This is another pale that we brewed with a new hop variety, but this one is extra special. First, because NOBODY in the entire world has ever brewed with this hop before. How do we know this? Well, we’re part of the trade group that CREATED IT. It was bred, trialed, planted, harvested and processed at OSU as part of some experimental lines funded by the Hop Quality Group. And this year’s harvest yielded us….34 pounds of pellets. Total. And we got it all. So there’s that. What’s the Hop Quality Group? The Hop Quality Group was established in 2010 by a group of 9 breweries you’ve probably heard of – Russian River, Sierra Nevada, Stone, Bell’s, New Belgium, Firestone Walker, Odells, New Glarus, & Sam Adams  – and has grown to a group of 50+ breweries, including yours truly. We tour hop farms, facilities and pellet mills; establish best practice guidelines for quality and safety; and fund a breeding program that someday will produce new, publicly available hops varieties…maybe like this one, currently named HQ2015031-002, which has notes of Blueberry, White Peach, & Lemon Balm.