Hops Session
Gene Probasco, John I. Haas, Inc., Yakima, WA USA
Co-author(s): Jason Perrault, Select Botanicals Group, Toppenish, WA, USA; Scott Varnum, John I. Haas Inc., Yakima, WA, USA
ABSTRACT: HBC 369 is a new flavor hop variety developed
and released by the Hop Breeding Company LLC (HBC). Brewers who have
brewed with HBC 369 often describe the flavor of their beers using the
general descriptors of tropical fruit, citrus, and floral, while other
descriptors include fruity, herbal, spicy, and earthy. The presence of
this complex and varied aroma profile has also been confirmed in the hop
by data collected from HBC sensory panels. HBC 369 has an attractive
pedigree that includes the well-known flavor variety Simcoe YCR 14 as
the mother and a father that is 50% Nugget. HBC 369 is 50% YCR 14, 25%
Nugget, and the remaining 25% is Tomahawk, Brewers Gold, Early Green,
and some unknown variety. HBC 369 combines a very complex hop aroma with
a relatively high alpha-acids content and low cohumulone content to
serve a dual purpose as both a bittering and flavoring hop. This
combination ultimately provides clean bitterness and aroma profiles that
cannot be accomplished with other hop varieties. The agronomic
characteristics of this powdery mildew resistant variety are excellent,
and production is rapidly increasing to meet the rising brewery demand
for this new flavor hop. A name for HBC 369 will be selected and
announced in the near future.
Gene Probasco received an
undergraduate degree in biology from Central Washington University and a
M.S. degree in plant pathology from Washington State University. After
graduation, he spent six years at Washington State University, where he
conducted research on hop breeding and diseases of hops. After joining
John I. Haas, Inc., he started the first private hop breeding program in
the United States and has since patented and released a number of new
hop varieties into the U.S. hop industry, several of which constitute
major varieties in the current industry. In addition to hop breeding, he
has conducted agronomic research for the hop industry and more recently
has been conducting research on use of hop products for non-brewing
purposes, for which he also has several patents. For the past 20 years
he has been a vice president for John I. Haas, Inc., where he has the
additional responsibility for hop production on the company-owned hop
farms and serving as a liaison between brewing customers and hop
producers.
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