Now that the last bales have rolled into the barn, we are able to have a holistic picture of how this harvest season and the resulting crop performed. While yields may have been slightly less than projected due to the strange growing season weather, the quality of this year’s Pacific Northwest hops is exceptional! 

It was an interesting growing season due to a late, cool spring in the Pacific Northwest which presented agriculture challenges for hop growers.

The yield was impacted for a few major hop brands, which likely means slightly less spot availability. However, there is no concern from YCH for contract volume. The Pacific Northwest experienced varying performance by region with the Willamette Valley in Oregon having a stellar year, outperforming estimates and expectations. Yakima Valley, Washington and Treasure Valley, Idaho had lighter volume, creating a balancing act for the hop supply.

Citra®:

  • Idaho’s Citra® yield was on average.
  • Yakima Valley was down considerably, 9-10%.
  • Oregon region was about 11-12% over-projection.
  • Overall, Citra® yield is a little lighter than expected.

Mosaic®:

  • Mosaic® is closest to average volume out of the big three brands (Citra®, Simcoe®, Mosaic®).
  • Oregon’s Mosaic® volume outperformed what growers were expecting.
  • Washington and Idaho experienced a lighter Mosaic® crop.

Simcoe®:

  • Simcoe® experienced the most notable decrease in projected volume of the big three major hop brands.
  • Reduced yield in Washington and Idaho.
  • Higher than expected volume in Oregon.

While harvest has concluded, our work at Yakima Chief Hops continues full speed ahead. As soon we receive bales, our production team is extracting and pelletizing the hops to protect the integrity of the hops. Then these hops are on their way to brewers worldwide to make the finest beer! Many varieties are already ready to ship for contracts, or available on spot. All product is slated to be fully available within January. Visit our spot inventory to check out what is available now.

By all counts, this was another successful harvest season that delivered excellent quality - a testament to our grower’s relentless pursuit of providing our valued brewer customers with the best hops!