Formally known as Pacific Hallertau, the Pacifica hop variety was developed by HortResearch, which is a New Zealand hop breeding program. It was bred through the open pollination using Hallertauer Mittlefrüh and was released commercially in 1994.
It seems like it is a Southern Hemisphere twist on a noble hop. One thing I found to be interesting when reading the description for this hop was the information about what diseases this variety is prone to. It was a one line description that said, “New Zealand is hop disease free.” Brag much?
Origin: New Zealand
Aroma/Flavor: Here’s a good one for you: Orange marmalade. Nice orange-y citrus notes when added late in the boil.
Alpha Acid: 5 – 6%
Typical Usage: Dual – but probably works better as a flavoring/aroma hop.
Substitutions: Any hop in the Hallertau family
Beer Styles: Spice up your German style lagers and ales with Pacifica hops.
Russ Yearout
Noting that many (if not all) NZ hops tend to be lower oil content vs. the typical northwest varieties many are accustomed to. So much so, that these can be lost in heavy (6.5-7%) ipa recipes if not used at high rates (>3#/bbl). On the up side, I’m finding clean bright flavors in the handful of beers I’ve made. NZ hops makes me want to focus on a simpler mash, lower ABV styles to improve hop expression.
John
Great insights!