A quick bit of background. The genus Humulus (hops) belongs to the family Cannabaceae, which also includes cannabis (hemp and marijuana). Scientists long ago documented that hops and weed share some of the same terpenes — such a limonene, myrcene and pinene — that produce fruity, sometimes pungent, aromas and flavors.
But while it has been suspected that like hops, marijuana has sulfur-containing compounds it was not scientifically confirmed. Sulfur-containing compounds, that is thiols, are the “shiny new thing with regard to beer flavor.”
Earlier this year, a research team concluded that the compound 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol (MBT) is the primary source of “skunky” aroma in cannabis. MBT, of course, is responsible for skunkiness in light-struck beer.
Friday, Avery Gilbert reported in his always illuminating newsletter that a research team in Southern California has “identified a family of seven different sulfur-containing molecules that are the likely basis for the funkadelic ganja note of weed.” They included MBT.
The team also discovered that the concentration of sulfur-containing compounds ramped up dramatically in the final weeks before harvest and more during a week of curing. Probably not coincidentally, researchers have found that the amount of desirable thiols (and perhaps some less than desirable) also may increase exponentially as cones mature.
(I wrote about hop maturity for Brewing Industry Guide this month, and will have a bit more in this month’s Hop Queries, likely hitting email boxes tomorrow.)
SOMMELIER, CICERONE . . . GANGIER?
The initial stage of the Ganjier program, which costs $2,997, is just graduating its first round of experts from around the world. The training prepares them to assess ganja, or cannabis, products and make recommendations for customers, pairing products with activities and desired experiences. “We’re creating an entirely new class of cannabis professional. Something that doesn’t exist in the industry today, to be a voice for true quality.”
ALCOHOL IS COMPLICATED
Perhaps I should have pointed to these two posts before the weekend, because there are more than 5,000 words in the two. And that’s only one marker of how complex the topics they discuss are. You might want to save them for when you feel you have time, but you do want to read them.
Who is David Jernigan? He pushes for policies that would make alcohol “less attractive, less affordable, and less available,” a stance some of his critics have likened to a neo-temperance movement. And he has clout.
We need to change how we talk about alcohol. Mark Johnson provides context, then writes, “nothing is more dangerous for people who are struggling than the questioning of your daily choices.”
NAVEL GAZING
Boak & Bailey titled their November newsletter “a navel-gazing special,” devoting it to a matter I sometimes mention here: The future (or death, if you think that future is long gone) of beer blogs. If it is in your email box and you haven’t given it a read, please do. If you don’t, you can find it in their archives.
CELEBRATION (YES, AGAIN)
I’ve already mentioned that Sierra Nevada Celebration seems to be getting an unusual amount of attention this year. There are still new and interesting things to say; in this case details about selecting and quickly transporting 45,000 pounds of Cascade hops and 30,000 of Centennial hops used to brew this year’s batch.
TASTING THE PAST
Pre-war Czech barley alert. I’ll report back after these two beers go on tap.
Pre-Bud. Last brewed 115 years ago, St. Louis Lager will be available for a limited time in the Anheuser-Busch St. Louis Biergarten.
WORD OF THE WEEK
Austere.
Gangier had me rolling my eyes out of my head when I first heard about it, but there are a number of people that I respect who seem to be for it, and at a minimum, one of the goals is consumer education which is pretty crucial for the cannabis space.
As a newcomer to Colorado I can testify to that.