Hurly burly is arising at Dangerous Man Brewing Company. Please welcome the Triple I.P.A!
The triple IPA style is a style invented only in the past decade. Ostensibly, it has increased the alcohol and hop content of a double IPA to a further degree. Though they are not typical, triple IPA’s tend to be above 10% ABV, have well over a 100 IBUs, and have a deep, pungent hop aroma.
Hop Oils, Volatiles, and the Beer in your Hand:
Triple IPA’s are about showcasing hop character, especially their volatile aromas and spicy complexions. Usually the large malt showcase helps the bitterness along, as the high alcohol content adds an extra bite to the already pungent beer. The hops chosen for Dangerous Man’s Triple IPA have a few similar traits, those being that they all have high levels of myrcene in their oil composition, have generally high alpha acid percentages, and all (except for one) are hops from Yakima Valley, Washington.
Myrcene is an important volatile oil for beers that want to have strong citrus and pine characteristics. Both it’s flavor and aroma dissipates, due to its volatility, when introduced to high heats, so to preserve these flavor characteristics hops with high myrcene contents are added at the end of the boil and as dry hops to the fermented beer. The waves of citrus, pine, spice, and lavender aromas spilling over the top of your glass is the myrcene being released with the carbonation.
Like a lot of volatile oils found in hops, myrcene is used in the perfume industry as an intermediate that helps to push forward other strong oil presences as a sort of reinforcement, or support odor. Hops with high myrcene contents used to be considered too strong and odor-some to brewer’s of the past because of their big and green aroma and flavor. Now they are looked upon positively in the American brewing world; as you look through the list of hops below see how many you can recognize as the hops as many of these hops have become very popular.
Alpha acids are a collection of chemical compounds found in hops that isomerize when they are added to the boil. Isomerization is the process of turning a chemical compound into an isomer which is any two or more substances composed of the same elements but possess different properties because of the arrangement of atoms. For example, cohumulone (which is an alpha acid found in hops) when added to the boil isomerizes into cis-iso-cohumulone and trans–iso-cohumulone, which are two substances composed of the same elements but which effect beer differently in terms of bitterness. The higher the initial alpha acid content in the hops, and the longer the hops are boiled, the more potential bitterness will be in the beer. In the past 50 years, extensive research has been put into hops to produce dual-purpose hops — those that can act as bittering and aroma hops — to entice brewers to purchase them.
Cascade
Heavy Myrcene and Farnesene oils provide a spicy and grapefruit aroma that are very popular in American Pale Ale styles.
CTZ
A hop blend of Columbus, Tomahawk, and Zues hops due to their similar characteristics. Big, bold, and spicy, they have made their way into many IPAs.
Summit
A semi-dwarf variety that is the only hops grown on low-trellis’ in Yakima Valley. Has moderate hop oils that provide blends spicy with earthy aromas.
Warrior
A strong bittering hop with low co-humulone, which should provide a softer bitterness to the beer. High myrcene provides a strong piney and citrus base.
Wakatu
Bred from the Hallertau hops in Nelson, New Zealand, these newer hops have a strong aroma of lime and tropical fruits.
Ahtanum
Big spicy, piney, and peppery notes come from the high levels of myrcene, humulene, and caryophyllene.
Simcoe
A large aromatic hop with a higher than normal myrcene content (generally 60%). Very popular in American IPAs and also has a low co-humulone content for softer bitterness.