https://vinepair.com/articles/wa-next-big-hop/ Since the only way we get new IPAs is with new hops, here's a couple guesses about what those hops will be. A couple of known ones including Idaho 7, Strata, and Nectaron. Strata was wildly popular in the fresh hop beers this last season, and was very nice. There's also one, Vista, that comes out of the USDA public hop breeding program. Which is cool. Anyway, discuss
Hadn’t heard about that. Go socialism! A quick web search turned up USDA’s partnership with the Brewers Association on this: “The research will prioritize breeding efforts in four areas: sensory requirements as determined by the Brewers Association through a collaborative and participatory brewer and industry stakeholder program; improved downy mildew resistance; improved powdery mildew resistance; and improved agronomic performance compared to existing aroma cultivars.” https://www.brewersassociation.org/programs/hop-breeding-program/ More info here: https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/project/?accnNo=433032
Predicting what will be the next “it” hop with craft beer consumers is a challenging avocation. I remember a few years ago when it seemed that every brewery was coming out with beers (e.g., IPAs) that featured Galaxy hops but I don’t find Galaxy hopped beers as much these days. There has been some discussion in homebrewing circles (e.g., forums) that the quality of Galaxy hops is not the same today as it was a few years ago; one theory is that the Australian hop vendor(s) are blending lesser quality Galaxy hops with better quality Galaxy hops to create a more ‘even’ but more mediocre product. I took note from the article (with emphasis in bold by me): “The next big hop will be Vista, a terrific lager hop that has a subtle profile thanks to the aromatic qualities of melons, papaya, and pear.” The association of “lager hop” and aroma/flavor descriptors of “melons, papaya, and pear” but I suppose the qualifier of “subtle” is important here. Also: “We tend to do a lot of dry-hop trials when selecting what to use in new IPA recipes, basically doing small-scale blind tastings of a beer dry-hopped with different hops and selecting our favorite.” That is an ‘interesting” manner to evaluate hops. I am unsure why they don’t also add some hops to the kettle since exposure to heat (boil) could be impactful but brewing with hops is the way to go in order to evaluate hops. The ‘classic’ manner in which brewers evaluate hops for purchase is the rub & sniff method: they vigorously rub some hop cones between their hands to ‘mimic’ heat and then sniff their hands. I listened to a podcast with Vinnie Cilurzo (Russian River) and he stated that the only hop variety that has the same sensory qualities via the rub & sniff method and in the resulting brewed beer is Talus hops.
I have seen Strata and Idaho 7 being used more often lately. I doubt those will be the next "it" hops tho. While they can be tasty they don't stand out much different than other hops that once was "it".
Idaho 7 has been a super common hop in CO for a while. I don't love it, but I don't dislike it. They say it has tangerine flavors, but I get weedy notes from it. Strata is more my speed. I'm still hoping Barbe Rouge catches on one of these days.
I'm kind of surprised to see Strata still being mentioned in articles like this as I feel like it's already become a big hop (same goes for Idaho 7, which I don't think gets the same amount of love as Strata but it's been around for a while now). Indeed, if we're counting those two, I could see Riwaka being considered a Next Big Hop too. It's older than both of those but I feel like it's only started becoming more easily available to US breweries in the last few years. The number of responses in the article citing HBC 586 was interesting to me; I've enjoyed a few beers with it but I've liked Nectaron even more. Also one hop not mentioned in the article (likely cause it's not widely available yet) is Tango. I heard an interview with Agostino Arioli from Birrificio Italiano and he said it's the new German hop he's most excited about. His description gave me the sense that it's closer to the traditional noble hops or Saphir than a lot of the more widespread recent German varieties like Hallertau Blanc.
I haven't been a big fan of the more recent "big" hops (include Strata in the list). Give me Mosaic, Nelson, and Galaxy and I'm happy.
Seems like sabro has had its chances in the market and it's just too polarizing to become a real big time hop. Of course, I'd say Idaho 7 has had its shot too so I'm not sure why some brewers are just now pinging on it as a potential breakout
Maybe the name selection for that hop is poignant here? Cheers! P.S. Maybe the next numbered hop which becomes ‘official’ will be named “Conundrum”?
Haha yeah that occurred to me, but I honestly had a E infused IPA from Barebottle, hadn't heard of that hop. Not totally new but liked it. Of course it had other hops too Mosaic n Strata
I'm a huge fan of strata and will buy beers that say they are featuring it. I haven't done that for the others in the forum so far. I've had a barbe Rouge beer from tree house, definitely unique and I'd try another.
I said, HBC-586 will be on there. It was. Hop survivables got some airtime at HomebrewCon. These are compounds that survive the boil. Idaho 7 has that attribute, and so does 586. Older varieties that do well include Centennial.
Most of the public varieties on the market were developed by the USDA. These were funded by the big brewers who were looking for higher AA or aroma varieties that could be grown in the USA. When the big brewers dropped the funding, the breeding programs stopped. Capitalism in action. The public breeding programs started up when Indie Hops ponied up the $ to fund it. The BA put money into it too. Why? The proprietary hops out there command a much higher market price, and must be licensed to grow them. Smaller growers are mostly shut out, I know one. The new public varieties are looked forward to by these small growers. Capitalism again.
I'm a big fan of the Noble Hops. These here today, forgotten tomorrow hops are for the trendy beers & probably won't be popular for very long after people get worn out by them. Hops and Marijuana are related, and seeing the amount of new crosses in that category, there will be many more crosses to come in the future. I like to taste the different malts in my beer, with hops making everything balance out. They should never be the star of the show in my beer preference, only supporting actors. Then again, I'm not a huge fan of the HopPA. I'm sure I'm not alone. I've played with a few oddballs in a mixed variety pack from my homebrew supply store, but I'm a traditionalist at heart.
The brewer that mentioned HBC-586 is local to me. Regrettably, I've missed both of their HBC-586 releases (IIRC, one was paired with Citra and one with Strata.) Hopefully they release something HBC-586 again soon so I can give it a try.
I brew a lot with Strata, and have seen a large uptick in the use of good ol Cascade as well with all the Thiol research that has been happening for biotransformation hops recently with the push for thiol driven hazy IPAs. Strata has increased nearly 30 percent in acreage use, as well as Eureka and Cashmere. Simcoe and Cascade both grew is acreage and yields by 10+ percent. Citra and Mosaic stayed the course. So there is definitely a new wave of IPAs at least coming. And some old hops making a return to the forefront.
The cascade growth is surprising, I wonder what beers are driving the growth. Cashmere and Strata go incredible together so that's exciting. Simcoe has been my favorite hop for a long time and seems incredibly versatile (weedy, dank, grapefruity, citrus and piney) and pairs so well with others so that's exciting to see the growth there.
And I got a beer that I just added to the database from Beer Drop. Westfax Across The Pond ESB, and it uses East Kent Golding hops and is delicious! I should mention what I want more often, eh?
I think the growth is with all the Hazy IPAs trying to push the boundaries of the thiols in the beer that give that passion fruit, heavy citrus flavors. Many studies puts cascade as the highest in releasing the thiols in the beer. So I think that has been the big driving force.
Are you Canadian!?! Earlier this evening I drank my homebrewed Bitter Ale which solely featured East Kent Goldings hops for the flavor and aroma additions. Yum! Plus plenty of fruity flavors (e.g., stone fruit flavors) from the Timothy Taylor yeast strain. Cheers!
I have been out of the "try every hop and IPA available game" for a while, but I recognize Strata and Idaho 7, have been around for a few years at least. Idaho 7 is a good one, strata not a huge fan. Is Denali/Sultana still cool? I liked that one, but the I always prefer the mainstays 95% of the time. Even when I tick a new IPA, if It has Centennial, Citra, Mosaic, or simcoe in some mixture I am down to clown around.
I think brewers are starting to get burned out on the same citra mosaic and simcoe varieties in an ipa. But unfortunately as of now those 3 are the ones winning a majority of the medals in competitions. Until a new variety or new technique/wave of style emerges with ipa I don’t expect too much difference honestly to happen with the ipa scene.
"Noooooo! Not Idaho 7." I clicked on this thread thinking the above words. Now I am sad. I haven't found an Idaho 7 single hop beer that is great. Everyone that I've had has been meh.
