Opinions on the new Sabro hop

[Beer-lord]

I'm getting some Sabro hops and am curious what homebrewers think. I've seen quite a few craft beers using it (tried none yet as they are not in my area) and plan on trying some in a pale ale soon.
What's your take on them?

 

[day_trippr]

"It imparts distinct tangerine, coconut, tropical fruit, and stone fruit aromas, with hints of cedar, mint, and cream."

I was good until I got to the "cedar, mint and cream"...

Cheers!

 

[cubsfan16]

Brewing a 5.5 gal IPA tomorrow with 3oz Sabro/ 1.5 Mosaic/ 1oz Loral/ .5 Idaho 7 (all Whirlpool) and dry hopping with a similar schedule. I saw there was a Yakama Chief Pink Boots Blend using Sabro with a similar blend. I was initially planning on a single hop brew but saw this and figured I would give this a go.

 

[Beer-lord]

Please post back with your thoughts.
It seems like most of what I've read were brewers who only used as late, whirlpool and dry hop. One mentioned keg hopping with it but didn't reply back with his opinion.

 

[cubsfan16]

Please post back with your thoughts.
It seems like most of what I've read were brewers who only used as late, whirlpool and dry hop. One mentioned keg hopping with it but didn't reply back with his opinion.

Will do. Yeah, I’m aiming for around 50 calculated IBU, all WP & DH

 

[couchsending]

I’ll be brewing an all Sabro IPA this week. Maybe a bit of Mosaic/Columbus hotside but large DH amounts with Sabro. I’ll be sure to report back.

 

[couchsending]

Just cracked the 1lb bag from YVH. Wow is it potent. Only the Aussie hops and a select few varieties from the US have this powerful of a fruity aroma. Zero Diesel/Dank/Onion.

I’ve brewed with a bunch of 2018 pelllets in the last few weeks and I might be more pumped on these than anything yet.

 

[cubsfan16]

Just cracked the 1lb bag from YVH. Wow is it potent. Only the Aussie hops and a select few varieties from the US have this powerful of a fruity aroma. Zero Diesel/Dank/Onion.

I’ve brewed with a bunch of 2018 pelllets in the last few weeks and I might be more pumped on these than anything yet.

Yeah, I agree. Very unique smell. I got a bit of vanilla from them which I believe is in the descriptor. I added my first DH addition yesterday.

 

[BrewerBrad82]

If anyone attended NHC 2015 in San Diego, the beer brewed for the event was done with these hops (HBC-438 aka Ron Mexico). After the conference, they released these hops only to homebrewers. It seems now that this neomexicanus variety has a proper name and commercial availability.

 

[couchsending]

It smells very similar to Vic Secret IMHO. There’s a touch of that herbal aspect of Sorachi Ace instead of pine though. Hopefully the beer is as pungent as the hops.

 

[nikvolkert]

Northern Brewer used to have a kit named Luckiest Man that used 100% HBC-438 (Now named Sabro).
I brewed the extract version of it in 2016, it turned out as one of my best beers at the time, so I did the all grain version in 2017 and 2018.
I make it for an annual get-together with my old navy buddies.
The 2018 version won me a gold medal (1st out of 9 american pale ales) at BarleyMob's Fugetaboutit! Homebrew Competition.

11 Gallon Batch recipe below. Mash at 152F, Ferment at 67F.

• 21 lb American 2-Row Pale Malt
• 0.65 lb English Medium Crystal Malt
• 0.5 lb Carapils – Dextrine Malt
• 1 oz HBC-438 pellets, 16.6% a.a. 6.2% b.a. (30 min)
• 1 tsp Irish Moss (15 min)
• 1 oz HBC-438 pellets, 16.6% a.a. 6.2% b.a. (10 min)
• 2 oz HBC-438 pellets, 16.6% a.a. 6.2% b.a. (0 min – 10 minute hop stand at 160°F)
• Fermentis US-05 American Ale
• 2 oz HBC-438 pellets, 16.6% a.a. 6.2% b.a. (dry hop – last 4-5 days)

 

[cubsfan16]

Will do. Yeah, I’m aiming for around 50 calculated IBU, all WP & DH

View attachment 596127

I have this keg on tap now and early on it had a sharp aftertaste which I think was due to the beer being out of balance. I was targeting 5.6%-5.8% and I accidentally used an old profile in BeerSmith and was short about 10pts making it a little overbearing with the amount of hops I used for such a low ABV. That said, I let it set for and extra week and it has mellowed quite a bit. Its quite good now and certainly has a unique flavor.

I think I like Medusa better of the neomexi hops but I’ll give Sabro another go, maybe as a single hop or paired with Amarillo. I ordered another lb and a lb of Zappa on Black Friday.

 

[couchsending]

My all Sabro IPA is now on tap and just about conditioned and carbed. What a cool hop. A totally unique profile. It’s as potent as Galaxy/Vic Secret for sure but quite different. Has this tangerine sherbert up front then it goes a litttle herby/woody in the middle and then is almost pina colada finish. Like when you lick your teeth at the end of the sip.

I don’t think I’ll make a single hop beer with it again as the woody notes are slightly overpowering but blended with Galaxy, Vic Secret or some of the other Southern Hemisphere hops I think it would be amazing. It’s definitely the most unique hop I’ve used in a while and I’ve used em all.

 

[Jeremy17099]

Had 2 home brews with this hops. One was a smash and other was dry hopped with it. Both had huge pina colada flavor.

 

[couchsending]

Just transferred a Sabro, Galaxy, Vic Secret IPA to a keg. The Sabro was the lowest percentage of the two and it still stands out which is nuts against those two hops. (Although the Galaxy, Vic Secret are 2017 harvest) Interested to see what it’s like when I get back home in a week. Smell and taste out of the FV was nuts.

 

[anchornm]

I have brewed a bunch of batches with HBC438. I brew mostly traditional lagers and Pilsners. I am not a fan of hop bombs. Most (if not all) of my beers are under 25 IBU. I will occasionally brew pre-prohibition lager that will push 30IBU. I make a New Mexico version of Kentucky Common with Cry Havoc yeast, and use HBC438. Since most of my beers are SMASH, and those that have multiple grains rarely get 2 types of hops. I have a different opinion about 438 (Sabro). To me, it tastes like grapefruit rind, and I can see the tangerine that people talk about. Maybe I am not using such overpowering quantities to get the coconut. I use it as a high alpha substitute for Cluster for bittering in lots of beers - then finish with noble hops (German, Belgian, or French).

 

[jpakstis]

I had an IPA from Trillium that used Sabro and it was really, really coconut-y. The guy even told me about how coconut-y it was so and I still bought it. I don't like coconut.

 

[day_trippr]

^lol!^

 

[jturman35]

A local brewery where I live has a beer Bro Flo IPA which uses Simcoe/Sabro/Motuaka and I must say this beer is quite good! I believe they dry hop with a good amount of Sabro, beer has is amazing smooth! Has a unique flavor and aroma. Can’t wait to try it!

 

[DCUSA]

I just kegged a 100% Sabro APA. OG 1.052 FG 1.013 SRM 6.0, Golden-orange color.

WLP005 British Ale 11 days primary @ 67, 7 days cold crashed @ 36 prior to kegging. Dry hops during cold crash. I was out of town during the entire fermentation.

5 ib us pale malt
2 ibs swaen pils
2 ibs vienna
1 ib gambrinus honey malt
2.4 oz table sugar
1/4 whirlfloc tab

0.15 oz Sabro 60 mins
0.15 oz Sabro 20 mins
0.50 oz Sabro 10 min
3.20 oz Sabro whirlpool 10 mins @ 200F;
1 oz Sabro dry hop 7 days.

Tangerine/Melon up front with a pretty distinct coconut (ie Malibu Rum) finish. I am pretty sure that the more you whirlpool and dryhop, the more coconut is going to blast you in the face. You could easily convince someone that you added coconut or malibu to the kettle. I might tone down the vienna and honey malts and let the hops sing through a more plain bill.

The cream and vanilla might just be different interpretations of the coconut if you visualize this uniquely soft/white flavor profile for a hop to have.

If I were trying to win an APA competition, I'd sub the boiled Sabro for Citra to give it a more familiar touch. The uniqueness of the Sabro should blow everyone else out of the water. Give it a maritime name and flaunt the fact that you created it zero adjuncts.

 

[BrewMan13]

Have my first beer with it going now; paired it with mosaic. I know it's heavy on the coconut, so this should be interesting...

 

[DCUSA]

Have my first beer with it going now; paired it with mosaic. I know it's heavy on the coconut, so this should be interesting...

It should turn out great. Just pulled my first fully carbed and settled 4 oz sample from the keg (dangers of working from home). The coconut really hits hard on the first sip and then fades in and out for the rest of the glass. Probably for the best, I would get fatigued from it if the whole beer tasted like Almond Joy filling. If I made a sabro pale again I would definitely pair it with something else to round it out. Sabro's citrus fruit notes are nice but maybe a little flat without help from el dorado/citra/mosaic/cascade/azacca.

And/Or double the hop bill, add oats and wheat for a NEIPA bomb.

 

[day_trippr]

Sounds like Sabro could be a nice late addition to a vanilla or chocolate porter/stout...

Cheers!

 

[kal]

I brewed an all Sabro New England Pale Ale a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it. All late hopping, extended steeping at lower temp (180F), followed by dry hopping during active fermentation and then at end of fermentation. The end result to me was tangerine / sweet fruit mixed with creamy hints of coconut and vanilla - an "orange Creamsicle in a glass". Not grassy at all with the way I used/brewed with it. Love it! Bought another two pounds immediately.

My complete recipe/brewing process is here:
https://shop.theelectricbrewery.com/pages/electric-creamsicle-new-england-style-pale-ale

Cheers!

Kal

 

[cmac62]

^^ sounds amazing, I may need to pick up some for the next NEIPA. Might go really well with citra, sirachi ace, or lemon drop.

 

[jturman35]

Thanks for sharing Kal! I'm dry hopping tomorrow with 4oz each Sabro/Motueka and cant wait to see how this turns out!

 

[kal]

It's definitely a really unique hop - I find it stands really well on its own if you use it right. There's enough complexity there. I find it pretty cool that there are constantly new hops coming out for us to try out!

Kal

 

[couchsending]

You didn’t get a bunch of cedar from it? I get all the tropical notes but the cedar crushes everything for me with that hop.

 

[VirginiaHops1]

I think it depends on the person. I just finished off a keg of hazy IPA with Strata/Sabro/Chinook 50/25/25 and I got a mix of fruit, coconut and cedar. However, my wife only picked up the coconut from the Sabro and even when I asked her if she tasted cedar. It was one of my most aromatic beers.

 

[MrPowers]

I think it depends on the person. I just finished off a keg of hazy IPA with Strata/Sabro/Chinook 50/25/25 and I got a mix of fruit, coconut and cedar. However, my wife only picked up the coconut from the Sabro and even when I asked her if she tasted cedar. It was one of my most aromatic beers.

I’m generally not a fan of Sabro for the same reason as your wife. I only get intense, unpleasant coconut when it’s used in any significant amount of the hop bill. I’ve tried several commercial beers with Sabro and I can pick it out on the nose alone. In very small amounts I’ve enjoyed the reinforcement and complexity that it brings to other hops, but anything with Sabro of more than 10% of the hop bill is just not for me.

I will give it one thing, it is definitely one of the most intense/potent hops I have ever smelled. It is at least on the level of galaxy/enigma/mosaic in the potency department.

 

[kal]

I think it depends on how it's used in the brewing process, the recipe, water adjustments, and so forth. Some people say it's like a cat litter box (if used incorrectly). All I get is tangerine / sweet fruit mixed with creamy hints of coconut and vanilla. No dill, no cedar, nothing herbal at all.

Kal

 

[BrewMan13]

Have my first beer with it going now; paired it with mosaic. I know it's heavy on the coconut, so this should be interesting...

Since this thread is active again, I'll reply to my earlier post about this beer. Counting the dryhop amounts, this was 50/50 mosaic/sabro (sabro was more in the dryhop though). I thought it came out great...had a "coconut cream" flavor/mouthfeel, despite the low FG.

 

[drives_a_bike]

Good to see this thread resurrected! I currently have a Strata/Cashmere/Sabro ipa going. I read a lot about how overpowering Sabro is, so I went pretty light. The smell is insane! I’ll post again once it’s in a glass.
Tomorrow I’m making another with Hallertau Blanc and Sabro.

 

[jturman35]

I’m sure this will mellow out and end up being a great beer but the hydro sample was like drinking a cedar closet. I dig it, but it’s pretty pungent at the moment. I think this has real potential. This was Amarillo/Simcoe hotside/whirlpool and ended up doing 3oz Motueka, 4oz Sabro dry hop.

 

[cellarwest]

Our house IPA at my brewery is Centennial at Flameout, with mostly Motueka in the DH, plus about 25% Sabro blended in. As always, being thoughtful about the quality of your hops is key (and under-appreciated) but with our IPA its mostly lime and some orange+pine mixed in, backed by that unmistakeable woody/coconut/mint/pineapple Sabro thing. I think its a nice combo.

 

[3 Dawg Night]

Tried it in a commercial hazy IPA for the first time (of which I'm aware) last night, and it was QUITE tasty! It was a Citra/Sabro combo, but they complemented each other beautifully.

 

[kal]

I've definitely heard good things about Citra/Sabro combos. In fact, it's my next scheduled brew.

Kal

 

[wepeeler]

I’m sure this will mellow out and end up being a great beer but the hydro sample was like drinking a cedar closet. I dig it, but it’s pretty pungent at the moment. I think this has real potential. This was Amarillo/Simcoe hotside/whirlpool and ended up doing 3oz Motueka, 4oz Sabro dry hop.

View attachment 675940

Did it ever mellow? I kegged my all Sabro last week, and all I get is tree bark and leather. It's nasty. No coconut, no tropical fruits. Maybe a touch of mint, but it's more medicinal than pleasant...

 

[thehaze]

Did it ever mellow? I kegged my all Sabro last week, and all I get is tree bark and leather. It's nasty. No coconut, no tropical fruits. Maybe a touch of mint, but it's more medicinal than pleasant...

I think it's because it's an all Sabro beer. Sabro works well/better? when used 20-40% of the hop bill, combined with other hops. I think it either needs more time, or it will remain somewhat the same til the end.

 

[VirginiaHops1]

I'm seeing this hop in alot of commercial beers lately but it's becoming very hit or miss for me, leaning more towards miss. I tried a Sabro beer from one of my favorite Virginia breweries recently who usually crushes hazy IPAs and wife and I weren't really fans. Very cedary. I have an 8oz unopened bag from YVH that I need to brew with but keep pushing off because I can't decide what to do with it