Aptly named after the god of lightning and thunder, proprietary American hybrid variety Zeus is a high yielding hop with a pleasant aroma noted for its pungent hoppy “kick” and spicy, herbal flavor and aroma. Though it is sometimes considered identical to Columbus and Tomahawk®, or CTZ as they are sometimes sold, it has been identified as being genetically distinct …
Columbus
The exact lineage of the proprietary hop Columbus is unknown. Its namesake was created in part as the result of a legal dispute between Hopunion and Yakima Chief when both parties attempted to patent the same hop. Yakima Chief’s variety was named Tomahawk®. After an agreement was reached, both names were registered. They are technically the same hop however. Originally …
Galena
Super alpha Galena is one of the most widely used bittering hop varieties in the US and is also an excellent dual-use hop. Galena’s fruity flavor profile really kicks with clean and agreeable notes of citrus. Some brewers have noted its better when boiled in smaller quantities and that later additions bring forth stronger aromas of blackcurrant. Directly descended from …
Apollo
Super-alpha hop Apollo was first bred in 2000 by Hopsteiner and released to the public in 2006. it is descended from Zeus and two other unnamed USDA varieties. It tends to be quite expensive, though quantities used tend to be smaller due to its ultra-high concentration of alpha-acids. To it’s credit, Apollo’s abundance of alpha acids also come with a …
Bravo
Bravo’s high alpha content is largely attributable to its parent variety, Zeus. It’s bittering quality is considered smooth and in addition features light floral aromas and subtle flavors of orange and stone fruit making it highly desirable for use in many different ale styles. Developed as part of the Hopsteiner Breeding Program, Bravo hops were released to the public in …
Centennial
Centennial owes its existence to a mix of Brewer’s Gold, Fuggle, East Kent Golding and Bavarian hops. Developed in 1974 and released in 1990, Centennial was pioneered by Charles (Chuck) Zimmerman and S.T. Kenny at Washington State University. It is at times referred to as super Cascade because of its similar citric characteristic. Centennial is a much-celebrated hop in its …