DDH IPA with Polish hops

"Who says you need American hops for a super fruity IPA?" - Van Moll Craft Beer

We totally agree. Nothing wrong with American hops, of course, but going the standard route and using American hops in a DDH, Hazy and/or New England IPA is certainly not a must.

Erwin van Moll, flanked by Nathan (L) and Carel (R) with the above quote on Instagram.

Van Moll proves it with Solaris, a slightly hazy Double Dry Hopped IPA packed with our Polish hops Zula, Rody and Oktawia. By fully concentrating on the aromas from these hops, it becomes a fruity IPA with a character we know from American, but also New Zealand hops.

Whirlpool and DDH
During the brew day, we started working with the hops after boiling the wort. Van Moll wanted to extract all the aromas from the hops and one way to do that is to simply not boil it and add the first hop during the whirlpool, just after boiling. Since we used enough hops and the temperature is still high enough at this point, this hop addition also provides bitterness. Just the way Van Moll likes it, because beer tastes like beer at this Eindhoven-based brewery.

The remaining hops were added at 2 moments during the fermentation process: Double Dry Hopped.

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Three Polish hops
Together with Van Moll, we selected three Polish hops with a fruity character. During the tasting, Erwin van Moll remarked that it reminded him of beers with New Zealand hops. Alongside American hops, these hops are also known for their fruity aromas, tending slightly more towards white grape and gooseberry, flavours that can be tasted in Solaris. More proof that hops from European soil can give similar results!

Zula is an aromatic hop with a high percentage of alpha acid. Thanks to our grower, Zula - with its own powerful citrus aromas - is surpassing her better known sister Lunga.

Oktawia was developed as a bitter hop, almost disappeared, but was saved from 2015 because of its good aromatic features. Because of its specific aromas of white grape, honeydew melon and citrus, it has a New Zealand feel.

Rody is a completely new gem, an experimental variety that has just come onto the market and is still in limited cultivation. The name does not yet seem to be completely fixed, as the current full name is Rody H. 2/20. Besides citrus aroma, Rody also gives notes of pineapple, pear and gooseberry.

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Solaris
A nice fruity beer, but don't expect fruit juice. As said, Van Moll brews beer that first of all tastes like beer. By using a yeast that ferments enough sugar, it is not that sweet. The finish is nicely dry and the hops give a medium bitterness. Oats and wheat give it a good body and balance. A very well made beer of which we would like to order a second one!

Solaris is named after the sci-fi classic by the Polish (Lviv-born) writer Stanislaw Lem. Exclusively filled on keg and to be tasted at the Van Moll Bar, the better bars and at Van Moll Fest 2022, where another Van Moll-special can be tasted with our hops. More about that later!