Originally from New Zealand, Pacifica hops were released in 1994 by HortResearch. This dual-purpose hop is a descendant of Hallertau Mittelfrüh and features a unique flavor profile of fruity, citrus, and floral notes.
The aroma of Pacifica hops is a blend of old-world floral and spice with bright citrus from the new world, often described as orange marmalade. Its balanced bitterness (5-6% alpha acid content) and enticing aroma make it versatile for various beer styles.
Pacifica hops can be used for brewing lagers, pilsners, pale ales, Altbier, and Belgian-style ales. Its citrus and floral aroma characteristics and soft yet solid bitterness make it a welcome addition to these styles.
Usage: | Aroma |
Country of Origin: | New Zealand |
Hop Growers Code: | PCA 77-01 |
Where To Buy Pacifica Hops
Pacifica Flavor And Aroma
Pacifica is an aroma hop that is often described to have the following aroma characteristics:
citrus, orange
floral
spicy
Pacifica 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% – 6% |
Beta Acid % Beta acids are what give hops their more aroma and flavor compounds. | 6% |
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. | 25% |
Total Oils (mL/100g) With more total oils, typically comes a more complex hop profile but these are highly volatile compounds. | 1.0mL |
Myrcene green, resinous | 12.5% |
Humulene woody, piney | 50.9% |
Caryophyllene woody | 16.7% |
Farnesene floral | 0.2% |
Other Oils: Includes beta-ionine, beta-pinene, limonene, linalool, geranoil & selinene | 11% – 31% |
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). | Retains 77% alpha acid after 6 months storage at 20ºC (68ºF). |
Hop Storage Index (HSI) Rating | Good |
Pacifica 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 Pacifica, 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 Pacifica 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