Minty Hops?

Ingredients
1

I remember brewing a beer a year or so back, and I was using some hops that I recall had a nice minty/spicy/maybe some pine aroma. Looking back through my notes, I can’t recall which hops they were.

Based on a few searches, I have read the following hops may give some minty/spicy aroma/flavor:

  • Northern Brewer
  • Perle
  • Williamette

Any others you guys can think of?

2

Perle is the only thing I’ve ever tried that tasted minty. Most hops are “spicy” in one way or another though; you’d have to get a little more specific to narrow it down.

3

Thanks, you are right - should have been clearer. (Updated the subject as such)

I was primarily looking for info on Hops that are minty.

I was thinking in my head part of the minty aroma was a spiciness, but primarily interested in the mint for now.

thanks.

4

Perle is the only hop variety I know that gives a clearly “minty” flavor, but only if you use them as a flavor hop. Maximize the mintiness with 20 minutes of boiling. More than that and the flavor fades with boil time.

5

Norther Brewer is often described as “minty” and it’s relative Perle has been as well. This is not a minty like a true mint but more of a clean but smooth spicy sharpness if that makes any sense. :cheers:

6

I can send you real mint if you want to experiment

7

thanks, guys.

and thanks for the offer, Pigroaster, but was more curious on hops that suggest mint vs straight up tasting like mint (in which case, using real mint would make a lot of sense)! Do really appreciate it, though.

8

Northern Brewer does have a minty flavor. I don’t get it from perle though.

Don’t use real mint… evar! Awful grassy flavor when used in the boil or the mash or secondary. If you want a minty flavor use the candy oil, doesn’t take much either. I have also had a moderate amount of luck doing a vodka infusion (extract) and dumping that into secondary. The best way though, if you want a minty flavor, is to bruise some mint leaves and put them straight into the beer.

A nice steam beer with a couple mint leaves and a slice of meyer lemon really takes the edge off our 110 degree summer days.

9

I haven’t seen it mentioned here, but I get a subtle mint note from Saphir. It’s a sweet spiciness, but it’s more toward the mint side than the cinnamon/cardamom side that I get from other hops.