Ingredient Insight: Saint Arnold’s 7220 Pale Ale features experimental hop and they want your opinion

Saint Arnold Brewing Co. is shipping its latest creation: Saint Arnold Icon Green — 7220 Pale Ale. The brew, described as an American/German pale ale hybrid, features an experimental hop from the Hop Research Center in Huell, Germany, that until a few weeks ago was known only as Hop No. 2010/72/20. The researchers have since named it, “Ariana.” And we think she is beautiful.

Only a few hundred pounds of Ariana hops were grown last year, and Saint Arnold secured about half of the total harvest, which was enough to brew just a single batch.

“We look forward to rubbing experimental hops every year when we visit Germany,” said Saint Arnold Founder/Brewer Brock Wagner. “When we rubbed 2010/72/20 last October, we loved the tropical, fruity nose and immediately started imagining what we would brew with it. We used it in the kettle for bittering and finishing as well as for dryhopping in the fermenter, contributing notes of citrus, tropical fruit and a hint of mango to the aroma and flavor.”

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The Hop Research Center in Huell has been developing hop cultivars since 1926. During the past decade, new breeding efforts have developed several experimental lines that impart multifaceted floral, fruity and citrusy aroma impressions to beer. In recent months, Ariana was chosen as one of two new Special Flavor varieties for large-scale field trials, the results of which convinced the board of the Society of Hop Research to apply for registration of Ariana as a new cultivar.

Saint Arnold is helping to gather feedback for the researchers and is encouraging those who try Saint Arnold Icon Green — 7220 Pale Ale to complete this online survey. The simple five-question survey asks about the aroma and flavor of the hop as well as other impressions.

Saint Arnold Icon Green — 7220 Pale Ale:
Alcohol Content: 6.1 percent ABV
Bitterness: 43 IBUs