The Hop Chronicles | Vista (2023) Pale Lager

Author: Alex Shanks-Abel

Originally referred to as USDA Experimental #074, Vista is a relatively new hop that was bred in 2006 and commercially released in 2021. A modern American aroma variety known for its versatile and potent flavor profile, Vista features a unique combination of fruit-forward notes including honeydew melon, papaya, tropical fruit, white peach, and ripe pear. Some brewers also report notes of bright citrus, stone fruit, and a subtle herbal undertone, making it suitable for a wide range of styles from modern IPA to crisp lagers.

Alpha: 8 – 12% Beta: 3.5 – 5.5%
Cohumulone: ​​32 – 34%
Total Oil: 0.8 – 2.0 mL/100g
Myrcene: 30 – 40%
Humulene: 18 – 22%
Caryophyllene: 10 – 14%
Farnesene: 0.1 – 1.0%
Linalool: 0.4 – 0.8%
Geraniol: 0.5 – 0.8%
ß-Pinene: 0.2 – 0.6%
Parentage: open pollination cross between tetraploid Perle female and unknown diploid male

Given the existing description of Vista, as well as the results from a prior Hop Chronicles where it was used in a Pale Ale, it seems only natural to reserve this variety for notably hop-forward styles. However, I’ve had luck using pungently fruity hops in more delicate styles and was curious how Vista would work in a simple pale lager.

| MAKING THE BEER |

I went with our standard Hop Chronicles Pale Lager recipe for this batch, making adjustments to the kettle hop additions to keep the bitterness in check.

Vista Pale Ale

After collecting the full volume of water and adjusting it to my desired profile, I weighed out and milled the grain.

When the water was properly heated, I incorporated the grains then checked to ensure the mash was at my desired temperature.

During the mash rest, I prepared the kettle hop additions.

Once the 60 minute mash was complete, I removed the grains, boiled the wort for 60 minutes.

When the boil was finished, I chilled the wort before taking a refractometer reading showing it was at my target OG.

After transferring the wort to a sanitized fermenter, I pitched a single pouch of Imperial Yeast L13 Global and left the beer to ferment at 64°F/17°C for a 10 days before I took a hydrometer measurement confirming FG was reached.

With fermentation complete, I cold crashed the beer then pressure-transferred it to a CO2 purged keg, which was placed in my kegerator and burst carbonated overnight before the gas was reduced to serving pressure. After a couple weeks of conditioning, it was ready to serve 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 18 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:

The 3 characteristics endorsed as being least prominent by participants:

Next, participants were asked to rate the pungency/strength of the hop.

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: The most notable characteristic I picked up in this single-hop Vista pale lager was a slightly sulfuric, thiol-like papaya note that was supported by white grape and lime juice. Uniquely fruity, indeed, though I personally felt it was a bit strange in this otherwise simple lager.

| CONCLUSION |

The various shades of IPA are all the rage currently, and that reality has motivated hop breeders to develop new varieties that meld well with these hyper-hoppy styles. Vista is certainly no exception, known for imparting beer with pungent fruity notes while also packing a relatively high alpha acid content. While IPA might have been the focus, many similar hop varieties have been shown to work well with less assertive beers, offering brewers an opportunity to put a unique spin on classic styles.

The most prominent aroma and flavor characteristics noted by people who evaluated a pale lager made solely with Vista were tropical fruit, citrus, and stone fruit while pine, resinous, floral, and berry were among the least endorsed characteristics. While a good chunk of tasters felt this hop would work well in IPA/APA, a plurality selected pale lager, likely influenced by the fact the beer they evaluated was in fact a pale lager. Other endorsed styles include Blonde Ale, Wheat Beer, and Belgian Ale; a couple tasters actually wrote-in “none,” an apparent indication of their dislike of this variety.

Hops are great, as are the beers in which they’re arguably overused, like IPA, which I tend to enjoy. However, I also like trying out modern fruit-forward hops in more delicate styles, as I’ve found it can present some subtler characteristics. In this specific case, the fruitiness of Vista still stole the show, and while the beer was far from bad, it wasn’t really my cup of tea. As such, I’ll personally be reserving Vista for hoppier styles and feel it may be a great fit in West Coast Pilsner.

Vista 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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