The following are the descriptions for the 3 hop choices in Game One of “What’s The Hop?”.
HOP 1 – Azacca
A relatively new hop in the grand scheme and the history of beer.
It was developed and cultivated in Washington state.
Azacca was named after the Haitian god of agriculture.
It has a very high Alpha Acid content ranging from 14 to 16%.
Noted to have a bright and refreshing aroma with mango, tropical fruits and citrus.
Is a dual-purpose hop suitable for bittering, and flavor and aroma
Aroma profile: Fresh Citrus, Lemon, Piney, Tropical Fruit
Flavor profile: Sweet Fruit, Citrus, Woody, Green-Grassy
HOP 2 – Mosaic
Mosaic was developed by Hop Breeding Company LLC and released in 2012.
Was derived and breed from Simcoe and Nugget hops.
Has a high Alpha Acid content ranging from 11.5 to 13.5%
One of the most widely used hops for all styles of IPAs, featured heavily in popular West Coast IPAs, and Hazy NEIPAs.
Primarily used as an aroma and flavor hop
Aroma profile: Tangerine, lime, peach, passion fruit, and blueberry
Flavor profile: Citrus, Berry and Currants, Sweet fruits
HOP 3 – Vista
The newest variety of the choices in this game – released by the USDA public breeding program.
Was pushed to release after a successful introduction at the 2019 Hopsource event by the Brewer’s association and hosted Yakima Valley Hops.
Has moderately high Alpha Acid content ranging from 11 to 12.%
Brewer notes from Hopsource included Stone fruit, citrus, Tropical fruit, and floral characteristics.
Aroma profile: Tropical Fruit, Tangerine, Melon, Pear, Green Tea
Flavor profile: Sweet fruits, Citrus, Herbal