Tag: Citra

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Variety Box of Solitude

Topa Topa Brewing is setting out their first variety6-pack just before Labor Day weekend. The Solitude Series IPA Mixed Pack harkens back to the single hop IPA craze of years past.

You will get two beers each of Mosaic, Citra and Talus.  Here are the brewers notes from Brewmaster Casey Harris – “Mosaic has always been a standout hop, as it’s so diverse in its flavor and aroma with an array of fruity, tropical, and earthy notes. Citra is one of my favorites, and kind of finds its way into a lot of our beers – perfect for rounding things out with its strong citrus qualities. Talus is a new one, and it’s really a unique hop with intense flavors of grapefruit, stone fruit, and oak.”

There is also an “interactive QR code on the base of the mixed 6-pack provides an opportunity to share feedback on which hop pleases their palate the most.”  If this sells well, I would expect another set of three hops in box 2.

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Acreage

Time to talk agriculture AND business.  One intersection point is the planning of which and how many hops to grow.  It is hard to make such estimates into the future but with craft brewing slower than the past, the amount of hops needed is lower.

The USDA is forecasting that, in the Northwest, hop acreage for harvest will be down 8% from 2023. The biggest hop varietals, Citra and Mosaic were reduced the most as growers are trying to balance out their portfolios.

Might be more reductions and varietal shifts coming.  It is serious logistical work being a hop grower.

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What Will the Hop of 2021 Be?

Old school beer fans can remember how Citra took over in IPA’s back in the day.  But, to me, there hasn’t been another hop with that meteoric of a rise and with staying power since.

This is not to say that the new varietals since are bad, they just haven’t stormed in like Citra.  Mosaic and Simcoe have their fans but also some detractors.  I happen to like Strata and it has gained a good amount of ground but others like Sabro and the newer Talus and Nectaron haven’t really popped yet.

Part of the problem, as we know from our supply chain issues this Christmas, is that this is all about supply and demand.  There has to be enough supply to create the IPA’s and pale ales by, at least, the trendy FOMO breweries but not too much that it becomes a commodity.  

But hops are not a quickly steered boat but more of a container ship so that means conditions have to be just right.  There has to be enough interest from brewers to push growers to plant and enough interest from beer lovers when those bines are mature.

Maybe what Stan Hieronymus calls the “new wave” of English hops like Jester and Harlequin will find that right window.

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Firestone Walker – Citra IPA vs Double Mind Haze

Time to play catch-up on releases from Firestone Walker…

Firestone Walker Propagator Citra – very light on the palate almost like a session IPA.  Getting grapefruit first and foremost. Getting a bit of Meyer lemony notes as well. Hazy yellow in color.  They certainly know how to keep it murky. 

Double Mind Haze – another FW hazy appearing masterpiece.  This is a rather odd beer to me.  Has a cheek warming amount of alcohol and a bit of a bite to it. Texture is there but the flavor leads more to buttery or barely blood orange. 

Wasn’t super jazzed about either to be honest but I would take the Citra if forced to choose.

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Ups & Downs

Since lockdown I have found the pleasure in small things, one of which is the happy hop newsletter (what I call it) from Stan Hieronymus that pops into my inbox.

The latest missive had the usual science deep dives but what caught my eye was this set of planting statistics….

Going up:
Variety                      2019                 2020             % change
Citra                          9,035              11,201            +24%
Mosaic                      4,225                5,559            +32%
El Dorado                    993                1,605            +62%
Strata                          253                   764             +202%
Sabro                          724                 1,175            +62%
Idaho 7                        473                   904             +91%
 
Going down (some more than others):
Variety                      2019                 2020             % change
Simcoe                     4,365                4,140            -5%
Amarillo                    2,369                2,112            -11%
Cascade                   5,280                3,998            -24%                                              
Centennial                3,680                2,891            -21%
Willamette                   889                   802             -10%              
 
Comparing five years ago to today:
Variety                      2015                 2020             % change
Cascade                   6,952                3,998            -42%
Centennial                4,463                2,891            -35%
Amarillo                    1,700                2,112            +24%
Simcoe                     2,916                4,140            +42%
Mosaic                      1,800                5,559            +209%
Citra                          2,993              11,201            +274%

As you can see, don’t be expecting many single hop Cascade IPAs and ready your palate for Citra and Mosaic. The bright spot for me is the growth in Strata which is a hop that I have taken a liking to.

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Peony not Puny

A big Imperial IPA from Stone is not unusual but this also has peony white tea added to Citra and Loral hops. Now at 8%, I hope the gentle notes of the tea will still show through and if that hop combo accentuates the tea.

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HopTea

While grocery shopping last weekend, I ran across these in the tea aisle…

…not only do the cans look like a hoppy IPA release, they have the hop names prominently listed. But this is sparkling tea and they give you the general tea varietal too. It is the first time that I have seen HopTea. It is a brand from the Boulder, Colorado based Hoplark.

Here is my take on this new hop beverage…

I like strong tea. Even milder flavors like Orange Pekoe or Chamomile, I prefer bold and the Calm One which features Citra hops with Chamomile is brash. Big spicy tea notes hit hard. The hops add a layer underneath that strengthens the flavors and the sparkle of carbonation us bright. To me this is not calm.  But it is damn tasty.  It says Wee Bit on the label but this comes at you. 

The Hoppy One is really powerful tea as well.  The Simcoe and Citra hops do battle with the darker tea and it comes out a little spicy and woodsy. It is a triple hit of a big sparkle push followed by a mid section of hop and then the black tea takes over.  I think the tannins from the tea are working against the hops here. Overall, it is a bold brew which I appreciate even when it doesn’t fully click.

These two versions make me want to try the full range and I would really want to visit their taproom.

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Anchored in Citra


I am happy for the recent Pale Ale trend. Granted some may be more IPA than pale but it is a better canvas, in my opinion, for these single hop showcases and we get another from Anchor Brewing with their new Citra Hop Blend of Brewers’ Pale Ale. According to the press releases, the beer “boasts a citrus-forward flavor profile with bright aromatics of tangerine, Meyer lemon and melons.”