I was looking at some new German hops for some of the lagers I have lined up for the Master of Lagers campaign we have rolling this year. One of the varieties I came across was Merkur hops.
When I did research into Hallertau hops, the Merkur name came up as a variation of the noble hop.
Now it seems it is being sold by its own name without the Hallertau tag. The hop was released in 2000 and it is a cross between Magnum hops and another variety with the before branding name of 81/8/13. It’s another one of these Hallertau-esque varieties that is more resistant to the mold/wilt issues that the terror varieties have.
Here are the pertinent specifications for Merkur:
Origin: The Hull Hops Research Institute in Germany
Aroma/Flavor: Stronger aroma than Magnum. Earthy, floral, a little citrusy.
Alpha Acid: Typically, 12 – 15% Today, I saw some retailers had the AA% at 16.2
Typical Usage: Some say dual purpose, but looking at that high alpha acid percentage I am thinking more bittering.
Beer Styles German lagers and ales.
Mike
They had some of these in at Modern Homebrew Emporium on MA Ave in Cambridge. I wanted to pick some up but I had already spent my limit. Available through mail order too for anyone out of state.