'cheesey feet' going on than I might have otherwise preferred. During the boil that receded completely. I'm hopeful, but I'll no doubt report if it is foul.
 
I used Atlas yesterday, and there was a bit more 'cheesey feet' going on than I might have otherwise preferred. During the boil that receded completely. I'm hopeful, but I'll no doubt report if it is foul.

Isn't a cheesy flavour a sign of oxidised or stale hops?
 
I dry hopped with bobek ; can't say I totally enjoyed the attributes it gave. However, I was having issues with the yeast I was using,so I'm not totally sure it all didn't get mingled together. I have since had a porter that was hopped with styrian goldings, and as I opened it I got a similar aroma and thought I wouldn't enjoy the beer, but it was fine, so I am leaning towards a flavour interaction with a yeast that I didn't like.
 
Glad to hear folks have tried Polaris, to go with the 20+% AA it's got a massive total oil content (haha they are both actuall displayed off the chart on YCH hops site) so I was curious but only GEB seems to sell them currently and I don't need anything else from them. Bit of an odd flavour character though, mint, pineapple and menthol, pretty sure I've read eucalyptus too elsewhere.

Over bittering with Galaxy is a way to make a really harsh IPA, well for me, my family liked it. My gold kveik beer is hopped entirely with fuggles and it's odd, I can see why detractors say it tastes like mud but it's a nice brew to me.

I'm actually not a great fan of US hops in general, probably because the beers they are in are too bitter for me but they all give the citrusy flavour that makes the beer taste like something different. Bit of an odd statement since a bitter and a stout taste dramatically different but there's just something about US hops which I'm not a fan of.

@Gunge Any advice on getting the best out of Challenger? I've been using it as a bittering hop recently (just switched to admiral) but it's the flavour addition in my vanilla bourbon stout with 15 g at 10 mins in 15L, not sure it'll be all that prominent with all the other flavours though.
 
I don't like the American 80s TV show based hops like Magnum, Street Hawk, V, Blue Thunder, Airwolf (like it a bit more than Blue Thunder, less than Chinook), Knight Rider (dank), Dukes of Hazzard, Simcoe and Mrs. King...

All of them made my beer taste like hairspray and petrol.
 
Glad to hear folks have tried Polaris, to go with the 20+% AA it's got a massive total oil content (haha they are both actuall displayed off the chart on YCH hops site) so I was curious but only GEB seems to sell them currently and I don't need anything else from them. Bit of an odd flavour character though, mint, pineapple and menthol, pretty sure I've read eucalyptus too elsewhere.

Over bittering with Galaxy is a way to make a really harsh IPA, well for me, my family liked it. My gold kveik beer is hopped entirely with fuggles and it's odd, I can see why detractors say it tastes like mud but it's a nice brew to me.

I'm actually not a great fan of US hops in general, probably because the beers they are in are too bitter for me but they all give the citrusy flavour that makes the beer taste like something different. Bit of an odd statement since a bitter and a stout taste dramatically different but there's just something about US hops which I'm not a fan of.

@Gunge Any advice on getting the best out of Challenger? I've been using it as a bittering hop recently (just switched to admiral) but it's the flavour addition in my vanilla bourbon stout with 15 g at 10 mins in 15L, not sure it'll be all that prominent with all the other flavours though.

I had one of my APAs last night. Been dawning on me for a while that I might not actually like US hops. For some reason my palate was unusually receptive and I decided there and then that if I want to drink grapefruit juice I'll just buy it by the carton or get a squeezer. When this batch has gone, I've done with American hops... back to the mighty Challenger which beats off any that dare to challenge it! I use it at all stages of brewing, generally in combo with Target, Fuggles, EKG, Northdown etc. Bitters, stouts and pale ales are my staples and it works perfectly in all of them.
 
I had one of my APAs last night. Been dawning on me for a while that I might not actually like US hops. For some reason my palate was unusually receptive and I decided there and then that if I want to drink grapefruit juice I'll just buy it by the carton or get a squeezer. When this batch has gone, I've done with American hops... back to the mighty Challenger which beats off any that dare to challenge it! I use it at all stages of brewing, generally in combo with Target, Fuggles, EKG, Northdown etc. Bitters, stouts and pale ales are my staples and it works perfectly in all of them.

I've come to the same conclusion Gunge. It was a nice novelty for a while, but I'm bored of beer tasting strongly of citrus fruits, so am steering away from many US hops. I'm also fed up with the'MOAR HOPS OMG OMG MOAR HOPS' style of many beers, but perhaps that's just me being a reactionary old chap.
 
[QUOTE="Gunge, post: 749531, member: 17267"...back to the mighty Challenger which beats off any that dare to challenge it! I use it at all stages of brewing, generally in combo with Target, Fuggles, EKG, Northdown etc. Bitters, stouts and pale ales are my staples and it works perfectly in all of them.[/QUOTE]
Thanks, I've had good luck using Challenger for bittering then Fuggles and EKG for flavour/aroma, that combo makes a very good bitter, guess I'll see what Challenger can do later in the boil.
 
I think the American hops are great in 5.5% and upwards kegged or bottled beers (which was what they were developed for), but I am really not keen on their overpowering flavour and often dankness in a cask ale.
I had 6 halfs of American hopped cask ale at a beer festival on Saturday and the only one I really enjoyed was a 6.5% cloudy heavily dry hopped example.
Funnily enough there was only American hopped real ale?
 
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