Hop profiles became a monthly feature in 2019. Send an email to request that a cultivar be profiled.
– Aramis. She contains a relatively large amount of monoterpene alcohols (linalool and geraniol) and also beta-eudesmol, which may be responsible for a cool, soothing sensation associated with lagers.
– Azzaca. A semi-drawf, with qualities that will serve her well as the world warms.
– Barbe Rouge. French, with a little wild American in her background. But where does the strawberry flavor come from.
– Cashmere. Used in dry hopping, she may contribute peach and melon notes.
– Centennial. 3/4 Brewer’s Gold, 3/32 Fuggle, 1/16 East Kent Golding, 1/32 Bavarian, 1/16 unknown . . . and truly unique.
– Chinook. Released as an alpha hop, now valued for its aroma compounds.
– Citra. Unloved by three larger brewing companies, became the most grown aroma variety in the world.
– Comet. “There was nothing good about it” in the 1980s, but times change.
– Ekuanot. Rich in 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate and geraniol. Has a concentration of the thiol 3S4MP/3M4MP (passion fruit, grapefruit, rhubarb) that is similar to Nelson Sauvin.
– Mistral. She’s French, but reminds us of the influence of Cascade.
– Nelson Sauvin. “Epoch making” variety for both the beer industry and for hop/beer flavor science.
– Nugget. A surprising source of linalool, and still valued for her alpha in Oregon.
– Saaz. During the fourteenth century, Emperor Charles IV made exporting hop cuttings from Bohemian plants punishable by death. Farmers understood that not all varieties were alike and already knew how to divide the underground stems to propagate more plants. The variety the emperor sought to protect was likely an ancestor of Saaz, but probably not identical.
– Sabro. The “homebrew hop” that personifies “love it or hate it.”
– Simcoe. Row 2, hill 56.
– Sorachi Ace. Bred in Japan, but an American-English-European hybrid. Can we talk about the dill?
– Styrian Golding. Not a Golding, but a Fuggle. And not necessarily related to several other hops from Slovenia with Styrian in their name.