Relatively fresh hops will impart a very powerfull aroma and taste to the beer. I tried it once in a macro lager with some Northern Brewer Pellets and it was very hard to drink (more than usual anyway).

I am not as much of a hophead as others I know but there is something I do crave now and then about a good IPA. I am not talking about an Imperial IPA that is great to have in small doses but a well balanced but very hoppy IPA with character, something that isn’t all cascade through and through. They are out there if you look for them, though they may be hardier to find on the continent. And when you do find one or brew one yourself, if the hops are balanced with a strong malty undertone it is something that you can drink throughout the night (and well frankly when you start on IPAs everything else seems a bit bland afterwords :-)

Evan,

You should start homebrewing, its not that difficult and you can satisfy all the cravings for hops you want!

When I drink Czech beer, I don’t think: “This needs more hops!” They are, on the whole, perfectly balanced. I sometimes think German wheat beer could stand a little more bitterness, though.

This is why Geir is my hero…

Be that as it may, I love seeing the diversity you can get from different strains of hops, not merely focusing on being punched in the face by whichever ones go into your beer. It’s also notable that you’re getting a ganja-like aroma, as hops are of course a relative of cannabis. Peppery, spicy, funky, bitter… it’s just good to see some versatility there when it comes to adding bittering agents to beer.