Author: Paul Amico
Bred by the American Dwarf Hop Association and released for public use in 2013, Azacca has been embraced by brewers of hoppy IPA for its ability to impart a desirable blend of tropical fruit and citrus, with some contending it contributes a peach candy character to beer.
Alpha: 16.5%
Beta: 4.0 – 5.5%
Cohumulone: 38 – 45% of alpha acids
Total Oil: 1.6 – 2.5 mL/100g
Myrcene: 46 – 55%
Humulene: 14 – 18%
Caryophyllene: 8 – 12%
Farnesene: <1%
Linalool: <1%
Geraniol: <1%
ß-Pinene: <1%
Parentage: Toyomidori and ADHA 94/95
While I’ve consumed a number of commercial beers made with Azacca in the hop lineup, I’ve not used this variety very often and was excited to see how the more potent LUPOMAX version would do on its own in a simple Pale Ale.
| MAKING THE BEER |
I went with our standard Hop Chronicles Pale Ale recipe for this batch, adapting all additions based on the potency of LUPOMAX.
Azacca LUPOMAX Pale Ale
Recipe Details
| Batch Size | Boil Time | IBU | SRM | Est. OG | Est. FG | ABV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 gal | 60 min | 41.3 | 5.5 SRM | 1.052 | 1.013 | 5.12 % |
| Actuals | 1.052 | 1.013 | 5.12 % | |||
Fermentables
| Name | Amount | % |
|---|---|---|
| Lamonta: Pale American Barley Malt | 10 lbs | 83.34 |
| Vanora: Vienna-style Barley Malt | 2 lbs | 16.66 |
Hops
| Name | Amount | Time | Use | Form | Alpha % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lupomax Azacca | 8 g | 50 min | Boil | Pellet | 16.5 |
| Lupomax Azacca | 10 g | 25 min | Boil | Pellet | 16.5 |
| Lupomax Azacca | 14 g | 10 min | Boil | Pellet | 16.5 |
| Lupomax Azacca | 56 g | 2 min | Boil | Pellet | 16.5 |
| Lupomax Azacca | 56 g | 4 days | Dry Hop | Pellet | 16.5 |
Yeast
| Name | Lab | Attenuation | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagship (A07) | Imperial Yeast | 77% | 0°F - 0°F |
Notes
| Water Profile: Ca 92 | Mg 1 | Na 10 | SO4 153 | Cl 50 |
Download
| Download this recipe's BeerXML file |
I started off my brew day by collecting the full volume of water for this 5 gallon/19 liter batch, which I adjusted to my desired profile.
After flipping the switch on my controller to heat the water, I weighed out and milled the grain.
When the water was properly heated, I incorporated the grains and set the controller to maintain my desired mash temperature of 152°F/ 67°C before preparing the kettle hop additions.
Once the 60 minute mash rest was complete, I removed the grains and let them drip into the kettle while the wort was being heated.
The wort was then boiled for 60 minutes, after which I used my CFC to chill it during transfer to a sanitized fermenter.
A refractometer reading showed the wort was at my target OG.
Next, I direct pitched a single pouch of Imperial Yeast A07 Flagship into the wort.
The beer was left to ferment at 66°F/19°C for 2 weeks before I took a hydrometer measurement confirming FG was reached.
With fermentation complete, I pressure transferred the beer to a CO2 purged keg.
The filled keg was placed in my keezer and burst carbonated overnight before I reduced the gas to serving pressure. After a week of conditioning, I began serving it to blind tasters.
| METHOD |
Participants were instructed to focus only on the aromatic qualities of the beer before evaluating the flavor. For each aroma and flavor descriptor, tasters were asked to write-in the perceived strength of that particular characteristic on a 0-9 scale where a rating of 0 meant they did not perceive the character at all and a 9 rating meant the character was extremely strong. Once the data was collected, the average rating of each aroma and flavor descriptor was compiled and analyzed.
| RESULTS |
A total of 34 people participated in the evaluation of this beer, all blind to the hop variety used until after they completed the survey. The average aroma and flavor ratings for each descriptor were plotted on a radar graph.
Average Ratings of Aroma and Flavor Perceptions
The 3 characteristics endorsed as being most prominent by participants:
| Aroma | Flavor |
| Citrus | Citrus |
| Tropical Fruit | Floral |
| Stone Fruit | Tropical Fruit |
The 3 characteristics endorsed as being least prominent by participants:
| Aroma | Flavor |
| Onion/Garlic | Onion/Garlic |
| Dank/Catty | Berry |
| Berry + Spicy/Herbal (tie) | Melon |
When asked to rate the pungency/strength of the hop, most tasters perceived it as being mildly to moderately pungent.
Tasters were then instructed to identify beer styles they thought the hop would work well in.
Finally, participants were asked to rate how much they enjoyed the hop character on a 1 to 10 scale.
My Impressions: To my palate, the most prominent characteristic in this beers for both aroma and flavor was tropical fruit, namely pineapple. However, I also perceived delightfully complex blend of citrus and stone fruit, which it very easy to drink.
| CONCLUSION |
Azacca is one of those hop varieties that didn’t get as much publicity as other big hitters, though seems to be appreciated by brewers of modern hoppy styles for its ability to impart desirable fruity characteristics to beer. With the goal of allowing brewers to add less vegetal matter while extracting these good qualities, John I. Haas produced a concentrated LUPOMAX version of this variety.
Existing descriptors associated Azacca include citrus, tropical fruit, and stone fruit, all of which topped the list of characteristics rated by blind tasters of a Pale Ale hopped solely with Azacca LUPOMAX. In conversations with participants following completion of the survey, a number were quick to point out a peachy note, with one reporting it reminded them of peach ring candy. Naturally, the styles most tasters felt Azacca LUPOMAX would work well in is IPA and American Pale Ale.
Prior to this experience, I’d only had beers where Azacca was used in combination with other hops, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from this single hop Pale Ale. While I definitely perceived stone fruit, it was the tropical fruit character that was strongest on my palate, and I felt the blend of pineapple, peach, and citrus I got from Azacca LUPOMAX was very nice. This is a hop I’ll likely reserve for hoppier styles like American IPA and Pale Ale, though used in smaller quantities, I could see it working well in lighter styles too.
Azacca LUPOMAX hops are available now at Yakima Valley Hops, get some while you can! If you have any thoughts on this variety, please feel free to share them in the comments section below.
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