Michael Donaldson looks at the ongoing pursuit of newness and the latest exciting addition to the NZ Hops portfolio...

The search for the ‘ever-new’ in the beer world is about more than adding fruits and quirky flavours, it’s about tweaking ingredients and techniques as well.

At one end of the flavour puzzle the addition of fruit to sours, or lactose, chocolate and vanilla to stouts allows brewers to push the envelope and soothe the palates of the beer-curious.

But beer’s four main ingredients: malt, hops, yeast – and even water – also play a role in the flavour spectrum. Advances in techniques with dry-hopping and the role of yeast have allowed brewers to unlock more flavour potential from hops through what is known as biotransformation, which means that under certain conditions, hops produce different flavours.

Long gone are the days when hops were used just for bittering – now it’s about opening the chemical pathways that allow hops to express flavours such as apricot, peach, passionfruit, pineapple, lime, coconut and strawberry.

Complementing the new ways of extracting flavour are the new varieties of hops themselves. In 2020, NZ Hops Ltd made a big splash with Nectaron and the huge pineapple juice flavours it can deliver.

They’ve now followed that release up with Superdelic (formerly known by its trial name of NZH-102), with the first commercial release coming off the bines this harvest season.

Dr Ron Beatson has retired from his work as the chief hop scientist at Plant & Food Research but remains a brand ambassador for NZ Hops, and it was under his watch that Superdelic first came to the fore.

Beatson says the hop stood out as a seedling way back in January 2012 because of its different genetic background. “It’s a different type of hop, and that’s what we wanted to achieve,” Beatson said.

“A big part of our research programme is about trying to differentiate ourselves from US and Europe and we achieve that through parentage.”

That difference is a flavour profile that brings sweet berry notes as well as (bizarrely) bubblegum and lollies, and as such it’s designed to complement other hops in the NZ Hops portfolio, which cover flavours such as lime, grape and passionfruit.

Beatson says genetics is the greatest contributor to different hops flavours. “You create variability via genetics. Environment, or terroir, does have some influence. And you can tweak it further depending on harvest time and how it’s kilned.”

Blair Stewart, general manager of sales and marketing for NZ Hops Ltd, says interest in Superdelic has been “phenomenal” following a launch that used artwork created by artificial intelligence, with a strong 1970s psychedelic vibe.

While the global hop market is tough right now, with an over-supply in the US and globally, Stewart believes the small volume of unique character hops produced in New Zealand will always have a market. “All up, we’re less than 2% of the global markets, we’re not a big volume player – so we have to make sure our hops have a ‘wow factor’ that makes us desirable.”

Mike Sutherland of Sawmill Brewing, who delivered the first official Superdelic beer, says the new hop is contributing to a broader portfolio of flavours from the ‘made in New Zealand’ range. That breadth of character is what brewers (and punters) want – it allows the creation of the new flavour experiences that everyone is chasing these days.

“Superdelic definitely has more of that berry character and it’s got that ripe mango thing going on that you get in a lot of Aussie hops,” says Sutherland.

There are plenty of breweries using Superdelic in fresh hop beers out this month and they will be a good way to have a Superdelic experience.

Michael Donaldson is a Beer Writer of the Year, journalist and author

beernation.co.nz