Jester – A new breed of English hop

The start of December brings with it the release of the third beer in our Albion Ales series, showcasing British hops.  Following on from the roaring success of ‘Scepter’d Ale’ and ‘Full English Breakfast’ we have ‘Jester’.  A 4.1% pale ale in the classic Abbeydale style, we are using just the Jester hop in late addition to try and showcase this great British hop.

Grown by Charles Faram and initially launched in 2012 in tiny quantities, this is an attempt by the hop farmers to produce a British hop with a flavour profile more akin to the very popular varieties grown in Australia, New Zealand and the US. Typically these new world hops are bursting with citrus and tropical fruit flavours and aromas, with grapefruit, mango, lemon peel, and pineapple often present and high amounts of dry bitterness imparted into the beer.  

Typically, British hops have less pungent flavour profiles, with more earthy, grassy and pine notes being the general characteristics, in what has become known as noble hop character. Due to the (relatively) even rainfall of the British climate throughout the year, very few of our hop plants are irrigated leading to lower levels of myrcene (a natural organic compound found in the hop oils) to develop a more delicate aroma.

So we come back to Jester, the new world style hop with a British slant. A particularly oily hop, with aromas of grapefruit and lychee when rubbed in your hand.  When used in a beer, more of a marmalade character develops. We’re excited to see how our balanced session pale style suits this bold young hop, which is leading the way for the revival of the British hop market.   

For more information on British hops in general, we advise you visit the website of the British Hop Association at www.britishhops.org.uk 

Cheers & Beers!