Tampa- Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and the Brew Kettle Times are announcing a new beer festival that is focusing on the hoppier side of the craft beer world: The Hoptomic Bitter Beer and Food Festival 2011. The goal of the festival is to “showcase the most excellent and creative usage of hops over 35 IBU,” according to the festival website. This festival will display a cornucopia of beer styles, all of which are well-hopped, and will provide 5-oz pours to sample while pairing these same beers with local artisan restaurants and specialty grocers, including Mr. Dunderbak’s, Mellow Mushroom, Peg’s Cantina, Rolling Oats, and Datz Delicatessen among others. This festival is shaping up to be a celebration of both hoppy and tasty bitterness.
While Hoptomic 2011 will put hoppy beers on the stage, it is not simply the presence of hoppy beers, but the variety of hoppy beers that will make this a unique experience for hop lovers. While many beer enthusiasts have their preferences and prejudices when it comes to hops, this festival will have all manner of hops to try. While many beer lovers are familiar with the American take on India Pale Ale and Double India Pale Ale styles, these are not the only styles that utilize hops as more than a preservative. Below are just a few examples and descriptions of the unique and different flavor styles you will see at Hoptomic 2011:
Amber: (Stone Brewing’s Levitation Ale) This style is a bit darker than the standard pilsner or India pale ale and displays more of a malt presence (think caramel and toffee) and allows for the hops to display a citrus or possibly a pine character as it melds with the malt.
Barleywine (example-Sierra Nevada’s Big Foot): This style is generally considered the biggest and boldest of the beers in any category, with the alcohol content usually bordering on that of wine- hence the name. A barleywine will usually display strong notes of toffee, caramel, and sometimes dates, figs, plums, and occasionally brandy.
Belgian India Pale Ale (example- The Bruery’s Mischief): Think of an India Pale Ale with Belgian characteristics, either yeast that imparts fruit character or a dry, musty character on an otherwise hoppy beer.
Rye India Pale Ale (example- Terrapin Brewing’s Rye Squared): Imagine an India Pale Ale with the spiciness of rye added to it, and then put that at the front of the flavor profile. If this is difficult, then imagine the character of a slice of rye bread and impart that on a beer. (As a side note, these beers are a specialty of Terrapin Brewing Company, as their flagship Rye Pale Ale was one of their first bottled beers.)
Barrel Aged India Pale Ale (example- Boulder Brewing’s Barrel-Aged Mojo Risin’): Imagine an India Pale Ale, with all its malt and hops, and the put that in a wooden barrel. An India Pale Ale in barrels will usually add a bit of vanilla and some wood character to the beer, all the while blending itself with the beer’s natural character.
Black India Pale Ale (example- Stone Brewing’s Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale): This style is one of the newest innovations from American craft breweries. This one has dark, roasty malts with the assertive hop profile of an India Pale Ale. This one boasts tastes of coffee, roasted malts, and hop bitterness.
While this list is not exhaustive, it gives an idea of just a few of the beers showcased at Hoptomic 2011. All of the beers have one thing in common, whether they come from a bottle, can, keg, or firkin: they all will display the infinite number of flavors that come from hops. As more beers get announced, more will be published on the festival of hops that will be Hoptomic 2011.
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