Hop Vintage: Why the Best Hop Isn't Always This Year's Crop

For many brewers, "new crop" has long been synonymous with "better hops."

But is that always true?

As more breweries gain access to lot selection and better storage practices, a different way of thinking is emerging, one that focuses less on harvest date and more on hop vintage.

Changing the Mindset

In Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine (Spring 2026), beer writer Stan Hieronymus argues that brewers, especially smaller ones, now have more opportunities than ever to access exceptional hop lots. Suppliers are lowering minimums and creating new selection programs, giving breweries the chance to choose hops based on quality rather than simply accepting what's available.

One of the companies leading this shift is Indie Hops.

Rather than assuming every brewer wants only the newest crop, Indie Hops allows breweries to evaluate multiple lots, including previous crop years, through one-ounce pellet samples before making a purchasing decision.

The goal is simple: let the brewer choose the best hop for the beer.

What Is Hop Vintage?

Think about wine.

No one assumes the newest vintage is automatically the best. Each harvest has its own personality, and some vintages age remarkably well.

The same idea can apply to hops.

When hops are harvested at the right maturity, pelletized carefully, packaged correctly, and stored under ideal cold conditions, outstanding lots from a previous crop can continue performing at an extremely high level.

In fact, some of the best expressions of a variety may come from a previous harvest.

As Indie Hops CEO Jim Solberg explains, there has long been a stigma around older hops.

For many years that perception made sense.

Today, with modern processing and storage, the conversation has changed.

Selection Over Harvest Date

For varieties like Strata®, the question isn't simply whether you want the 2026 crop or the 2025 crop.

The better question is:

Which lot delivers the aroma profile you're looking for?

Maybe you're chasing:

• Passion fruit
• Bright orange and grapefruit
• Sweet, sticky cannabis-like dankness

Different lots, and different vintages, can express those characteristics with varying intensity.

That's why evaluating samples before purchasing has become such an important part of modern hop selection.

Award-Winning Beer Doesn't Know the Harvest Year

Stan Hieronymus also points to breweries that continue brewing award-winning beers with previous crop hops.

One example is Varietal Beer in Yakima Valley, whose Sup Cuz IPA earned a silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival while using previous crop hops.

The lesson isn't that older hops are always better.

It's that great lots remain great lots when they've been handled correctly.

Trust Your Senses

Perhaps the best advice comes from brewer Chris Baum, who encourages brewers to ask suppliers about standout lots from previous harvests and, most importantly, to evaluate samples themselves.

His philosophy is refreshingly simple:

Smell every lot before it goes into the beer.

Sensory evaluation should always drive the decision, not the date printed on the box.

Hop Vintage at Hops Company

At Hops Company, we believe hop selection should always be based on quality, sensory performance, and brewing goals.

That's why we work with partners like Indie Hops, who give brewers access to carefully selected lots and the opportunity to evaluate different vintages before making a decision.

Because the best hop for your next IPA, pilsner, or pale ale isn't necessarily the newest one.

It's the one that performs best in your beer.