New Zealand Waimea hops

[PrinceOfThePoint]

There is very limited information on the net regarding personal experiences brewing with NZ Waimea, so I wanted to post. HopUnion notes "intense tangelo and citrus fruit, with subtle pine." Waimea was a 2013 (I think) release from New Zealand.

I made the following 100% Waimea APA:

9 lbs Pilsner
2 lbs Vienna
8 oz. C10L

Waimea 0.5 oz FWH 90 mins, 17.8% AA, 37 IBU
Waimea 0.5 oz 10 mins, 17.8% AA, 11 IBU
Waimea, 1.5 oz added after flame out just before chilling

Dry hopped with 5 oz Waimea for one week, cold crashed and kegged.

This is a very interesting and unique hop, and works well in hoppy brews. That being said, it is difficult to describe. The aroma is muted orange, citrusy, floral. Pine is not jumping out, but that's me. Some sweetness on the aroma. Very early in the beer's life it had some notes I might describe as vanilla-like, which struck me a little odd, the same way Citra and Simcoe may begin a little catty-smelling when the hops are newly infused. Waimea does not have any CTZ-like dankness.

Overall I find the aroma to be quite pleasant, though I can't help but think of it as an Amarillo or Citra that has had some of its "brighter" more fruity qualities dialed back, but with a touch more floral. Taste follows the nose well.

This is a super high alpha hop and I think the FWH bittering quality is nice and I will be employing it again. It is a very aromatic hop for sure but to get a bigger aroma, go heavy-ish on the dry hop.

I got mine from Yakima Valley.

Cheers everyone!

 

[Pappers_]

Thanks for the update. I placed a biggish hops order to set me up for the next few months and included three southern hemisphere hops, for a NZ/AUS IPA. I love experimenting with those hops.