A new series of high-alpha hop varieties that have been bred for “reliable performance in both the field and the brewhouse” have been launched.
Hop Breeding Company (HBC), together with partners John I. Haas and Yakima Chief Ranches, has brought Terra Alpha Hops to market.
According to the business, which is known for Citra HBC 394, Mosaic HBC 369, and Krush HBC 586, said the Terra line is built around sustainability, performance, and consistent, quality bitterness.
TerraSurge is HBC’s newest high-alpha variety, combining “exceptionally high yield with powdery mildew resistance” and a late harvest window.
Together, they said these agronomic advantages give growers greater flexibility and offer the potential for more efficient, sustainable hop production.
“TerraSurge encompasses every innovation we’ve developed over the last seven years. It’s a breakthrough,” said Michael Ferguson, director of Hop Breeding at John I. Haas. “That’s what we want a hop to look like.”
Dean Monshing, chief sales officer at Yakima Chief Hops, added: “The future of alpha depends on varieties that consistently perform in the field as well as the brewhouse.
“TerraSurge was bred for exactly that: a vigorous, high-yielding cultivar grown in the Pacific Northwest and designed to deliver dependable performance year after year. As brewers look to diversify their alpha sourcing and build resilience into their supply chains, TerraSurge gives them a foundation they can rely on.”
The TerraFlux name brings a new identity to the established variety HBC 682, commercially grown since 2018. With more than 36 million pounds produced to date, its impressive history makes TerraFlux a natural complement to the newly introduced TerraSurge.
“HBC is well known for our intense flavor-forward hops, but innovation in alpha has also been an important part of our breeding program,” explained Jennifer Burns, executive director of Hop Breeding Company.
She added: “TerraFlux has already proven itself at commercial scale, and TerraSurge represents the next generation of that work. With our Terra Alpha series, we’re giving that part of our portfolio an identity of its own.”
