Centennial Hops

Centennial stands as a monumental, industry-defining American dual-purpose cultivar that serves as a primary aromatic architect of the modern craft brewing movement. Developed in 1974 by legendary Washington State University researchers Dr. Charles Zimmermann and Dr. Stephen N. Brooks, and officially released to the public in 1990 under the variety designation USDA 21507, its intricate pedigree features 75% Brewer's Gold alongside Fuggle, East Kent Golding, and classic Bavarian ancestry. Sharing a male parent with Nugget, it was famously dubbed "Super Cascade" by early craft pioneers who fell in love with its significantly amplified essential oil content and vastly elevated bittering potential compared to its precursor. Thriving across the Pacific Northwest, Centennial remains an irreplaceable, timeless classic that continues to serve as a foundational anchor for defining the flavor profiles of iconic West Coast pale ales, double IPAs, and amber ales worldwide.

The sensory architecture of Centennial delivers an incredibly vibrant, high-impact masterclass in clean American citrus and bright floral elegance. It opens with an unmistakable, headlining surge of sweet, juicy orange pulp, fresh lemon zest, and pungent ruby-red grapefruit rind. This bold citrus canopy is seamlessly balanced by a deep, beautiful middle layer of fresh-cut pine needles, sweet floral marigolds, and crushed jasmine blossoms, all grounded by a subtle undertone of damp woodland moss and wild garden herbs. Boasting a remarkably high native concentration of free geraniol and linalool, Centennial interacts beautifully with active yeast during fermentation, driving massive biotransformations that morph raw essential oils into deep, multi-dimensional fruit complexities with an incredibly clean, smooth, and non-lingering bitterness.