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.