Pacific Gem

[black_labb]

New Zealand Pacific Gem
Available in either conventional or organic form

A Triploid Alpha type bred from the New Zealand variety “Smoothcone” crossed with Californian Late Cluster x Fuggle. Developed through the hop breeding programme of the New Zealand Horticultural Research Centre known now as HortReseach and released in 1987.
Selection:
Does not carry the punchy aromas usually associated with higher Alpha hops. Pacific Gem contains a good balance of oils which constantly contributes to its aroma score. A very pleasing hop with useful bittering potential with Alpha Acids at 13 % and above.
Brewer’s notes:
Pacific Gem fills the brew house with enticing aromas during kettle addition and has been described as producing oaken flavours with a distinct blackberry aroma. Typically used as a first hop addition and makes its presence felt through an excellent tempered bitterness and flavour. Well suited to a wide range of beer styles and lends itself well to European Lager styles of various bitterness levels.
Grower comments:
-- Maturity: Mid season
-- Yield: Moderate to high
-- Growth Habit: Vigorous, clavate frame
-- Cone Structure: Long, compact, ovate shape
-- Disease Resistance: New Zealand is hop disease free
-- Storage Stability: Good
Technical data:
HPLC & Oil Composition (Measured within 6 months of harvest, stored at 0 ºC)
-- Alpha Acids: 13 - 15 %
-- Beta Acids: 7 – 9 %
-- Cohumulone: 37 - 40 % of Alpha Acids
-- Total Oil: 1.2 ml oil per 100 gram cone weight
-- Concentration: 78 uL Oil/gram Alpha
-- Myrcene: 33.3 %
-- Humulene: 29.9 %
-- Caryophyllene: 11 %
-- Farnasene: 0.3 %
-- Citrus-Piney Fraction: 9.4 %
-- Floral Estery Fraction: 1.8 % (Linalool 1 %)
-- Xanthohumol: 0.6 %
-- Other: 11.6 %

MOD: Description inserted by Lord Raja Goomba I, to ensure hop descriptions are at the top of these hop topics. Original post below:

I'm starting this thread because I haven't seen much Pacific Gem details around aside from some details pasted from the growers details and I feel it needs more attention.

I've used pacific gem in quite a few ales, but I've just started drinking IPA that is basically just pacific gem cube hopped and I'm seriously impressed with it. I've used pacific gem in that many ales but never really was able to pick the specific flavour, though I've always enjoyed the beers it is in.

Sipping this beer (roughly 95% JW vienna, 5% JW trad ale, and 80g cube hopped pacific gem @13.5%AA) I'm finally able to define it's flavour. From this beer I will taste the following.

earthy/grassy/woody
spicy/ginger
berry (blackberry?)
Slight tropical fruit flavour (pineapple)

In terms of flavours it works very well as an english style hop. I think it is similar to fuggles but with less of the aniseed/licorice flavour and a blackberry very slight pineapple flavour. It also has quite a strong spicy/ginger characteristics similar to styrian goldings.

Only issue I have with it is that at such a high AA% you can't overload it too much, but that's not an issue unless you are going for an american style ipa.

What are other people's experience with it?

 

[bconnery]

I've used it in stouts several times. I find it plays well with the roast myself. I mostly got the earthy and blackberry from it.

 

[Nick JD]

I like it. Jade, not so much.

It's the hops of Monteith's Original I believe, for those looking to taste it before buying.

 

[Mardoo]

Awesome, thanks. I've been scoping Pacific Gem out for a cocoa nib porter and haven't found many descriptions from folks who use it regularly. In what form do people prefer it - pellet, plug or flower? How is it as a dry hop?

 

[black_labb]

I started this thread because i was very impressed with the beer, it just took me by surprise as being exactly what i look for in an english ipa, dispite all the ingredients being oz/kiwi (1314 yeast being the exception).

Unfortunately the beer never cleared up for some reason that i cant quite figure out. I've never nailed an english ipa 100%, there is always something missing, but clarity is a good thing to be lacking. I think ot may be related to extra caso4 in the water as i've had this before wih english ipas, but never anything else. Anyway, back on topic.


I've been using pellets because thats what i have. I havent had any issues dry hopping with it, but i dont dry hop much as i find he hop aroma and flavour dissipates much quicker when dry hopped than late hopped (all hops, not just gem)

I dont expect others to find the pineapple flavour without using so much late. Most hops start tasting fruity with more aggressive hopping rates.

 

[Mardoo]

Cool, thx!

 

[NewtownClown]

Definitely get raspberry/blacberry in the darker beers I have used it in (works great with special B / dark crystal in Porters and Belgian Darks) and sour fruit and spice in the lighter (colour) ales.
The earthy/grassy/woody (chlorophyll?) prob come from your 80 grams cube hop.

 

[Mardoo]

Cheers NC, Special B is exactly what I was thinking in the porter together with the gem and cocoa nibs.

 

[Nick JD]

A few years ago I did a AAA with all Pac Gem. It was bloody good.

Stuff goes great (what doesn't) with Wey Caraaroma.

 

[black_labb]

Definitely get raspberry/blacberry in the darker beers I have used it in (works great with special B / dark crystal in Porters and Belgian Darks) and sour fruit and spice in the lighter (colour) ales.
The earthy/grassy/woody (chlorophyll?) prob come from your 80 grams cube hop.

I think the grassy side to it is it being very fresh. It was less than a week out of the fermenter before I put the polypin on the hand pump. I was just aiming to see how it tasted, but I kept going back for more. Obviously it tasted good. The grassy flavour I did have has dissipated a fair bit in the 5 days since (pumped the last bit out of the 4L pin tonight). I quite often use a fair bit of cube hopping, 130g being the most I've done so far. Grassy flavours have never been present, aside from late hopped fuggles which give a flavour I describe as grassy, but it's not the same as too much vegetal matter grassy. I find fuggles gives a celery/aniseed flavour that can come across as grassy in light beers.

I'll have to compare the flavours in a week to see what differences I can pick up.

 

[DeGarre]

Brewed this as a single hop pale ale, 1051°. Herbal, quite European in a noble hop way, with delicate pine character.