One malt and one hop – everybody knows the rules. We brew these small batch beers to learn more about hop varieties. We have put together many of these different video profiles over the years but there’s always room for one more.

Palisade hops have been on the market for a while so it wasn’t high on our priority list. But with a packet of Yakima Chief Cryo Palisade hops in our stash, we jumped at the chance to brew a one gallon batch!

Our SMaSH Beer Process

Just in case you haven’t seen one of these SMaSH beer tastings before, let us run down the process. All the SMaSH beers we brew are 1 US gallon (3.78 L) batches. With 2 pounds of some base malt (typically Pilsner or Pale malt), one ounce of hops is used during the brew process to showcase the hops. The additions generally follow this schedule:

1st hop addition – 1/4 of an ounce or 7 grams – 15 minutes to go in the boil

2nd hop addition – 5/8 of an ounce or 14 grams – Flameout

3rd hop addition – 1/4 of an ounce or 7 grams – Day 3 of fermentation

After mashing at 150°F or 66°C with 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water for 1 hour and boiling for 1 hour, fermentation happens over the course of 10 days at 68°F (20°C) using SafAle US-05 yeast (about a third of the packet or a little less than 4 grams)

Our Palisade Hops Take

When we poured this beer, we detected a fine aroma with notes of herbs and fresh cut grass. There was also a hint of something citrus in there. The combination with the earthy grass aroma made Mike think of limes.

The commercial descriptors of Palisade list it as being grassy with a note of apricots. As the beer warmed, we slightly detected something in the fruity/sweet realm but it was too subtle to pick out.

Overall, we think this hop would be a nice addition to a West Coast Style IPA or could be a nice balancing hop to a NEIPA if you want to have a bit of bitterness in there as well. It would not be a traditional hop for the hazy ale loving crowd, but who cares. It’s homebrewing and you should have freedom to brew how you want.

Let us know your Palisade hops adventures.

BREW ON!