Beer of the Week! 10/04/22
A Cashmere Couple
Cashmere Hops
Developed at Washington State University, the Cashmere hop is derived from the English/German Northern Brewer hop and the U.S. Pacific Northwest superstar Cascade. It was released in 2013, giving us barely ten years of lemon/lime citrus flavors (with peach, pineapple, and even coconut notes) and mild herbal aromas. Though it actually has a higher alpha acid content than its parent Cascade, the Cashmere hop delivers its bitterness smoothly. It’s there to be your hop flavor buddy, not your “hot” flavor buddy.
Here are two beers using the Cashmere hop each with different hop co-pilots.
Perennial Postponed Indefinitely
Regularly $14.99 / Now on Sale for $13.96
Hazy IPA
Perennial Artisan Ales was founded in St. Louis, MO in 2011 by Phil and Emily Wymore. The brewery brews beer “with the adventurous drinker in mind.” They, themselves, must be such, because they also say that they brew beer, “that we like to drink.” All this talk boils down to small batches using seasonal (when available), local (when possible), and organic (ditto) ingredients. Sometimes they play with traditional styles, sometimes they bend those rules.
The Postponed Indefinitely is part of a series of IPAs that Perennial calls “hazy-ish” — taking inspiration from both West Coast and East Coast styles. Its malt bill consists of Pilsner and 2-Row barley malt with malted spelt (an heirloom wheat strain). (They also throw in some flaked barley.) This bill turns out a light backbone creating a delicate IPA. The malt and hops form lemony citrus flavors with mint notes providing the Perennial fan with a drinking adventure that isn’t just in the mind.
Bonus Beer of the Week (‘Cause you can take the “B” out of “Bonus,” but you can’t take the “Bonus” out of “Beer!”)
Väsen Cashmere Secrets
Regularly $18.99 / Now on Sale for $17.96
Double New England Style IPA
Väsen’s Cashmere Secrets is an old favorite (with a new — slightly unsettling — label). Like other of their Richmond NEIPAs, it is heavy on hop flavor but low on hop bitterness.
Though we love Väsen’s hop manipulations, we really get a kick out of their use of the Kveik yeast strain. Coming from the Norwegian farmhouse brewing tradition, Kveik yeast is actually multiple domestic yeast strains that have been saved and reused — sometimes for generations. Kveik yeast is good if you want to ferment at higher temperatures and are making a beer with higher levels of alcohol. We also think it adds complexity to the resultant flavors.
We’re already getting complexity from the three hops here — Cashmere, Vic Secret, and your favorite friend and ours, Mosaic. (What? Mosaic is not your favorite friend? What hops are you friends with?) Look for a combination of citrus and tropical notes swimming in a creamy haze with just a touch of sweetness. What a pleasant change to be happy when secrets come out.
Remember!
You can see our entire beer inventory on Untappd.com!