Brew Beer / The Hops

Ales for ALS™ Exclusive Hop Blend

Each year Yakima Chief Hops and master brewers develop a unique hop blend that is exclusive to the Ales for ALS™ program. Learn more about the newest hop blend that you could use to brew your own Ales for ALS™ beer.
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hop blend
Developed by Hop Breeding Company and released in 2007, Citra® HBC 394 features high alpha acid and total oil content with a low percentage of co-humulone. It is one of the top ten aroma varieties for craft brewers imparting distinct citrus and tropical fruit flavors.
Alpha: 10 - 16%
Beta: 3.0 - 4.5%
CO-H: 20 - 24%
Total Oil: 1 - 3 (mL/100g of hops)
A descendant of Nugget, it is the first super high alpha variety and is primarily used for bittering purposes.
Alpha: 15 - 18%
Beta: 4.5 - 6%
CO-H: 26 - 30%
Total Oil: 2 - 4 (mL/100g of hops)
A granddaughter of Warrior®, HBC 630 resulted from a cross made in 2008. It was selected for it's moderately high alpha, low cohumulone and distinct aroma. The best way to describe HBC 630 is fruity. It presents with flavor and aroma notes that have been described as cherry or raspberry candy like with pronounced tropical notes.
Alpha: 12 - 15%
Beta: 5.5 - 6.3%
CO-H: 23 - 26%
Total Oil: 2.0 - 3.0 (mL/100g of hops)
HBC 1019 was selected for its exceptionally unique aroma and universal appeal. This hop has strong tropical and stone fruit aromas and translates well into both IPA and lager-style beers.
Alpha: 8.4%
Beta: 6.6%
CO-H: 20.4%
Total Oil: 0.6 (mL/100g of hops)
Talus ® delivers big aromas of pink grapefruit, citrus rinds, dried roses, pine resin, tropical fruits and sage. These unique and impactful aromas remain throughout the brewing process. With Talus, what you smell in the field is what you'll get in your glass.
Alpha: 7 - 10%
Beta: 8 - 10.5%
CO-H: 32 - 36%
Total Oil: 1 - 2.5 (mL/100g of hops)

Who provides the hops

In 2013 the Smith family created Ales for ALS™. Today they continue offering participating breweries an experimental hop blend, free of charge, through their hop farm.

About Loftus Ranches

B.T. Loftus Ranches Inc. is one of the Yakima Valley's longest running hop farms. In 1920, the Loftus family moved to Moxee, Washington in pursuit of work on the railroad and began farming a variety of crops and livestock. With the end of the Prohibition era, B.T. and Leota Loftus planted the family's first hop field in 1932. Today, Loftus Ranches is owned and operated by third generation hop growers Mike and Cheryl (Hanses) Smith. The fourth generation of the family to grow hops is represented by their oldest son, Patrick, who joined the business in 2008. Loftus Ranches has ownership in Select Botanicals Group and the Hop Breeding Company. The Ranch raises significant acreage of Simcoe®, Citra®, Palisade®, Mosaic®, Warrior® and Tomahawk® in addition to several experimental hop varieties. Loftus Ranches is one of the largest growers for the craft beer industry, valuing quality, sustainability and innovation. They are dedicated to their craft and look forward to growing varieties that meet the needs of microbrewers for many years to come.
About Loftus Ranches
Yakima Chief Hops

About Yakima Chief Hops

In 2006, Yakima Chief, Inc. and Hopunion LLC combined their respective craft beer business segments in an agreement which allowed Hopunion to focus solely on craft brewing customers, and Yakima Chief on larger global markets. This initial market segmentation created a culture where Hopunion was influenced by independent artisan brewers, while Yakima Chief was impacted by process and the ability to meet customer requirements for compliance with supplier audits and quality criteria.
As craft breweries became larger and more unified in their focus on quality, sustainable practices and consistency of product, demand for both companies began to overlap. The ownership of Hopunion and Yakima Chief commissioned a study in 2013 to research the feasibility of a full business merger and whether or not the resulting new company would be better equipped to serve the entire brewing community.
Inspired by the shared vision of connecting family hop farms with the world's finest brewers, Yakima Chief, Inc. and Hopunion LLC decided to fully combine operations on July 31, 2014. The resulting new company, now known today as Yakima Chief Hops (YCH), is a 100% grower-owned global hop supplier.