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While we're on the subject of Hops, let's get up-close and personal with all the naughty parts of the hop plant (that's all brewers care about anyways). As mentioned in Part I, we are after the flowers of the female plant -- also known as cones. These cones contain all the essential oils and hard resins that give hops thier characteristic flavors, aromas, and (of course) Bitterness.

Here's a basic overview of the anatomy of a hop flower. The cone consists of a strig, or central stem (if you will) that runs down the center of the cone. From this strig emerge the bracts, or tough outer leaves/petals (which protect the tender inside bits from harm), as well as the bracteoles, which are smaller inner petals with lupulin glands huddled near the base. Lupulin glands are sticky, yellow globules that carry all of the hard resins (alpha and beta acids, which ultimately provide the bitterness) and soft resins (which provide volatile aromatic and flavorful compounds).  Essentially, lupulin glands are the object of every brewer's desire.

Continuing on, we'll take a closer look at each of the parts and pieces of the cone, so we all have a better idea of what these things are all about.

I got a last-minute invite to a Beer Dinner hosted by Bj's Restaurant and Brewhouse yesterday, and decided to check it out. The menu featured items from the BJ's regular menu paired with a diverse selection beers from the Flanders region of Belgium. In general, the food was  no match for the beer, but there were a couple of very nice pairings. Here's my report:

Before the dinner began, we were treated to a brand new Belgian Tripel released by Papago Brewing in Arizona (the beer is actually brewed in Belgium, by Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.) called Oude Zuipers, which roughly translates to "old drunk" or "old boozer." The beer was strong, at 11% ABV, with a coppery color and a sweetish, slightly spicy aroma and flavor. The Alcohol was noticable but not overpowering, which was nice. 

Our second beer was Brugse Zot, a Belgian Blonde (or pale, depending on who you ask).  Slightly hazy, with a dry finish, this beer seemed a bit plain initially, but developed nicely as it warmed in the glass. It showcased soft Grainy sweetness with fruity Esters including pear and a hint of banana. The Bitterness was just there to balance things out, which it did perfectly.