What is the future of cascade hops?

Exactly. What's more revealing is probably the single largest SKU that uses Cascade hops in US craft beer is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. But those numbers are down significantly.

All of the losses are made up by overseas brewers and large conglomerates buying huge quantities, as per our hop growers.

cheers

 

It still makes up 12% of all of our hop contracts.

 

For me, a lot of these hazy IPAs have very similar characteristics, even when they use different hops. I'm not saying they're exactly the same, just some similar notes that emerge. Those similar notes, that seem to pop up regardless of hop choice, are what I perceive as esters/the influence of the yeast.

We know yeast can have a great impact on aroma/taste (hello, hefeweizens!) To me, the yeast choices in these beers (and/or their interactions with the hops) seem to contribute markedly to their overall smell/taste.

 

Yup, I have read that sales of SNPA were down in 2016 and I suspect in 2017 as well.

I personally do not think it is a coincidence that Sierra Nevada introduced two new hoppy beers in 2016 as new year-round beers: Sidecar and Tropical Torpedo. I strongly suspect these beers were introduced to the Sierra Nevada portfolio to help compensate for the sales loss of SNPA. I more recently read that Sidecar is getting 'amped up' from being a Pale Ale to an IPA:

Bill Manley posted in BA thread: "It's not a rebrand, but a full-on re-brew / retweak of the recipe. We're moving from a pale ale base, up to an IPA base (6.9%)..."

It seems that IPA is King these days?

Cheers!

 

Jack - the data certainly indicates so.

cheers

 

Ergo: Toppen-ish IPA.

As the lyrics from a 10,000 Maniacs song goes: “Give them what they want!”

Cheers!

 

indeed Jack

 

All of the Swedish macros have found ways to incorporate Cascade hops in new (and even some old) brands of beer, and on the larger European level, Carlsberg Group in particular seems apt at taking a brand concept which has been proven in one of their European markets and replicating it in several of their other markets, either with the same brand or using different domestic brands, particularly when it comes to macro-craft type beers. I could see Cascade being a sought after hop for such uses (and in my experience it has resulted in some pretty tasty macro beers).

 

I know there's 4 oz of Cascade in the pale ale fermenting in my basement right now

 

I use cascade when I brew most of my pale ales at home. Their flavor and aroma just really seem to match my idea of a perfect pale ale.

 

I have a couple of meters growing on my basement

 

As others have said, cascades haven't gone anywhere and they aren't going anywhere any time soon. Basically, they are here to stay.

Personally, I miss the old school English hop varietals like Fuggles, Goldings/EKG, etc. You don't see those nearly as much as cascades these days.

 

I disagree. I find it hard to believe most people would be able to taste the difference of a beer dry hopped with cascade when other hops were in play vs one that did not have it added. I use it in my hazy ipas and it's just a hop that plays nice with all the other more trendy hops. Nice citrus flavor that plays well in any pale or IPA.

 

Valid point. Could it be said some of these more expensive (trendy) hops are being used just so the brewer can say they are being used?

 

I think Cascade are here to stay, but if the trend holds wouldn't its use eventually decrease at some point?

The macros/international brewers are "behind the times" so to speak, who's to say they eventually don't brew more New England style IPAs/use newer hop varieties to jump on that bandwagon?

But Cascade won't disappear, just like Fuggles/EKG hasn't disappeared, even in American craft brewing. They'll simply fall out of favor, but I don't see them going away completely.

They could be. I know I've purchased a hoppy beer or two just because it said, "Galaxy dry hopped", and I tend to like Galaxy in my beers. Some of the best versions of two local beers, Idle Hands' Four Seam and Trillium's Fort Point Pale Ale, are their "Galaxy" versions. Both are better than the originals in my opinion.

But I wouldn't doubt it if there's a bit of marketing at play here as well with some brewers.

 

Coors was the first major buyer of Cascade hops when the variety was first released in 1973, committing to buying a million pounds a year for 10 years.

Well, given that Heineken dates from the 19th century and Cascades were first commercially grown in the 1970s...

As I understand it, they hop Heineken Light with Cascades, a beer that dates from the 1990s (and, at one time at least, brewed specifically for the US market) and that is a recent change in the recipe (2013 according to this CNBC article).

 

I said it plays nice in New England ipas, not the star of the show.

 

I have been worried about some old-school hops like Cascade thanks to the rise of the NE IPA, but I still love West Coast style IPAs and I don't think the older hop varietals will ever go away. They may decrease slightly in sales, but not go away. Hell, one of my top favorite hop combos is Amarillo with Cascade and/or Centennial, and Simcoe.