The Idaho 7 Hop is one of more intriguing hops varieties sporting stone fruit and tropical notes with hints of sticky pine plus the faint earthy flavor of black tea. Idaho 7 is a high-yielding variety with dense cones that compliments a wide variety of beer styles. It’s a fantastic late addition with alpha acid levels high enough for good bittering.

History of Idaho 7 Hops

The Idaho 7 was developed in Idaho on Jackson Hop Farm in Wilder, Idaho. Named with pride, this unique and flavorful hop was released in 2015. Nate and Heather Jackson are first-generation hop farmers who sent Sierra Nevada a couple of hop Varietal to analyze. Out of the bunch, the seventh variety looked very promising, as it bridged the citrus/tropical gap by producing striking notes of tangerine, pineapple, melon, and red berries.

Idaho 7 hops were also notable for how well they complimented other hops. They accentuate the traits of other varieties without overpowering them.

Where Idaho 7 Hops Are Grown

These hops are likely still grown on Jackson Hop Farm in Wilder, Idaho. However, most commercial hops grown in the U.S. come from Iowa, Washington, and Oregon.

Flavor and Aroma Profile

Idaho 7 has a bold, pungent aroma producing notes of peach, pineapple, mango, melon, red berries, and tangerine. These notes end with a hint of earthy herbal tones reminiscent of sticky pine and black tea.

Person holding handfuls of brown hops pellets.

Brewing Values of Idaho 7 Hops

These figures represent a range of brewing values for Idaho 7 recorded over the course of a few years. Please keep in mind these values are derived from historical data, which may not accurately reflect the values collected from future Idaho 7 hops.

Alpha Acid Percentage

Range: 9-14 percent

Beta Acid Percentage

Range: 3.5-9.1 percent

Co-Humulone as Percentage of Alpha Acid

Range: 30-40 percent

Complete Oil Breakdown

Total Oils (milliliter per 100 grams or mL/100g)

Range: 1.0-5.0 milliliters per 100 grams

Humulene

Range: 10-15 percent

Myrcene

Range: 45-55 percent

Farnesene

Range: 0.1-1 percent of total

Caryophyllene

Range: 5-8 percent

Linalool

Range: 0.3-.06 percent

B-pinene

Range: 0.5-0.8 percent

Geraniol

Range: 0.5-.1 percent

Other

Range 18.6-38.6 percent

Storage

Very Poor

Beer Styles That Use Idaho 7 Hops

Idaho 7 is usually added as a late addition to a blend, or they can be brewed as a single-hop in hope-forward American wheat beers, pale ales, and IPAs. It’s a fun hop many brewers love to experiment with.

Goblet of hazy wheat beer on table. Idaho 7 hops are used to make wheat beers, pale ales, and IPAs.

Beers That You Can Buy That Use Idaho 7 Hops

Common Substitutions For Idaho 7 Hops

Azacca (ADHA-483)
Cashmere
El Dorado
Citra
Comet

Tips For Growing Your Own Idaho 7 Hops

To Grow hops, you first need to ensure you have deep and sandy soil with pH levels ranging 6-7.5. Hops thrive in full sun and can be grown one of two ways, via seeds or rhizomes.

Rhizomes are cut out from a mature hops plant’s root. When plants are grown via rhizomes, they are much more likely to produce a clone with the same performance record as the parent plant.

However, hops grown from seed will also produce male non-cone bearing plants, which will also impact the female plants’ cone-bearing quality, making their cones seedier, which isn’t ideal for brewing.

The best time to plant is in the Spring after the last frost when you plant rhizomes. You can also plant as late as mid-June if you live in an area with cooler weather.

You should ensure your rhizomes have their bud eyes pointing toward the sky during planting.

When planting, create a six-inch tall dirt mound. Then make a 2-3 inch deep trench on top of the mound for your rhizome. Place the rhizome horizontally, remembering to face the bud eyes skyward, in the trench. Cover your rhizome with two inches of soil, then 2-3 inches of mulch.

Mulch will play an important role as it helps your soil keep moisture. However, it would be best not to overwater your plants, as doing so can create root rot.

You don’t really need to use much fertilizer for hops. However, a good fertilizer mix will have high nitrogen and low phosphorus concentrations. Fruit tree fertilizers work well for hops.

Trellising

Hops can grow up to 20 feed during a single season, meaning you need to grow them on a strong trellis. Also, you need to keep in mind that hop plants are “bines,” not “vines.”

The difference is that they reach out with tendrils to grab an object and climb, whereas bines wrap around an object to climb. When planted in the southern hemisphere, they wrap in a counterclockwise direction and wrap in a clockwise direction in the northern hemisphere.

For hops, the most effective trellis will be a poll measuring around ten feet long. It should have strong strings attached to one end and stapled to the rhizomes on the other.

Rougher string material such as hemp is a good material since it’s easier for bines to climb. Once your bines reach about a foot tall, start training them to climb the trellis. First, you need to wrap vigorous bines clockwise around the twine or poll. You should wrap once with two bines per string. Repeat this training at least three times every two weeks.

Where To Purchase Idaho 7 Hops:

For Idaho 7, finding pellets is much easier than finding full hops, but they are out there. Various brewing sites sell them. However, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to buy rhizomes as this variety is patented. You can find Idaho 7 hops pellets at Amazon.

Final Thoughts on Idaho 7 Hops

For a midwestern hop, Idaho 7 is a very exotic tasting variety with lots of tropical flavors and earthy tones that make it a fantastic addition to just about any brew or as a stand-alone brew. These hops can add a rich, flavorful complexity with a touch of bitterness to any brew, making them ideal for brewers who like to experiment.

Have you made any home brews with Idaho 7 hops? Tell us how it turned out in the comments section below! Click here to read our other hops profile blog posts for more home brewing inspiration.