15 replies to this topic

[SchwanzBrewer]

3 beers I judged yesterday had a flavor that I described as minty and woody. After thinking about it more it's almost exactly the flavor you get from Mint Chloraseptic throat spray, except without the numbing feeling, or medicinal flavor attached. I wouldn't describe it was a bad flavor, it was different, and in one beer it was kind of pleasant. I think it was from hops.

 

Anyone else experienced this? Could this have been an off flavor, and what could it have been?

 

Cheers!

[JMcG]

Limonene (responsible for some "citrus" like aroma in hops) is used to sythesize menthol and is a terpene (as is myrcene).  I don't really detect minty qualities much in most hops, but many people say Northern Brewer and Perle have minty qualities.  So many flavor and aroma chemicals potentially present in hops, and could well show up in the beer depending on method of use, storage, etc.

OTOH, a lot of phenolic compounds can have minty characteristics and throw flavors like wintergreen, thyme, clove.  So, could be yeast derived.

What style were you judging?

[djinkc]

Minty and woody are frequently used to describe Northern Brewer.

[Big Nake]

Some people describe certain hops as woody and others as minty. Is it Northern Brewer that people say are minty? I do not get mint from it. Also, a lot of the English hops are described as woody... EKG, Fuggle, etc. Northern Brewer might actually get called woody sometimes too. Was there Northern Brewer hops in this/these beers? All this talk is giving me a woody. 

 

Damn... too late!  Jim & DJ beat me!

Edited by KenLenard, 10 February 2014 - 11:44 AM.

[SchwanzBrewer]

The three beers were Am. Rye Beer, Am. Wheat Beer, and Am. IPA.

 

The rye is was overpowering and I think fermentation derived. It was medicinal. The wheat had it too and wasn't as bad. Neither of those beers were very good or to style. The IPA however was very resinous and I think it was hop derived.

 

On all three I mentioned for them to email me and let me know what the hops were or if they had fermentation problems because I wanted to learn about the hop or what to avoid doing.

 

The other thing it tasted like was brazilian pepper corns. 

[Big Nake]

Were all of these beers from the same brewer? I'm trying to see if this is some sort of house flavor, etc. I'll be honest... I get peeved if I get a flavor in my beer that I don't expect. If I use a different hop or grain that I have never used or maybe a strain of yeast that's new to me, I can see it. But for something to just jump out at me and I don't know where it came from... that I don't like.

Edited by KenLenard, 10 February 2014 - 12:41 PM.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Were all of these beers from the same brewer? I'm trying to see if this is some sort of house flavor, etc. I'll be honest... I get peeved if I get a flavor in my beer that I don't expect. If I use a different hop or grain that I have never used or maybe a strain of yeast that's new to me, I can see it. But for something to just jump out at me and I don't know where it came from... that I don't like.

 

No kidding.

 

No way to tell if they were from the same brewer. Judges are purposely left in the dark about the entry other than the number.

[No Party JKor]

What are Brazilian peppercorns?

[Brauer]

The other thing it tasted like was brazilian pepper corns. 

"Pepper" makes it sound like a phenol.  Perhaps a slight wild yeast contamination.

 

I taste a distinctive mint flavor from a good batch of Perle. Like mint leaves, not like mint candy.

[SchwanzBrewer]

What are Brazilian peppercorns?

 

They are from brazilian pepper plants. They are the pink peppercorns you get in the fancy pepper. They are dried berries. We have brazilian pepper plants all over like Atlanta has kudzu. 

 

"Pepper" makes it sound like a phenol.  Perhaps a slight wild yeast contamination.

 

I taste a distinctive mint flavor from a good batch of Perle. Like mint leaves, not like mint candy.

 

The rye beer was the one with the pepper notes, so it could be from the rye.

 

I've never encountered phenols that pronounced which made me think that maybe it was hops. The national judge I was with thought so too. The first beer might have been phenols. I don't think the second or the IPA was. 

[Big Nake]

I taste a distinctive mint flavor from a good batch of Perle. Like mint leaves, not like mint candy.

Hmm. I hope my tastebuds do not pick this up. I have been on I bit of a Perle kick lately but I have not tried any of the beers I used them in. I have no problem with mint, I just don't want it in my beer.

[Brauer]

Hmm. I hope my tastebuds do not pick this up. I have been on I bit of a Perle kick lately but I have not tried any of the beers I used them in. I have no problem with mint, I just don't want it in my beer.

Well, it's not really mint any more than the fruit flavors of American and New Zealand hops really tastes like the fruit that's used in an attempt to describe them.  It's a suggestion of a flavor that your mind tries to pin down and says, "I know what that reminds me of..."

 

I really like Perle and mint is one of the rare flavors that I simply cannot stand.  Yet Perle reminds me of mint.  Go figure.

 

I particularly like Perle in dark or malty beers, as it adds a mild yet bright flavor to balance the malt.  One of the best beers I had in Switzerland in December was called Dunkle Perle, a Dunkel made with Perle hops.

[No Party JKor]

They are from brazilian pepper plants. They are the pink peppercorns you get in the fancy pepper. They are dried berries. We have brazilian pepper plants all over like Atlanta has kudzu. 

 

Ahhh, I've never heard them referred to that way.  I've always heard them simply described as pink peppercorns.

 

 

Another vote for Perle here.  I've only had positive experiences using it.

[Big Nake]

Okay, this is good. Still wonder where Rich got the "wood" and "mint" but Northern Brewer and/or Perle might be it.I like to use German hops quite a bit and at some point I got tired of using Hallertau, Tettnanger, Spalt, Hersbrucker, Magnum, etc. and started using more Northern Brewer and Perle. I was at my LHBS the other day and saw German Opal, German Select and a couple of other German hops I had never used. I should have picked some up but I didn't.

[denny]

Could be chlorophenols.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Could be chlorophenols.

 

I've tasted chlorphenols in beer before and that's the first thing that came to mind in the rye. I've never tasted it THAT pronounced before and it had a slightly different character which is why I was thinking it was hop derived. I hope the entrants email me and let me know if it was hops or an off flavor. Either way, it didn't effect the comp because none of those moved on. I like to provide accurate feedback though.