Meridian hops were discovered by chance in 2011 and offer a unique mix of tropical, berry, and citrus fruitiness with a hint of spearmint. This versatile “top note” hop delivers aromas of Meyer lemon, boysenberry, spearmint, sassafras, sweet-tart, and pineapple. Its captivating aroma can be tricky to capture in your beer, but it’s worth the effort.
The flavor profile of Meridian hops includes sugary lemon, fruit punch, and a clean, crisp taste. With an alpha acid percentage of around 6.7%, this hop is perfect for various beer styles. The sweet lemon flavors blend well with a well-brewed wheat beer’s grainy, dry taste.
Meridian hops are ideal for brewing wheat beers, American pale ales, NEIPAs, IPAs, saisons, wits, or farmhouse ales. Combined with more aggressive hops in IPAs, it brightens the beer’s overall impression. Its unique aroma and flavor profile make it a perfect choice for experimenting and creating a genuinely mesmerizing brew.
| Usage: | Aroma |
| Country of Origin: | United States |
| Hop Growers Code: | MER w12244 |
Where To Buy Meridian Hops
Meridian Flavor And Aroma
Meridian is an aroma hop that is often described to have the following aroma characteristics:
citrus
mixed berry
tropical fruit
Meridian Hop Oil Breakdown
Hop oils can vary from year to year and farm to farm but based on our research, here are the typical values we have seen reported. This information comes from various hop farms, The Hop Aroma Compendium, and For The Love Of Hops.
| Alpha Acid % (AA) Alpha acids are what is isomerized when boiling to create bitterness in beer. | 5% – 7% |
| Beta Acid % Beta acids are what give hops their more aroma and flavor compounds. | 6% – 9% |
| Alpha-Beta Ratio This ratio of alpha acids to beta acids determines how quickly bitterness fades during aging. Lower ratios are common for aromatic varieties. | 1:1 |
| Co-Humulone as a % of Alpha Higher numbers are said to impart a harsher bitterness. | 45% – 50% |
| Total Oils (mL/100g) With more total oils, typically comes a more complex hop profile but these are highly volatile compounds. | 1mL – 1.6mL |
| Myrcene green, resinous | 29% – 31% |
| Humulene woody, piney | 7% – 9% |
| Caryophyllene woody | 3% – 4% |
| Farnesene floral | 0% – 1% |
| Other Oils: Includes beta-ionine, beta-pinene, limonene, linalool, geranoil & selinene | 55% – 61% |
| Hop Storage Index (HSI) The HSI indicates the percent of alpha and beta acids lost after 6 months of storage at room temperature (68°F or 20°C). | Data Not Available |
| Hop Storage Index (HSI) Rating | Data Not Available |
Meridian Hop Substitutions
Replacing one hop for another is seldom straightforward but sometimes you don’t have the right hop or the right quantity of hops for the beer you want to make. For those situations, we have made a comprehensive list of hops to substitute on brew day.
These substitutions aren’t perfect as hop chemistry is pretty complex.
We wanted to make this list of substitutions with varietals that are easy to find when possible. For Meridian, we recommend substituting with the following hops:
Beer Styles
For the most part, any hop could have a place in just about any beer style. Based on popular beers, historical usage, and our own preferences, we would recommend using Meridian for IPA, New England IPA, Pale Ale, Wheat Beer, Golden Ale. That being said, experiment and see what works best for you.
References
https://www.hopslist.com/
https://www.ars.usda.gov/
https://www.brewersassociation.org/
https://www.barthhaasx.com/
https://www.yakimachief.com/
Hieronymus, Stan. For The Love of Hops. Brewers Publications, 2012
The Hop Aroma Compendium. 2012
