Why do some beers have an aroma of marijuana?!
Why do some beers have an aroma of marijuana?
Answers:
Hops are one of the two members of the plant family Cannabinacae, of which the only other member is Cannabis (of which marijuana is the most well known). There are chemical similarities between the two plants, but the resins are distinctly different. (In the 1960's grafts were attempted between marijuana and hops in an attempt to produce a legal version of marijuana, but the resins didn't cross the graft.) {so they tell us}
Some hops have "Noble varieties" which impart a pleasant grassy plant-like and spicy note to the aroma profile of some Beers. This is common in many Continental Pilseners.
Any skunk aromas detected are defects of that beer. Isopentenyl mercaptan is a defect in beers which is caused by light exposure of the beer. Heineken is a good example of a defected beer. It is a rather big joke to many in the brewing community that Americans have come to not only love this aroma/flavor but think it is a sign of a great beer.