Meridian - We are bringing Oregon's "Semi-Wild" Hops.

In the last post we talked about Strata, a variety of Indie Hops that is a fever in the USA and in the world today. And the good news is that the farm also has other incredible varieties, and the Meridian is undoubtedly one of them.

The story of this hops is very unique: Indie Hops decided to "resurrect" an old variety, called Columbia. After planting countless seedlings and the plant growing in the fields, the company realized that the aroma and flavor of the hops had a very different profile from that associated with Columbia. And after carrying out genetic tests, the result confirmed the suspicion: the plant that grew and took over the field had no known origin.

As always with a new variety, you need to be patient and test the variety a lot before launching it. The most important and longest tests are those for resistance to pests and diseases. And the Meridian, even though it had a great acceptance from the brewers in the initial tests, had to wait some time so that the farmers could also validate their cultivation. It took 4 years for Indie Hops to have a confirmation secure enough to officially launch the hops, and in 2015 the Meridian was marketed on the American market.

And now that we have told you about the "semi wild" history of Meridian, how about we talk a little about your sensory profile?

Orange: Aroma | Blue: Flavor

Farneseno: 0 - 1% of total oils

Its aroma and flavor profile are very unique. It is an incredibly clean hops, without the presence of spicy, grassy or resinous. At the same time, it still delivers a citrus, fruity aroma that refers to "berries", such as blueberry, blackberry and jabuticaba. There are also more subtle notes that resemble mint.

Meridian has an aroma of "top notes", which means it is intense and fast, and in it's case mainly citrus and fruity notes. The top notes are known as the most intense, but at the same time volatile. Meridian should be used as a dry hopping option, and that will help to carry the beer aroma. For this reason, it is widely used in conjunction with other hops, precisely in order to increase the aromatic potency and "open" the aroma of the recipe. It will help you to make the aroma "jump" from the glass as soon as the beer is served.

We recommend its use for almost any style that seeks an aromatic intensity of hops. But it is worth mentioning that Meridian combines very well with beers with higher esterification fermentations, helping to combine and highlight the aromas of the fermentation. Contemporary Saisons, Witbiers or Farmhouses look great with this variety.

IPAs, APAs and Hoppy Lagers also have a lot to gain from this hop in the recipe. In IPAs and Hazy IPAs, we recommend its use in combination with other varieties, precisely in order to increase and "open" a fruity and citrus aroma. In Hoppy Lagers and APAs, it also goes very well on its own, resulting in a clean, delicate and fruity beer.

Ready to brew a beer with Meridian? It's on it's way ...