I got a bunch of HBC 630 from YCH sensory evaluation a few months back, and the candied cherry smell it had during the rub got me really excited to brew with it. Online resources include these descriptors: "Sweet Fruits and Berries like Raspberry and Cherry, along with sweet candy-like esters and lactones giving creamy notes of peach and banana. "
5 Gal batch:
80% 2-row
10% White Wheat
10% Malted Oats
1oz HBC522 @ 10min
2oz HBC630 @ WP 165F
1oz Citra @ WP 165F
DH @ 60F at about 9 days
4oz HBC630
5oz Citra
Tasting notes:
Aroma - big candied orange and peaches, in line with what I got from smelling the hops.
Flavor - definitely candied pineapple with some mandarin notes, but I was not impressed by the final product 2 weeks after kegging. It was just missing that explosive flavor component that you'd get from most of the banger hops. I kept thinking it'll mellow out, but it just didn't... Maybe doing a single dry hop as opposed to my usual 2-step process is what had the less than desired impact here?
At any rate, after about 2 weeks I added 2oz HBC692 (Talus) and 1oz Citra to keg in a muslin bag and ooo-wee, this beer took off. It's basically a big pineapple in a glass now. I sense some peaches or peach rings as I drink through a pint, but the sweet pineapple is totally unstoppable and unmistakable, it dominates flavor and aroma at this point. Highly recommend.
(pic from a couple weeks ago, don't judge my tree)
View attachment 717764