Explore The Subtle Charm Of Low-Hop Beers

Hops are the primary source of bitterness in beer, and while all beers use hops to some degree, some merely use the herb to balance the sweet, flavorful sugars of barley. For those who don't like the bitter, aromatic hop flowers that give pale ales their punch, there are low-hop beers that rely on barley and yeast to please the palate. Low-hop beers tend to have a low IBU (International Bitter Units) rating, which measures the bitterness of a beer. Beers with low IBU ratings include lagers, stouts, porters, wheat beers, and sour beers.

Characteristics of Low Hop Beers

Wheat beers

The most widely known wheat beer is Hefeweizen, a refreshing style from Germany that's popular around the world. American wheat beer, on the other hand, tends to be slightly hoppier than German-style wheat beers. It is made with lager or ale yeast and is light and drinkable.

The popularity of wheat beers has spread throughout the world, with well-known brands such as Blue Moon Belgian White, Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse, Hoegaarden White Ale, and Samuel Adams Summer Ale.

Stouts

Low-hop beers are those with minimal use of hops, which is the herb that gives beers their bitter, aromatic quality. Beers that are known to be particularly hoppy include India Pale Ales (IPAs) and Pale Ales.

If you're looking for a low-hop stout, try a Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout.

Lagers

Other varieties of pale lager include Helles, native to Munich, and Pilsner, a more heavily hopped pale lager. Amber lagers are darker than pale lagers and include styles such as Märzen, Bock, and Vienna lager. Vienna lager, developed by Anton Dreher in the late 1830s, has a copper to reddish-brown colour, low bitterness, a malty aroma, and an alcohol content of 4.8–5.4%. Dark lagers may be called Dunkel, tmavé, or Schwarzbier, with the latter being a much darker, almost black beer with a chocolate or licorice-like flavour.

Examples of American lagers include Miller High Life, Coors, Bud Light, and Budweiser.

Sour and fruity beers

Sour beers are the oldest type of beer, and they are currently seeing a rise in popularity. Before sterilisation and pasteurisation, all beers were somewhat sour. Today, brewers experiment with wild yeasts to create distinctive tart and acidic flavours. They often add fruits such as cherry, peach, or raspberry to create a perfect balance of sweet and sour.

Fruity beers are another alternative for those who are indifferent to the powerful taste of IPAs. Soothing notes of grapefruit, blueberry, and raspberry, for example, make for a well-balanced mouthfeel and an easy-drinking option.

Sour beers can be produced in various ways, but the common factor is the introduction of an acid-producing organism, which creates the tart taste during fermentation. One method is to use a wild yeast species called Brettanomyces (often abbreviated to "Brett"), which is responsible for producing the distinctive sour flavour in beers. Some brewers also introduce bacteria like Lactobacillus and Pediococcus, which produce lactic acid, resulting in a yoghurt-like taste. Additionally, brewers may add fruit during the second fermentation to enhance the sour taste.

There are several types of sour beer, including Flemish reds, Berliner Weisse, and American wild ales. These beers can be either ales or lagers and can encompass various colours and styles. Berliner Weisse, for example, is a German wheat beer that is typically an ale but can also be found as a lager. It has a low ABV (2.8% to 3.4%) and is known for its refreshing tartness with almost undetectable hoppiness (3 to 6 IBUs).

Flemish red ales, on the other hand, are Belgian beers that are fruity and sour with a signature red colour. They are a blend of young and old beers fermented in open oak vats, resulting in a complex taste. These beers typically have a moderate alcohol content (4.8% to 6.6% ABV) and are gently hoppy, with around 12 to 25 IBUs.

Gose (or gueuze) is another type of sour beer characterised by its salty and herbaceous tones, often with hints of coriander and lemon. It is a cloudy, top-fermented German beer made from at least 50% malted wheat, with an alcohol content ranging from 4.4% to 5.4% ABV and mild bitterness of 5 to 15 IBUs.

Lambics are Belgian ales that are often spontaneously fermented and include a high concentration of wheat, resulting in a crisp tartness. They can vary in colour from pale to dark gold, depending on their age, and are often blended with young and old beers. Fruit lambics are popular, especially those made with cassis, cherry (kriek), and raspberry (framboise). However, a variety of other fruits such as blackberry, peach, and strawberry are also used. Lambics can be quite strong, with an ABV ranging from 5% to 8.9%, but they maintain a tame bitterness of around 9 to 23 IBUs.

Oud bruin is another Belgian beer style from the province of Flanders. It is a dark copper or brown colour with a vinegar-like acidity and a fruity tartness. These beers can range from mildly alcoholic (4% ABV) to quite strong (11% ABV) and have a slightly higher bitterness than other sour beers, falling between 15 and 30 IBUs.

Hefeweizens

The German-style hefeweizen is straw to amber in colour and brewed with at least 50% malted wheat. The aroma and flavour of a weissbier come largely from the yeast and are decidedly fruity (banana) and phenolic (clove). The intensity of these wildly differing flavour qualities varies depending on the brewer, but the two are most commonly balanced. Hefeweizens typically have a low to moderate alcohol content and are considered the most popular among the German weissbier variety.

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