Hop head or Malt tooth?

SteelbackGuy · Post by **SteelbackGuy** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 8:33 pm

I wonder what it is about the delicious bitterness that we all seem to love? Funnily enough, I once read that humans have a natural aversion to bitterness in food and drink because often the bitterness is an indication of poison.

toweringpine · Post by **toweringpine** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 9:28 pm

I love a well balanced brew most of all but if it was one or the other I'd pick the hops.

I read once that our sense of taste develops as we age. As children we aren't able to taste the full range of flavours. Sweet is the first taste to come in. I can't imagine enjoying the very sugary treats I used to eat as a kid. Most of it was just flavouring added to some sort of processed sugar. At the time I couldn't understand why adults enjoyed the nasty tasting coffee they all drank. An appreciation for bitter doesn't form until most people are adults. Although there are crowds of youths at any Tim Hortons most of them are drinking some sort of sweet coffee based drink but not that many are drinking a plain cup of coffee. Perhaps as we get older we begin to enjoy a hoppier beer over the maltier ones we started with.

If you are a hophead, drink up. The article went on to say that bitter was also the first taste to degrade as we descend into old age!

Ale's What Cures Ya · Wed Jul 22, 2009 11:40 pm

toweringpine wrote:
If you are a hophead, drink up. The article went on to say that bitter was also the first taste to degrade as we descend into old age!

That is the best reason I've ever heard for living fast and dying young!

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 12:19 am

Yeah but some people never even exercise, which is why the sensoria shut down with advancing years.

By the way, I'm a hop whore AND a malt fiend. Which makes driving to Buffalo so rewarding.

The good stuff will never be sold here, that's for bleeding certain... and that's OK, because of our health care (and millions of lakes.)

rossolee · Post by **rossolee** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 11:10 am

Love the hoppy stuff. I'm looking forward to an annual cottage party at a friends over the civic weekend. Bringing a bunch of beer from some recent U.S trips to the cottage. List of the hop tasting: Two Brother's The Bitter End Pale Ale, Lagunita's IPA and New Dogtown P.A, Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale and Racer 5, Gread Divide IPA, Stone IPA, Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra P.A, Left Hand Jackmans A.P.A, Anderson Valley Hop Ottin IPA, Ithaca Cascazilla Red Ale, and finally Green Flash West Coast IPA.

dutchcanuck · Post by **dutchcanuck** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 11:52 am

Where is this cottage and can i get an invite? Sounds like it'll be a great weekend.

icemachine · Post by **icemachine** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 11:59 am

Going down the balance line quite nicely is Black Oak's Nut Brown Ale. Wel;l defined roast malt body with a very nice bitter finish

Ralphus · Post by **Ralphus** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 6:40 pm

Two Brother's The Bitter End Pale Ale, Lagunita's IPA and New Dogtown P.A, Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale and Racer 5, Gread Divide IPA, Stone IPA, Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra P.A, Left Hand Jackmans A.P.A, Anderson Valley Hop Ottin IPA, Ithaca Cascazilla Red Ale, and finally Green Flash West Coast IPA.

Nice haul, you have some lucky friends!