John I. Haas suggests the “future of alpha is Terra.”
I’m focused on the ASBC and CIBC Meeting in Seattle this week to I will let this lightly edited press release do the heavy lifting.
Hop Breeding Company (HBC), together with partners John I. Haas and Yakima Chief Ranches, today announced the launch of Terra Alpha Hops, a new series of high-alpha hop varieties bred for reliable performance in both the field and the brewhouse.
“HBC is well known for our intense flavor-forward hops (Citra, Mosaic, Krush, Dolcita, etc.), but innovation in alpha has also been an important part of our breeding program,” says Jennifer Burns, Executive Director of Hop Breeding Company. “TerraFlux has already proven itself at commercial scale, and TerraSurge represents the next generation of that work. With our Terra Alpha series, we’re giving that part of our portfolio an identity of its own.”
TerraSurge is HBC’s newest high-alpha variety, combining exceptionally high yield with powdery mildew resistance and a late harvest window. Together, these agronomic advantages give growers greater flexibility and offer the potential for more efficient, sustainable hop production.
“TerraSurge encompasses every innovation we’ve developed over the last seven years. It’s a breakthrough,” says Michael Ferguson, Director of Hop Breeding at John I. Haas. “That’s what we want a hop to look like.”
The TerraFlux name brings a new identity to the established variety HBC 682, commercially grown since 2018. With more than 36 million pounds produced to date, its impressive history makes TerraFlux a natural complement to the newly introduced TerraSurge.
Should you be confused, TerraFlux/HBC 682 was given the name Pahto when she was released. However, her named was officially changed back to HBC 682 a few years ago. The name Pahto is the word indigenous people used for Mount Adams, which is prominent in the Yakima Valley.