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Clayton Hops in New Zealand has given the name Rhapzody to the experimental hop variety formerly known as CIP 014, bred in partnership with the New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science (formerly Plant and Food Research).

Here are the basics: 13-14% alpha acids, 4.5-6% beta acids, .8-1.3 mL/100 grams total oil. Rich in 3s4mp precursors, which may add passionfruit, grapefruit and sometimes rhubarb aromas and flavors. Her ancestry includes Nugget, Smoothcone, Southern Cross, and Pacific Sunrise.

Clayton promotes her “intense tropical, passionfruit and pineapple character. Can be used both on the hot side and as dry hop in a variety of styles targeting a fruit forward hop profile.” They provide this sensory diagram:

They suggest Rhapzody pairs well with Mosaic, Citra, Cascade, Eclipse, Nelson Sauvin, and Motueka; and that she could be used in place of Galaxy, Strata, El Dorado, or Simcoe.

Here is the first paragraph from the Hop Breeding Company press release:

“Hop Breeding Company (HBC) is proud to announce the official commercial release of Dolcita brand HBC 1019, a new and innovative hop variety designed to meet the high expectations of brewers and beer lovers around the world.
Created in 2016 using traditional breeding methods and HBC’s proprietary breeding stock, Dolcita is one of the fastest hops ever brought to market by HBC.”

Until today it was called HBC 1019. Nine years from cross to name is really fast. Jeff Alworth has written about the semi-early years.

If I find a link to the full press release I will link to it. (Here is the post at the Haas website.) I’ve written about Dolcita for Brewing Industry Guide in a story that will post soon. (Behind a paywall, but no apologies. A subscription is worth the price.)

Meanwhile, more from the press release: “Dolcita is the boldest representation of the Hop Breeding Company’s mission: to provide brewers with the best, most unique, and most sustainable hops on the planet,” said Jeff Dailey, sensory manager at John I. Haas. “With aromas of caramelized pineapple, peach rings, and orange juice, consumers will think they’re drinking a tropical daiquiri rather than an IPA. Beers made with Dolcita definitely stand out due to their strong, distinct flavor profile.”

(The Hop Breeding Company is a partnership between Haas and Yakima Chief Ranches.)

And here’s an outtake (meaning it was in my story and then it wasn’t) from Tiffany Pitra, Yakima Chief Hops senior manager, hop research. “My team consistently gets peach candy aromas in hop assessments and beer tasting. We trialed three yeast strains with 1019 and consistently described the beers as having pineapple, peach, and sweet aromatic notes,” she said. Participants in a YCH/YCR program in which brewers trial products also provided feedback. “I’ve chatted casually with some brewers and ‘tiki drinks’ (think painkiller) seems to a common descriptor.”

It seems appropriate that Hopsteiner chose Halloween to announce that a cultivar previous known as HS16660 will be called Erebus, the primordial deity of darkness in Greek mythology. A press release states, she “embodies the essence of its chaotic origins, serving as a bold disruptor to the world of hops.”

Brewers may instead focus on the blueberry, citrus, candied fruit and floral/rose character the hop provides. She contains 8-11% alpha acids, 3-4% beta acids and 2.3-2.8 ml/100g essential oil (including an usually high amount of geraniol).

Erebus is Hopsteiner’s third release — along with Helios and Alora — in three years. All three benefit from research identifying genetic markers. The company’s breeders used those markers to select multiple disease resistant traits, resulting in stacked resistance. Because the plants have multiple layers of protection from mildews, the amount of chemical fungicide applications required to protect them is reduced.

The Hop Breeding Company has finally given HBC 586 a name, and for the press release making the announcement breeder Jason Perrault, says, “Many of my brewing friends are simply saying, ‘It’s about time.’”

In 2022, Perrault estimated that Yakima Valley hop growers had strung about 150 acres¹ of the cultivar beginning today known as Krush, and many brewers expected her to be named before the 2023 planting season. However, the release was delayed because of surprisingly low yields in some fields, perhaps because of a heat dome that settled over the growing region in 2022.

This is a reminder of why it takes so long for a new cultivar to be commercialized. Sometimes a hop must prove herself one more time. Krush is the product of a cross made 17 years ago.

“Introducing a new hop variety to a wider craft market is always a thrill,” says Michael Ferguson, director of hop breeding at John I. Haas, a partner with Yakima Chief Ranches in the Hop Breeding Company. “Krush is incredibly versatile and has the immediate potential to inspire brewers with its robust citrus and tropical fruit profile. The hop has performed exceptionally well during years of rigorous trials, and I look forward to more brewers utilizing Krush in their recipes for years to come.”

Krush contains 12-13% alpha acids, 7.5-8.5% beta acids, and 1.2–2.5 ml/100g essential oil. She is rich in “survivables.”

“Not every variety translates so clearly from raw hop aroma to finished beer, but Krush bursts with peach, mango, citrus, and tropical notes at harvest and adds a pop of these same flavors to every Krush beer I’ve tasted,” Tiffany Pitra, senior sensory manager at Yakima Chief Hops, says for the press release.

Perrault, CEO as well as breeder at Yakima Chief Ranches, says he considers the cultivar a rarity. “Some hops you have to experience to understand. Krush is one of them. It delivers a big tropical and fruit punchiness without being overpowering.” he says.

¹ For perspective, 150 acres is three times the size of the average farm in Germany,

Farmers in the American Northwest will reduce hop acreage by 20.5 percent, according to estimates global hop merchant Hopsteiner has shared. This isn’t exactly a surprise. In January, John I. Haas CEO Tom Davis said 10,000 acres of aroma hops needed to be eliminated.

That’s pretty much what seems to be happening. This estimate forecasts that overall 11,163 fewer acres will be harvested. It includes a significant reduction of CTZ, which is valued for its alpha, totaling about 1,627 acres. However, Hopsteiner is adding to Helios acreage and in this estimate acreage for HBC 682, another popular alpha hop, is grouped with “the rest.” As are popular aroma varieties such as Simcoe, El Dorado, Strata, and Idaho 7.

The USDA will issue its forecast in a few weeks, based on reports from growers in Washington, Idaho and Oregon. If it is close to this estimate of 43,155 acres, then farmers will harvest about the same number of acres as 2015, or 29 percent of peak acreage in 2021.

More takeaways after the chart. Acreage is listed in hectares. One hectare is equivalent to 2.47 acres.

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