Waimea Hops

[mhenry41h]

I'm about to brew a Session IPA and I'm very curious to try this hop. I'm not big on showcasing any particular hop so I always layer/blend them to a desired effect. This will have a base of pale malt with a percentage of Vienna backed by just a touch of CaraFoam and Golden Naked Oats for body in a low ABV brew. I plan to layer the Waimea with some Columbus and Cascade. I'm rather anxious to try this one.

 

[fab80]

I have just opened my first bottle of a Session IPA brewed with 8oz total waimea and mosaic hops. It's really dank, in the best possible way, I am very familiar with mosaic,Waimea reminds me a lot of Columbus hops, just fruitier and more intense. I have also brewed an IPA a few months back with equal amount of waimea, nelson and el dorado. waimea played the danky, sticky role.
Last but not least, here in soca, there's a great brewery "Noble ale works", that has a single hop DIPA serie called ... showers, and their Waimea showers, at almost 9% and a ridiculous amount of hops, was yummy!

 

[mhenry41h]

That is VERY encouraging! Thanks fab80, now I'm even more excited to get this one brewed!

 

[pvpeacock]

I made a SMASH recipe using only Marris Otter malt and Waimea hops which I called "the Eddie IPA" for surfer Eddie Aikau. I was expecting something like a Citra SMASH flavor with a bit more tropical fruit based on my prior experiences with New Zealand hops. Instead, it tasted like strong cat piss for weeks until it finally mellowed. I would not use Waimea hops alone again in a SMASH. I still have 4 oz. left, so I'm am not sure what hops I will mix them with next time.

 

[beersk]

I have just opened my first bottle of a Session IPA brewed with 8oz total waimea and mosaic hops. It's really dank, in the best possible way, I am very familiar with mosaic,Waimea reminds me a lot of Columbus hops, just fruitier and more intense. I have also brewed an IPA a few months back with equal amount of waimea, nelson and el dorado. waimea played the danky, sticky role.
Last but not least, here in soca, there's a great brewery "Noble ale works", that has a single hop DIPA serie called ... showers, and their Waimea showers, at almost 9% and a ridiculous amount of hops, was yummy!

I'm not sure that dank is the proper descriptor for either one of those hops. I'd call them fruity over dank.

I had a pale ale brewed with Waimea at a local brewery last weekend, it was really good. I'm not generally a fan of a lot of the never hop varieties because they're so fruity. I tend to like more of the Simcoe and Chinook type hop varieties.

 

[mhenry41h]

My experience with NZ hops has been similar: intense fruit. Personally, I don't like those heavy-handed fruit bomb IPA's which is why I blend. I love using the dank nature of Columbus to balance out a fruity hop. I can't wait for this beer.