Growing Foreign Hops: is it possible to get the same flavor?

[mew]

I enjoy many disparate beer styles. Along with the usual APA's and IPA's, I love the English, Belgian, and German styles with those spicy and earthy hops. I live in the Willamette Valley, where the majority of U.S. hops are grown, and I have no doubt that I can grow the U.S. citrusy and floral hops with great success.

I'm worried, however, that Tettnang, Fuggles, or Saaz grown in Oregon will not taste like the Tettnang, Fuggles, and Saaz I'm used to. Do you think this is a legitimate concern? Have any of you grown a hop traditionally endemic to Europe and had it taste and smell right? Thanks.

I may decide just to grow my own C hops and buy the others, but I'd rather grow them all.

 

[flyangler18]

I'm not an expert in hop varietals by any means, but I suspect that local growing conditions will subtly influence the resultant flavor. Just how different- well, that I don't know.

Hopefully some more experienced hop growers will chime in here.

 

[Zymurgrafi]

I am not an "experienced" hop grower by any means. I only grew hops for the first time last year.

What I have read and heard is that yes, hops grown in different regions will take on different characteristics.

Examples. Golding hops. East Kent, vs. British Columbia Goldings, vs. Yakima Goldings will all have fairly significant characteristics based on climate, soil, solar orientation, average rainfall...

Also, U.S. Cascade hops vs. Argentinian Cascades...


and myriad others.

 

[EvilTOJ]

Most of the Tettnang, Fuggles, and Saaz are also grown in the Yakima valley (unless specifically stated otherwise on the package) so you probably won't get much of a different flavor, if any.

 

[mew]

Most of the Tettnang, Fuggles, and Saaz are also grown in the Yakima valley (unless specifically stated otherwise on the package) so you probably won't get much of a different flavor, if any.

Wow! that's surprising. I guess that means I should be able to grow them just fine.

 

[M&M]

I grow chinook hops in Missouri ozarks and they taste like chinook hops. Hot and spicy!
M&M

 

[cuinrearview]

The MI cascades I have used are pretty similar in aroma to what I buy at the LHBS from the Pac NW. The only difference I have noticed is a slightly higher spiciness. If you rasied the same child with the same parents in different parts of the country they would be slightly different people at 25 years of age, no? Our green perennials are no different, and we love them all the same.

 

[Stout Man]

German Hallertauer hop rhizomes were taken and planted in America but the taste wasn't the same. The oil content changes due to the soil, humidity, and weather differences. So trying to get the hops to be exactly the same is hard.

I may have chinook hops growing in my backyard that share the same original rhizome as someone else growing them in Ohio or wherever. The actual oil content and AA% is going to be different.