St. Louis- based Schlafly, a brewery known for its innovation and experimentation, just released an all- new variety 12 pack, the Hop Trial SMaSH pack. The sampler pack features three bottles each of four different beers, with a different, experimental hop used in the brewing of each beer.
The SMaSH Pack was named to emphasize the single malt (SM) and single hop (SH) recipes used for each beer. In this 12 pack, beer lovers will discover four malt beverage gems, each made with a distinct hop variety that emphasizes a unique flavor profile. The beers include Hallertau Blanc, with a floral hop flavor; Bramling Cross, with a spicy hop taste; Enigma, a beer that focuses on fruity hops; and Eureka!, a beer with a piney hop personality.
Hop Trial SMaSH pack is all about beer education and consumers will enjoy tasting and identifying the different flavors that each type of hop imparts on beer. By using only a single hop in each of the four different beers, consumers will be able to easily identify the different taste characteristics and better appreciate the remarkable qualities that hops contribute to their favorite suds. Schlafly Ambassador Brewer Stephen Hale says education is a chief motivator behind the Hop Trial series.
“In our two brewpub locations, we talk to consumers and educate them on the different flavor profiles of our beers,” says Hale. “With the Hop Trial variety pack, they can conduct a tasting of the four Hop Trial beers in their own home, and our packaging gives them the tasting notes to decipher the differences.”
The Hop Trial program was born at Schlafly’s Tap Room and Bottleworks locations. Hop farmers have developed a strong working relationship with Schlafly and they often approach Schlafly management with different hop varieties, for tasting and testing. Schlafly then offers feedback to the farmers on the taste and viability of each hop. Hale points out that many of these hops are grown in extremely limited supply and many have yet to even be officially named.
“Many of these hops are still in the early stages, on very small plots, some without trade names”, said Hale. ”We’re able to trial these very specific hops, some where we have selected them from the field, for the brewers to evaluate.”
In the Fall of 2015, Schlafly started brewing beer with these experimental hops and asked consumers to taste and rate the beer. Every month, Schlafly introduces a different SMaSH Hop Trial beer at the brewpubs and then asks craft beer fans to share their thoughts on the Hop Trial Boards. This past year, Schlafly introduced 102 different hops through this program, with the ones deemed the best, by consumers and brewers, making their way into the SMaSH Hop Trial 12 pack.
The Hop Trial variety pack is available for purchase at the Bottleworks or Tap Room locations and throughout Schlafly’s distribution area, for a$13.99 suggested retail price. For more on Schlafly Beer’s distribution and products, visit www.schlafly.com/beers/distribution. And be sure to follow/like Schlafly on social media, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.