The Ahtanum Hops are named after the location where Charles Carpenter established his first hop farm in the Yakima Valley. This hop has a strong grapefruit aroma with floral and earth tones.
Low to moderate alpha acid content and moderate bittering properties make this cultivar a favorite among many craft brewers. It is often used in IPAs, pale ales, and lagers due to its aromatic qualities.
Origin and History
Ahtanum is an aroma-type hop cultivar that is bred by Yakima Chief Ranches and named after the location where Charles Carpenter established the first hop farm east of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State. It is an excellent hop for aroma with moderate bittering.
The Ahtanum hop is a classic American aroma variety that is great for IPAs. It has a strong grapefruit aroma with floral, piney and earthy tones.
It has a low oil content and is very flavorful. It is also very wilt resistant.
It is reported to be an open-pollination cross among Brewer’s Gold, Fuggle, East Kent Golding and Bavarian aroma hops. It has been a favorite of brewers and has been used in many single-hopped pale ales.
Characteristics and Flavor Profile
Ahtanum hops have strong grapefruit aroma, along with floral, piney and earth tones. They aren’t as bitter as other hops, and they are used primarily for their aromatic properties.
It is an American aroma variety with noble hop characteristics. Released in 1997 by the USDA, it is a triploid selection from Tettnang, Hallertau Mittelfruh and a cultivar derived from Cascade.
A dual use hop with a low cohumulone content and moderate alpha acid rating. It has a high myrcene oil content that imparts citrus (grapefruit) and tropical fruit characters to beer.
This variety is a good choice for IPAs, pale ales and other high-alpha beer styles. It can also be used for multiple additions in a dry-hopping process to impart additional flavors and aromas.
Brewing Uses
A versatile hop that has a moderate bittering level and aroma descriptors of grapefruit, citrus, pine and floral, Ahtanum works well in a variety of beer styles. They are most commonly used in Pale Ales to impart a refreshing flavor while adding mild bitterness.
In addition, they can also be dry hopped to take advantage of their grapefruit aroma. This is how Dogfish Head made their Blood Orange Hefeweizen and Stone Brewing crafted their Pale Ale.
Ahtanum is part of a family of neomexicanus hops that share huge tropical flavors and aromas of peach, guava, apricot and citrus. It is a great choice for fruit forward ales and can be paired with IPAs as well.
Pairing of $ prompt with different beer styles
Yakima Valley bred Ahtanum is a sweet and peppery hop with a piney-citrus flavour. Warmly aromatic and moderately bittering, it has a more prominent grapefruit essence than its bittering rival Cascade.
This hop is most often used in the latter stages of the boil, including dry-hopping to take advantage of its distinctive citrus character. This is a hop that can stand on its own or work in tandem with other hops such as Amarillo, Simcoe and Chinook to deliver a more complex flavor profile.
If you’re looking to try this hop, look no further than Sebago’s Ahtanum Single Hopped Pale Ale. It’s a refreshing beer that pairs well with earthy cheeses and light seafood. It’s also one of the most affordable beers in our portfolio and a great introduction to hops!
Availability and Cultivation
Ahtanum hops are a highly versatile variety that works well in all styles of beer due to its low alpha acid composition. Its citrus and floral character make it a great choice for aroma/flavoring hops.
This Yakima Valley bred hop is warmly aromatic and moderately bittering with a sweet peppery aspect. It is often compared to Cascade but has a lower alpha acid content and grapefruit essence that is more forward in.
Its citrus and floral character makes it a good match for IPAs. Its mild bittering is suited for American ales and pale ales as well.
Unfortunately, Ahtanum does not appear on the USDA National Hop Reports until 2005, when 758 pounds were harvested off 131 acres. It was not a popular variety prior to this time and likely did not take the brewing world by storm like some other varieties did.