In the hunt for new aromas and flavors, here are some numbers to consider:
- The American Society of Brewing Chemists used input from 20 companies to identify 107 unique terms that describe the aroma of hops.
- BarthHaas developed a flavor language they call Hopsessed; it includes 128 flavors that can be found in hops, divided into 12 different categories.
- The Yakima Chief Hops sensory lexicon for beer and hops includes 86 aromas in 20 different categories.
And brewers want them all.
As they do every year, exhibitors used the recent Craft Brewers Conference as a launch pad for products designed to draw those hundreds of flavors from hops, other botanicals, and even from yeast—and to make them easier to add to beer.
Here’s a look at what’s new.