2021 will certainly be a memorable year for many reasons. But pandemics and politics aside, we hope that brewers remember 2021 as the year that Sabro^® HBC 438 c.v. transported us from quarantine to the tropics with its uniquely memorable tropical fruit and coconut flavors. After years of steadily increasing acreage, this flavorful and aromatic hop is available for commercial brewing runs and recipe planning for year-round beers. Full speed ahead!

So what’s all the excitement about? Unlike many commercial hops that come from European stock, Sabro was bred from the Neomexicanus lineage, a native North American hop found in the mountains of the Southwestern United States. Its unique tropical characteristics ensure that Sabro will stand up and stand out from just about any hop you’ve tried before. And, it’s now available in LUPOMAX™ and INCOGNITO^®!

“I think my first experience with Sabro was walking through the fields, picking cones off, breaking it in half and…it was love right there,” Elijah Pasciak from Melvin Brewing in Alpine, Wyoming, recalled in a recent HAAS HopCast™. “There were just little hints of everything. But what really got me was the cream—it reminded me of some delicious Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. The cream and pineapple and coconut, it made me think of piña colada—and that’s what really got me interested in Sabro.”

Cole Hackbarth, Director of Brewery Operations for Rhinegeist Brewing in Cincinnati, noted, “It was so distinct and so unique. In the race to get all the citrus-forward hops, it was really cool to see something that had that coconut note and really took things in a different direction. Sabro was really impactful, high on flavor and aroma. And it could stand on its own—it had that wow factor of a Citra,^® or a Mosaic^®. We use Sabro a lot now because it adds that extra punch into pretty much everything it goes into.”

For Tröegs Independent Brewing, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Sabro is the perfect pairing for some of their favorite flavors and newest innovations. “We brew a lot with Citra and Simcoe, which I just love,” says John Trogner, co-founder and brewer at Tröegs. “But to pull it away from some of our other citrus-forward beers, you hit it with just an undertone of that Sabro, that tropical note, and bring up the coconut a little more, it really makes a phenomenal change. Finding those combinations where we begin to see how Sabro’s individual flavors start to amplify or support other hops—it’s just super fun.”

To learn more about Sabro, check out our new product spotlight at johnihaas.com/sabro. While you’re there, be sure to check out our special HAAS HopCast™: The Sabro Series, where we socially distance with innovative brewers and talk about their experiences with Sabro, innovative flavors and the ever-changing landscape of craft brewing.

Ready to brew? Call your HAAS sales representative today—or visit our distributor page to learn how to get your hands on this distinctive and unique hop brand variety.

Cheers!