The percentage of a drink that is pure alcohol. For example, if a beer is 5% ABV, that simply means 5% of the liquid in the bottle is alcohol.
A type of beer made with warm‑fermenting yeast, which creates fruity, fuller flavours.
The natural bittering compounds in hops that create bitterness in beer when boiled. During the boil, alpha acids change shape (isomerize), which increases the beer’s bitterness level (measured in IBUs).
A historic beer law from 1516 that said beer could only be made with water, barley and hops (yeast wasn’t listed because people didn’t understand it yet). The goal was to keep beer quality high and prevent brewers from using unsafe or cheap ingredients. It later influenced brewing rules across Germany and became a symbol of traditional, “pure” German beer.
A strong, full‑bodied ale with high alcohol and rich malt flavour, often showing notes of caramel, toffee, dark fruit, and toasted grain. Barleywines can be sweet or dry, and they develop deeper, smoother flavours as they age.
A beer that has been matured in a wooden barrel, usually one that previously held bourbon, whiskey, wine or other spirits. Aging in wood adds flavours like vanilla, caramel, toasted oak or spirit character, and can also create deeper complexity through slow oxygen exposure or wild yeast and bacteria living in the barrel. Barrel‑aging is common in imperial stouts, barleywines and sour ales.
Hop varieties created through intentional cross‑breeding and selective propagation to achieve specific flavour, aroma, and agronomic traits. Unlike traditional landrace hops, modern hops are bred in controlled programs and propagated clonally, producing bold, expressive flavours common in contemporary IPAs and other hop‑forward styles. For example, Citra (HBC 394): Citrus + tropical fruit; the most influential modern hop, Mosaic (HBC 369): Berry, tropical, pine; extremely versatile and Simcoe (YCR 14): Pine, berry, citrus; foundational West Coast IPA hop.
The time after fermentation when the beer rests and improves. During conditioning, the flavours become smoother, the beer becomes clearer, and the carbonation develops. It’s like letting the beer “relax” so it tastes its best.
A large, shallow, open vessel used to cool hot wort and expose it to wild yeast and bacteria in the air. Coolships are traditionally used in spontaneous fermentation, where the beer picks up natural microbes from the environment instead of using added brewer’s yeast. This method creates complex, tart and funky flavours found in classic Belgian lambics and other wild ales.
A tasting note describing strong, earthy, resinous or “weed‑like” hop aromas. Often used for very hop‑forward beers.
A brewing technique where hops are added after the main fermentation, usually in the fermenter or conditioning tank. This boosts aroma—like citrus, pine, tropical fruit, or floral notes—without adding much bitterness.
A biological process where yeast converts sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide (CO₂).
When yeast clumps together and sinks to the bottom of the beer (high flocculation = clearer beer) or stays suspended (low flocculation = hazy beer).
A beer that looks cloudy instead of clear. The haze often comes from yeast, proteins or dry‑hopping, and usually signals a soft, juicy flavour profile.
The flower (cone‑shaped strobile) of the hop plant (Humulus lupulus), which grows on a climbing bine. Hops are used in brewing to add bitterness, aroma and flavour, creating notes like citrus, pine, floral or tropical fruit depending on the variety and how they’re used.
A tasting where you compare several beers from the same style, hop or same release year but made by different breweries. Horizontal tastings highlight how ingredients, techniques and brewer choices create variation within a single style.
A term used for stronger versions of a beer style, typically with higher alcohol content, bigger flavour and more intense malt or hop character. “Imperial” is the traditional term, originally used for strong stouts brewed for export, while “double” is the modern shorthand often used for hop‑forward styles like IPAs.
Measures how bitter a beer is. A higher IBU number means more bitterness, usually from hops. It doesn’t always equal “tastes more bitter,” because malt sweetness and hop aroma can balance it.
A hop‑forward style of pale ale known for strong hop aroma and flavour, often showing citrus, pine, floral, or tropical notes. IPAs traditionally had higher bitterness and alcohol, originally brewed with extra hops to help preserve the beer during long shipping journeys.
The chemical change that happens when alpha acids in hops are boiled, turning them into bitter compounds.
A milk sugar sometimes added to beer to create sweetness, creaminess and a fuller body. It does not ferment like regular sugar.
A type of beer fermented with cold‑fermenting yeast, producing clean, crisp and smooth flavours.
Traditional hop varieties that developed naturally in a specific region over many generations, shaped by local climate, soil and farming practices rather than modern breeding. Landrace hops have distinct, place‑driven flavour profiles and include classic European varieties like Saaz, Hallertau Mittelfrüh, Tettnang, Spalt, East Kent Goldings and Fuggle.
A beer made using more than one type of yeast or bacteria—often including wild yeasts—to create complex, funky, or sour flavours.
A hazy, juicy IPA with low bitterness, big tropical fruit aromas, heavy dry hopping, and yeast that stays suspended (low flocculation).
A hop‑growing company in New Zealand known for producing expressive, terroir‑driven hop varieties and small‑lot selections. Freestyle Hops focuses on high‑impact aroma hops with bold tropical, citrus, and white‑wine‑like flavours, often highlighting the unique growing conditions of New Zealand’s hop regions.
A sweet, dessert‑inspired stout brewed with ingredients like vanilla, chocolate, coffee, fruit, or spices to mimic flavours of baked goods.
A pale, crisp style of lager first brewed in the city of Plzeň (Pilsen) in Czechia. Pilsners are known for their bright golden colour, clean malt flavour and noticeable hop aroma, often showing floral or spicy notes from their Saaz hops.
A dark ale made with roasted and chocolate malts that create flavours like cocoa, coffee, caramel, and toasted grain. Porters are usually smoother and lighter than stouts, with a balanced roast character rather than strong bitterness.
The stage that occurs after primary fermentation, when the most vigorous yeast activity has finished. It usually involves transferring the beer or wine to a new vessel where fermentation continues more slowly.
A dark, rich style of ale made with roasted malts that create flavours like chocolate, coffee, caramel or toasted grain. Stouts are usually full‑bodied and smooth, ranging from sweet and creamy to dry and bitter depending on the ingredients and brewing method.
A beer made with wild yeast or bacteria that create a tart, acidic flavour. Sour ales can taste bright, fruity, or funky depending on the ingredients and fermentation method.
A tasting where you compare multiple beers from the same brewery and same beer, but from different years or different barrel releases. Vertical tastings show how a beer changes over time—its flavour, aroma, carbonation, and complexity—as it ages.
Fresh, un‑kilned hops used within hours of being picked, still full of moisture and delicate aromatics. Wet hops give beer bright, green, plant‑like flavours—often grassy, herbal, or fresh‑fruit—because the hop cones haven’t been dried or processed. They’re typically used during harvest season and most often added late in the boil or in the whirlpool to showcase their fresh character.
Beer fermented with wild yeast or bacteria (such as Brettanomyces), often resulting in funky, tart or earthy flavours.
A major hop supplier and grower‑owned cooperative based in Yakima, Washington, known for producing and distributing high‑quality hops to breweries around the world. Yakima Chief specializes in both traditional and modern hop varieties and is known for innovations like Cryo Hops, advanced hop processing and detailed hop‑chemistry research.
A fungus (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) that turns the sugars in malt into alcohol (ethanol) and bubbles (CO₂) through fermentation. Lager yeast (Saccharomyces pastorianus) is a closely related species that ferments at cooler temperatures and creates cleaner, crisper flavours.
