If a cat peed in the forest . . .

. . . what beer might the resulting aromas make you think of?

For extra credit consider some or all of these options: Campers in the forest ate garlic pesto pizza last night; had mango ice cream for dessert; grapefruit at breakfast . . .

Now what beer?

 

36 thoughts on “If a cat peed in the forest . . .”

  5. I was tempted to answer “beer forest” but instead I’ll make that optional. You can specify or not.

  6. Given all the digestion and elimination examples you gave, maybe this beer should be mixed with the one made with coffee beans that were previously eaten and pooped out by civets.

    • Bill – People would likely stand in line for hours, or day, and happily pay $35 for a bottle of such a beer.

      I guess I should have stuck with “if a cat peed in the forest,” and maybe specified pine.

  8. I’d say Citra something. Smells like a cat peeing on a pine tar covered pineapple to me…

  10. Seriously. Citra, to me, is how Stan wrote the thing above. Pineapple, Mango (piney), cat piss. The Summit is the only hop I can think of that smells like garbage water ie garlic chives.

  11. Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA?

    “Cat Peeing on Pine” sounds to me like the logical movie sequel to “Snow Falling on Cedars.”

  12. Kristin – Amarillo for garlic. Only at times (Schlafly AIPA with Amarillo tasting pretty good right now). Seems to be particularly sensitive to when it is picked.

  13. Amarillo huh? Never really gotten that. Try Green Flashes Imperial IPA. Nugget and Summit. very very garlic chivey stinky.

    • I was surprised first time I had Weyerbacher Double Simcoe. I thought it would be cattier. Perhaps a matter of going in with certain expectations.

  16. BrewDog “IPA Is Dead” Citra on keg, not in the bottle. Cats’ piss, squishy fruit… I don’t say this often in relation to their beer, but lovely.

  17. We were going to put a cat peeing on a pine tree on the label but the TTB wouldn’t let us. Stupid Rules!! Not true, I made that up, but it would be an interesting image. Question is, would you buy it?

  20. Yeah, Summits are intensely oniony to me. Oskar Blues’ Gubna is so intense that it smells like a Durian. I had to dump it.

    Here’s another interesting one. Sorachi Ace, which is pure lemon to me, comes across as dill to my homebrew partner and wife. Anyone get that?

    Nelson Suavin take the cake, though: human sweat.

    I would love it if we could get some scientists to look into these compounds–it’s a great unknown in the brewing world. So little research goes into the aromatic and flavor compounds of hops. I guess the micros don’t pay for those studies the way macros pay for studies about ultra high alpha strains and cohumulone.

    • I would love it if we could get some scientists to look into these compounds–it’s a great unknown in the brewing world. So little research goes into the aromatic and flavor compounds of hops. I guess the micros don’t pay for those studies the way macros pay for studies about ultra high alpha strains and cohumulone.

      I’ve heard there’s a book in the works that might address that. (And, in fact, the big guys care a lot about cohumulone.)

      And re Nelson Sauvin. I’ve heard that Schneider is going to do an anniversary beer with that hop. If I have time to get to Kelheim when I am in Germany I will get details. Might be an overstatement to call Hans-Peter Drexler a hophead (or even a hopfhead) but he’s sure open minded about trying things.

  21. Jeff – Durian is a wonderful description, however most people have no idea what one is nor smells like. Sorachi Ace smells nearly exactly like citronella to me.

    Re the Nelson Sauvin – I’ve had two different types. The first, how you describe aka ‘mank’. these turned out to be pretty old. The other was pretty musty but rather nice. these were fresh.

  22. Jesus Stan…you nearly had it. Hopfkopf! I’m taking that so all you cheating thieves keep your dirty hands off it!

  23. Jeff, I used Sorachi Ace in a Saison I brewed with additional lemon zest and rosemary. I don’t get the dill, but I get a lemon cleaning product smell. As the hops fade, the rosemary is coming out.

  24. Hopfkopf.com remains available, for those of you who consider snatching up domain names sport.

  27. Thanks olllllo, now I’m going to have nightmares. Probably involving big wet hop cones and cats.

  28. I have never experienced garlic/green onion in Amarillo hops. Summit for sure and Columbus every so often. Why so many base their hop forward beer’s flavor around Columbus is beyond me – its just not consistent. Anderson Valley Hop Ottin, Avery Hog Heaven, and Green Flash IPA have been oniony at one time or another.

    I don’t get the same cat pee out of Citra than I detect with Simcoe – sure there’s a herbal edge to it that reminds me of cattails that grow in swampy areas, but not quite getting to that cat pee/pine levels like Simcoe. I’ve probably made almost a dozen Citra influenced IPA’s in the last two years, and I like it when you get other hop character out of Citra’s way and let it shine. So much depth and complexities ranging from melon, to citrus, mango, and other tropical fruit. Mixing with other hops seems to deaden its magic and becomes more one-dimensional sweet melon like while also wrangling the other hops’ character around the neck. Weird, wild, wonderful hop.

  30. Bill – Not sure I should give away all my secrets. I was listening to Bruce Cockburn’s “If A Tree Falls” (a song about the environment for those who don’t know) and thought of the headline. I considered making it one of those headline only (eom) posts.

  33. Sounds to me as though Stan was thinking of Santa Fe Brewing Co.’s Happy Camper IPA when he wrote this post.

    As others have alluded to, those darn Summit hops are godawful. Durian is an apt comparison.

Comments are closed.