English hops
English Hops were introduced by Flemish farmers who had fled their homeland — a major hop producing area in the High Middle Ages — during the French–English Hundred Years War (1336–1453), but it is not entirely certain when the first hop was cultivated in England. The Flemish settled in Kent in the southeast of England, where, by the mid-16th century, hop cultivation was firmly established. The hop had a hard time getting established in England. By the mid-1400s, ales that were hopped became known as “beer,” whereas only unhopped brews continued to be called ales. In fact, while hops were being legislated into beer on the European Continent, it seems they were being legislated out of beer in the British Isles, notably by King Henry VIII, who, in the 1530s — obviously taking time out from his strenuous philandering — forbade the use of hops outright at his court. He considered hops an aphrodisiac that would drive the populace to sinful behaviour (such was the pious duplicity of a ruler who managed to go through countless mistresses — not to speak of six wives, two of whom lost their heads in the Tower). Even Samuel Johnson, author of the first Dictionary of the English Language, wrote in his seminal work as late as 1775 that “beer” is a “liquor made from malt and hops,” whereas “ale” is a “liquor made by infusing malt in hot water and fermenting the liquor.” By 1775, however, virtually all British ales were made with hops. Perhaps Johnson should have known better, considering that he wrote much of his Dictionary over pints of hopped ale in an alehouse along the Thames called The Anchor Inn, in London’s Southwark district, just a stone’s throw from the Hop Exchange.
During the hop growing season in England, roughly between April and September, the climate in England is wetter and colder than that of continental Europe, which is why, over centuries, very different cultivars survived the natural selection process in England and became commercial varieties.
Although modern British brewers are making increasing use of hops from far-flung regions (particularly the United States and New Zealand), British hops remain singular. The overall character of English hops tends to a certain stone-fruit earthiness of aroma that is distinctly different from the more citrus-like notes of New World varieties. Indeed, American craft brewers widely use English hops to help bring those flavours to British-inspired pale ales and bitters. Many British beer enthusiasts, although they appreciate New World hops, cannot imagine a classic British bitter without distinctively English hop aromatics.
Golding
Golding (Hop) is a traditional English hop that was first released for commercial cultivation more than a century ago, but it has been famous among brewers since the 1790s. It is named after the grower who developed it. Varieties of this hop are legion and have gone by the names Cobbs, Amos’ Early Bird, Eastwell, Bramling, Canterbury Whitebine, and Mathon. Golding is grown primarily in the counties of Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and East Kent. It is prized primarily for its aroma, but it can be used for bittering as well. It also makes an excellent hop for dry hopping. Like most of the English hop varieties, Golding exhibits earthy notes as well as a slight spiciness in the aroma. The Golding hop, along with its offshoot East Kent Golding and the princely Fuggle, when married to a full-flavored British barley such as Maris Otter, has set the standard for an unmistakable, classic English ale flavour. Alpha acids in Golding may range from 4% to 7.0% and beta acids from 2% to 2.8%; the average cohumulone content may be about 28%. Humulene averages 45%. In the United States, Golding has been planted from Canterbury Golding stock, with some success, since 1995, but the characteristic English earthiness diminished, and the hop’s fruitiness increased. Golding is sensitive to various fungal infections, including downy and powdery mildew, as well as verticillium wilt. Despite these drawbacks, Golding acreage has increased because of demand. Golding produces moderate average yields of almost 1,675 kg/ha (roughly 1,500 lb/acre). Depending on growing conditions, it can reach maturity anywhere from early to late in the season and stores well.
Whitbread Goldings Variety (WGV)
Deze variëteit ontstond omstreeks 1911 door een open bestuiving van een oude hopvariëteit (Bates's Brewer) die groeide op een boerderij in Beltring, Kent (UK). Later werd deze variëteit gekocht door de Whitbread Beer Company.
Target
Deze variëteit is één van de meest geteelde variëteiten in Engeland, werd ontwikkeld in het Wye College (Kent, UK) en op de markt gebracht in 1992. Target stamt af van Northern Brewer en Eastwell Golding, je zou hem dus een neef van Challenger kunnen noemen.
Target is een dual purpose hop; hij wordt zowel als bitterhop gebruikt tijdens het koken, als aromahop na het koken. Dankzij een relatief hoog gehalte aan alfazuren kan Target voor een aangename bitterheid zorgen, tegelijk wordt hij ook gebruikt met het oog op een specifiek en buitengewoon hoparoma.
* Wye College
Target (Hop), also known as Wye Target, is an English bittering hop that was released for commercial cultivation in 1972. It was developed by Dr Ray Neve of Wye College in 1965 from Northern Brewer and Eastwell Golding.