* Australian harvest report
* NZ Hops harvest report
* Camp on a hop farm
* Crosby Hops x Roy Farms
* Bell’s, Centennial, and terroir
* ‘From Field to Fermenter’
Welcome to Vol. 9, No. 1. Not a lot of querying going on this month, but plenty to tell you about. And if you want more, I suggest subscribing to Brewing Industry Guide, where I wrote about a new round of aroma and flavor products that were on display at the Craft Brewers Conference.
FEWER ACRES, BUT MORE HOPS IN AUSTRALIA
Responding to worldwide diminished demand for hops, Hop Products Australia idled fields in 2025. However, near perfect hop-growing weather for the first time in several years contributed to a bumper crop. Although acreage across six proprietary varieties and Cascade decreased 15.5 percent, farmers harvested 9.5 percent more hops in 2025 than 2024, a total of 1,468 metric tons (3.2 million pounds).
The 2025 crop is the first processed at HPA’s Hop Central facility with cold chain bale storage, temperature-controlled production rooms, and modern pelleting and packaging equipment. “Hop Central has significantly reduced our processing time while maximizing oils in the finished pellets and minimizing oxygen in the foils. It’s all in the name of consistent impact in beer,” said facility manager Michael Monshing.
Galaxy continues to account for 65 percent of production, about 2.1 million pounds, almost four times Vic Secret. Because of contracted demand, growers harvested 88 percent more Ella, the third most produced variety. The Ella crop is characterized as outstanding, with oil and alpha both above the five-year average. “Brewers should expect a real depth of flavor and complexity when pairing Ella with other new world hops,” said CEO Owen Johnston.
HPA processed limited pellet lots of three experimental varieties, “one of which will be commercialized in the coming years.” HPA-033 adds creamy mango, marmalade and raspberry aromas and flavors; HPA-065 spicy pineapple, ginger, and lime; and HPA-4029 strong tropical fruit punch.
MOTUEKA, SUPERDELIC & WAI-TI SHINE
Last month I pointed to the harvest report from Clayton Hops, which is the closest we will come to quantifying the 2025 harvest, because the government does not aggregate an official report.
There are plenty of numbers in the NZ Hops Post-Harvest Report, but no acreage or harvest totals. The co-op’s 28 members reduced production 25 percent, reflecting lower world demand. Superdelic was the outlier. Volume tripled and plans are to increase acreage in 2026.
The report describes Motueka, Superdelic, and Wai-ti as the 2025 standouts. Overall, both alpha acids and total oil increased across the board. Although total oil is only a marker (the composition varies and is important), in all cases geraniol was also high. As in Australia, farmers credited help from the weather. “Aromas this year were especially intense thanks to the fantastic growing season,” said Aeron Moleta at Kotare Hops.
The report includes a super interesting page with customer sensory feedback for lots picked across the harvest window. Two examples:
Nelson Sauvin – early window, classic white wine, diesel, sweet tropical; mid, citrus, dank, diesel and berry notes; late, white wine, tropical citrus, passionfruit, strong catty.
Superdelic – early, candied orange, tropical, strong citrus and mango; mid, tropical citrus, berry, light hay, pineapple; late, berry, tropical lolly, sweet cherry, woody vanilla.
SET UP CAMP IN A HOPYARD
Weeding Billy Goat Hop Farm last May (San Juan Mountains in the background)
Billy Goat Hop Farm south of Montrose, Colorado, has opened the Down at the Hop Yard Campground and The Beer Barn on the farm.
Private camp sites are nestled among hop bines along the trellis perimeter, each with a 28-foot by 15-foot parking area and an adjacent similar size plot to set up camp. ADA hot showers, flushing toilets, potable water, and a communal fire pit are a short walk away.
Each Friday, beginning tomorrow, The Beer Barn will serve beer from around the Southwest brewed with Billy Goat grown hops, as well as the farm’s hop water and Hop Drool hard seltzer. There will also be a food truck, yard games, and occasional live music. “Children, dogs, and goats are always welcome.”
Daria and I visited the area, and made a quick tour of the farm, last Memorial Day weekend. There’s plenty of hiking, the Black Canyon is nearby, and the Million Dollar Highway — a spectacular drive, although not much fun for the driver — is not too far south.
More information is available at the farm website.
CROSBY HOPS, ROY FARMS PARTNERSHIP
Roy Farms in Washington and Crosby Hops in Oregon have announced a partnership full of implications. Two big takeaways: Roy Farms will transition its small and mid-size brewery direct hop sales to Crosby Hops; the two companies will combine their hop breeding efforts to accelerate the development and commercialization of new varieties.
Read the press release or listen to Mike Roy and Blake Crosby talk about what this means on the “No Dirt No Flowers” podcast.
CENTENNIAL HOPS AND TERROIR
The most recent Pellicle Podcast — a conversation with Christine Clair and Nolan Russell of Crosby Hops — alludes to Centennial hops, terroir, and Bell’s Two Hearted IPA. I agree that the hop grown here likely will not taste like the hop grown there. And for Bell’s, the quality of the Centennial is quite important. But a few years ago, I learned that when you drink a Two Hearted you can’t say, “Yes, that’s Centennial from Crosby Hops.” Or from Segal Ranch, or CLS Farms. Or other farms that supply Centennial to Bell’s.
The team at Creature Comforts Brewing in Georgia was excited in 2022 when they were brewing a collaboration beer with Bell’s, because that beer was to include “Centennial from Bell’s selected hops” along with five other varieties. Bell’s vice president in charge of operations John Mallett, since retired, explained what that means.
After carefully selecting 500,000 pounds of Centennial each year from multiple farms, Bell’s creates a master blend that does not smell or taste of a single farm.
I’m repeating myself when I point out that, to me, the fact that brewers may choose to brew a beer, or farmers to grow a hop, that does not express the terroir of the place from which it comes is proof that terroir exists.
PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR HOPS & BARLEY
Asheville Beer Week has begun in that North Carolina town. If you’ll be there next week you might want to stop in Diatribe Brewing for “From Field to Fermenter: How federal programs support the craft beer industry,” a Zoom discussion on May 28. It will moderated by Brent Manning from Riverbend Malt House, with Stan Hieronymus (me), Eric Sannerud (President of Sannerud Hop Consulting), Ashley McFarland (VP and Technical Director of the American Malting Barley Association), and Nick Santantonio (Professor of Plant Breeding at Virginia Tech).