The good oils

Occasionally on a Monday after a round of golf, I’ve been known to pop in to a place called Absolute Essential in Muriwai, West Auckland, where I pick up some essential oils for Mrs Pint of View.

Sandalwood, lemon eucalyptus, manuka, basil, lavender . . . they end up in either the oil burner, Mrs POV’s homemade moisturisers and concoctions designed for all sorts of things from pain relief to sleep aides.

I’ve always wondered about using these highly potent fragrance makers in beer; after all, it’s the essential oils in hops that makes beer so amazing.

There are four essential oils in hops: myrcene, humulene, caryophyllene and farnesene. These can be found in other plants as well and some are well known to the perfume industry.

Myrcene, which also appears in thyme, lemongrass and verbena, is a staple in perfumes because it is so pungently fragrant. It gives you amazing olfactory jolts: vanilla and peaches, balsamic vinegar, even pepper.

Caryophyllene’s fragrance is woody, spicy, earthy and not surprisingly it’s also found in rosemary and cloves while humulene is found in basil and coriander and gives a herbal undertone to beer.

Farnesene is another fragrance adored by the perfume industry and has been compared with magnolia flowers. It has subtle citrus and lavender notes and adds aroma to beer but usually in very low quantities.

Writing this I’m beginning to understand why people like aromatically hopped beers – after all who isn’t drawn to a really gorgeous fragrance?

Myrcene also adds flavour to beer, delivering an orange zest nip, with a slightly metallic kick.

Different hops have different combinations of all these oils and some hops are noted for being high in myrcene, including two of my favourite varieties, the hard-to-find amarillo and the New Zealand beauty, riwaka.

But I’ve now found another myrcene carrier: Simcoe, an American hop that’s only been around for the past decade.

It’s the star of my favourite beer over the summer break: Alpha Dogg, by Liberty Brewing.

Yes, I know, there’s nothing quite like starting where you left off . . . the eagle-eyed and dedicated readers will remember that my last column of 2012 ended with New Plymouth’s Liberty Brewing coming out as top dog in my 2012 beer experience chart.

Well, it’s not my fault that brewer Joseph Wood has timed the release of Alpha Dogg so perfectly as to get my attention straight away at the start of 2013.

But what a beer. Its fragrance bolts out of the bottle and climbs up your nose; there’s all that tropical fruit laced with hints of aviation fuel (it is 7 per cent ABV) and citrus, all laid out on a canvas of caramel malt that disappears behind a snappy, clean bitterness that comes from brewing with lager yeast.

All up it just tastes like summer – mown lawns, suntan oil, citronella and sunshine – and it sets a pretty high bar for new Kiwi beers in 2013.