Beer of the Week: Hop Pop

From the Beer Writer: It’s said there are left-brain and right-brain people, with the former excelling at science, mathematics and the like. I am definitely a right-brain person. Words, art, creativity, the abstract…that’s my wheelhouse. So go easy on me as I try to go Mr. Wizard in explaining a key component of this week’s featured beer, Hop Pop, from Oceanside brewpub, Craft Coast Beer & Tacos. An unfiltered West Coast IPA, the beer is given extraordinary aromatic punch care of a blended hop product called Cryo Pop from Washington-based Yakima Chief Hops (YCH). So far so good. Here’s where it starts getting all science-y. Cryo Pop is an extension of YCH’s Cryo Hop® technology, which debuted in 2017 as a variety of concentrated lupulin pellets from whole-cone hops cryogenically processed to separate said lupulin from the plant’s bracts. YCH’s lab has since gone on to analyze previously undetectable aromatic components following this process in order to create a Cryo Pop “Original Blend” of hops loaded with beer-soluble compounds with the greatest potential for surviving harsh brewing conditions so as to lend added aromas to finished beers. Now on to something my right-inclined mind fully grasps…beer, or more succinctly, how it comes across to the senses. Hop Pop’s bouquet is, indeed, amplified, as well as varied. Cryo Pop’s blend of hops offers much in the way of tropical and citrus fruit, and Craft Coast Head Brewer Blake Masoner‘s addition of Simcoe brings some extra citrus to the bouquet. Whether you understand the technology behind this beer or not, you’re bound to appreciate and enjoy it.

From the Brewer: “We’re super-stoked to team up with the crew over at Yakima Chief Hops to brew up an experimental unfiltered West Coast IPA featuring their new Cryo Pop hop blend! During a meeting to discuss future hop contracts, their reps, Kelly Lohrmeyer, Abby Heilbron and I were discussing hop usage and different hopping techniques when the idea came about to brew an IPA with their new product. We were curious to see what the blend could do in a non-hazy beer and we wanted it to stay aligned with the beers that we’ve been brewing at Craft Coast over the last several months; hop-forward, aromatic, low bitterness and unfiltered-slash-fined. I was intrigued by the flavor profile YCH targeted for the hop blend as I love a nice fruit-forward and highly aromatic hop profile. In addition to the Cryo Pop blend, we added Simcoe for its classic grapefruit and citrus character, Idaho 7 for its nice pineapple flavors and aromas, and El Dorado for the pink Starburst candy-like notes. The base of the beer is split between Pilsner and two-row with just a touch of white wheat to give a good platform for the hops to shine. In order to highlight all the hop flavors and aromas we stuck with a neutral ale yeast. Overall this beer is highly aromatic and flavorful, and we could not be happier to get it into cans!”—Blake Masoner, Head Brewer, Craft Coast

From the Hop Purveyor: “When we introduced our Cryo Pop™ Original Blend, I immediately thought of Craft Coast for a collaboration. Blake excels at making fruit-forward, unfiltered West Coast beers. Abby and I felt this style would pair perfectly with Cryo Pop as an amplifier. We selected Idaho 7®, El Dorado® and Simcoe® to complement the Cryo Pop blend, which worked well in this application, bringing out notes of pineapple, tangerine and a slight backbone of grapefruit pith. Collaboration and education are at the heart of our mission, vision and values at Yakima Chief Hops, and I am over the moon to work with brewers across America. Especially the ones close to home, so I can take advantage of drinking fresh beer!”—Kelly Lohrmeyer, Field Marketing Manager – West, Yakima Chief Hops