Nectaron NZ Hops – Tropical Fruit Flavours

Nectaron Hops: Discovering the Unique Flavours of New Zealand’s Craft Beers

Nectaron hops are a unique variety originating from New Zealand that boasts an array of impressive tropical and citrusy flavours. Developed through a partnership between New Zealand’s Plant & Food Research organisation, these hops are a full sister to the popular Waimea hops and took over 17 years of careful cultivation before they were fully released into the market. Known for their intense tropical aroma, Nectaron hops have quickly gained recognition in the world of brewing for their passion fruit, peach, grapefruit, and pineapple notes.

As a versatile and aromatic hop, Nectaron is best suited for late boil additions and is widely used during dry hopping processes. Ideal for a wide range of beer styles, such as lagers, pale ales, IPAs, and even modern creations like New England IPAs and hazy pale ales, these hops consistently deliver high-quality and appealing tropical aromas. This has secured Nectaron’s position as an award-winning hop variety that adds a wow factor to any brew.

Nectaron hops can offer you the perfect combination of intense flavours and aromatic depth. With their New Zealand origins and tropical fruit characters, this variety is certain to impress both you and anyone who savours a pint of your carefully crafted brew.

Characteristics of Nectaron Hops

Aroma and Flavour

Nectaron hops are known for their intense tropical aroma, featuring notes of citrus, pineapple, passionfruit, grapefruit, and stonefruit.

Their aroma type is classified as a triploid aroma type, which means they are perfect for fruit-forward beers.

When it comes to flavour, you’ll notice crafted notes of pineapple, passionfruit, peach, and grapefruit that tantalise your tastebuds.

Nectaron hops are typically used in late boil additions as well as in dry hopping to bring out these aromatic characteristics.

Ratio of Alpha to Beta Acids

The ratio of alpha to beta acids in Nectaron hops plays a crucial role in determining the degree bitterness fades during the ageing process. The average ratio for Nectaron hops is 2:1, which is common in aroma varieties. Let’s have a closer look at the key components:

• Alpha Acids: These acids contribute to the bitterness of the beer, and higher alpha acid values mean increased bitterness.
• Beta Acids: These acids provide balance and depth to the beer’s flavour but have less impact on bitterness.

The co-humulone percentage of alpha acid in Nectaron hops ranges from 2:1 to 3:1, which contributes to the brew’s overall characteristics.

In addition to alpha and beta acids, Nectaron hops also contain several essential oils and compounds that give them their unique flavour and aroma profile:

• Myrcene: Contributes to the pine and citrus notes in hops
• Caryophyllene: Imparts a spicy, woody aroma
• Farnesene: Adds a subtle fruity note
• Humulene: Offers an earthy, herbal aroma
• Linalool: Enhances the floral and citrus characteristics
• Selinene: Provides a hint of wood and spice

So, when you’re brewing your next batch of beer, consider using Nectaron hops to impart those delightful tropical and fruit-forward characteristics that are sure to impress your taste-testing mates.

Beer Styles For Nectaron Hops

Nectaron hops offer a fantastic versatility especially in hop-forward and fruity beers, making them a fantastic addition to several beer styles. In this section, we’ll explore some of the popular beer styles that benefit from the use of Nectaron hops.

New England India Pale Ale (NEIPA)

Nectaron hops excel in the New England India Pale Ale (NEIPA) style for their ability to provide intense tropical fruit and citrus aromas and flavours.

The hazy appearance, juicy flavour, and low bitterness of NEIPA make it an excellent choice for displaying the pineapple, passionfruit, peach, and grapefruit notes offered by Nectaron hops.

India Pale Ale (IPA)

Your traditional India Pale Ale (IPA) also benefits from the complex and layered hop character added by Nectaron hops.

These hops bring notes of stone fruit, citrus, pine, and resin to IPAs, enhancing the hop content that provides bitterness, flavour, and aroma to the style.

Pale Ale

Pale Ales are lighter and more sessionable versions of IPAs, with moderate hop levels and a balanced malt profile.

Nectaron hops can give your pale ales a lovely and refreshing fruity boost, with hints of melon, peach, and nectarine, elevating the overall drinking experience.

Lager

Lastly, Nectaron hops can add a subtle and elegant hop flavour and aroma to crisp and clean Lagers. Fermented and conditioned at low temperatures, lagers gain notes of lime, lemon, and herbal tea when Nectaron hops are incorporated into the brewing process. This addition creates a delicate yet tantalising flavour profile for Lager lovers to enjoy.

Incorporating Nectaron hops into your brews open up a world of flavour and aroma possibilities. Whether you’re brewing a fruity NEIPA, traditional IPA, sessionable Pale Ale or crisp Lager, Nectaron hops can elevate these styles, offering unique, tropical, and enjoyable drinking experiences.

Nectaron Hop Substitutions

Citra

Citra is a well-known American hop variety with a high alpha acid content (11% to 13%) and a high oil content (2% to 2.8%). It has a strong citrus and tropical fruit profile, including notes of grapefruit, lime, orange, mango, and passionfruit.

This versatile hop can be used for bittering, flavouring, or aroma additions in various beer styles, making it a great choice if you’re looking for a Nectaron substitute.

Mosaic

Another fantastic American hop variety is Mosaic, which has a high alpha acid content (11% to 13%) and a high oil content (0.8% to 3%). It offers a complex and diverse profile, with flavour and aroma notes of blueberry, pineapple, stone fruit, floral, earthy, and herbal elements.

Just like Citra, Mosaic can be utilised for bittering, flavouring, or aroma additions in a range of beer styles, providing a unique substitute for Nectaron hops.

Waimea

If you’re in search of a hop from New Zealand as a substitute for Nectaron, consider Waimea. This variety has a high alpha acid content (16% to 19%) and a moderate oil content (1% to 1.2%). The Waimea hop profile exhibits bold and pungent characteristics, with notes of citrus, pine, resin, and spice.

This versatile hop works well for bittering, flavouring, or aroma additions in various beer styles, making it a suitable Nectaron alternative.

Why You Should Buy Nectaron Hops From The Yeast Platform?

Lower Prices

When you buy bulk hops from our store, you can enjoy significant savings compared to purchasing smaller quantities. This means you can stock up on your favourite hops without breaking the bank.

Fresher Quality

Another advantage of buying hops in bulk is the assurance of fresher quality.

Our hops are stored and packaged in optimal vacuum sealed conditions to ensure they maintain their freshness and unique characteristics, which translates to better-tasting beer.

Fast and Secure Delivery

We understand that home brewers are keen to get their hands on fresh hops as soon as possible. That’s why we offer fast and secure delivery, so you can start brewing in no time.

Chose from standard or express delivery.

Most orders are shipped the same business day if received prior to 12 midday.

Buy Bulk Nectaron Hops

Here at the Yeast platform you can buy your Nectaron hops in bulk and save.

All our hops come in resealable mylar bags to ensure your Nectaron stays fresh for longer.

Our bulk Nectaron hops are available in 4 sizes:

• 100g
• 250g
• 500g
• 1kg

The more you buy, the more you save.