I'm curious what experience others have had sourcing and growing nontraditional hops. As I spend Augusts away from work in Switzerland working on a PhD, I've grown incredibly fond of Kronenbourg 1664, which interestingly relies upon the Alsace Strisselspalt as its sole hops. Recently I've discovered the same exceptional aromatic hops in Coors Batch 19 (their craft beer from pre-prohibition recipes discovered during a facility remodel). I'm curious if there are some here that have experimented with uncommon varieties, especially ones that are more European climate oriented, seeing how they can be sourced and tested. As we have two farms with different climates (one just off Lake Erie in northeast Ohio and the other in the "alps" of southwest Iowa in Loess Hills), I'd love to test a variety like this and see if it can be successfully grown.
Any thoughts or warnings from the experienced growers to pass along?
Jamie
