We’re excited to release the new mixed pack bottles featuring Mandarina. Mandarina is a hop from Hallertau, Germany used to create our newest single-hop IPA only available in the mixed pack bottles.
Brewmaster Matt Brynildson was an early champion of this hop; he toured family hop farms in Hallertau when he was formulating Easy Jack, and this hop became one of his focal points. It has been a brewery favorite ever since.
From the Brewmaster: About the Mandarina Hop
I’ve been a huge fan of Mandarina Bavaria since I was introduced to it when we were formulating Easy Jack IPA.
The variety was born in a German hop breeding program at the Hull Hop Research Center located in the middle of the Hallertau growing region.
Anton Lutz is the lead breeder there, and I’ve had the good fortune to spend time with Tony walking through the greenhouses and the test plots in Hull where Mandarina was developed.
There was a considerable effort to come out with some aroma rich “Flavor Hops,” as the Germans refer to them. The hope was that these hops would better compete with the new world American cultivars that had become so popular in the Craft Brewing segment – particularly the hops that were working well as dry hops in IPA, featuring punchy fruit character, something German hops have never been known for.
There were a couple of new hops introduced from this breeding program, just around the time we were formulating Easy Jack.
I instantly fell in love with the hops and decided to feature them in what was at that time, our new Session IPA – Easy Jack.
Mandarina became a foundational piece of that recipe, and it found its way into several other FW beers, including Mind Haze. What we like about Mandarina – as the name suggests – is the sweet fruity, tangerine character it delivers.
It has some Cascade in its DNA, so there is an element of American citrus character there, but the fact that it is grown in German soil, by small scale, hands-on, German farmers seems to set it apart with a softer, gentle, refined character. Never dank, always sweet and refined.
Round, fruity, orangy, and pleasant are the descriptions I like to use.
Mandarina is always a go-to hop for low ABV beers. We are trying to build in sessionability without sharp edges. It’s not the most pungent hop on the table, but it’s become one of my favorite hops.
Heading to Germany each year to hand-select our Mandarina is a trip I cherish.
Mandarina is exclusively available in the Crafted Thru Hops mixed pack. Available for a limited time. Use the Beer Finder to find Mandarina near you.
