First there was Simcoe…and next Citra?

About 2 years ago the beer-world started buzzing about the brews coming out that were using the new hop variety called “Simcoe.” Simcoe, a tree-based hop, was trademarked by Select Botanicals Group about 8 years ago and has slowly seeped into many of today’s ultra-hoppy brews. Locally we saw Troegs Nugget Nectar (93 IBU) feature Simcoe hops and more prominently Dan Weirback of Weyerbacher brewed up a Double Simcoe IPA with a claimed (but unpublished) IBU number approaching 3-digits. Apparently Simcoe hops are very susceptible to disease, and the yield over an acre is very low. Lately, this has lead to shortages and lower production of Simcoe.

So what’s next? Well you heard it here first. Stay tuned for “Citra.” Actually this new hop variety was just introduced at the Wold Brewing Congress in early April 2008. Citra is characterized as a “special aroma” hop variety and is supposed to release a citrus or tropical-fruit like aroma. Stay tuned for the Citra-based beers…supposedly Sierra Nevada has one in the works now.