Elani Hops

AromaAlpha 9.0 - 11.0%United States

Elani stands as a remarkable, high-impact commercial cultivar brought to market by the team at Yakima Quality Hops. Discovered growing wild along the rugged banks of the St. Joe River Valley in Idaho—and initially trialed under the experimental designation YQH-1320 cv.—this variety was officially released to the global craft beer industry following highly successful large-scale brewing trials. Geneticists believe this plant is a true natural treasure, the result of decades of open, feral cross-pollination descending from heritage hop yards planted by Pacific Northwest miners and loggers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Elani offers a fascinating bridge between historic American agricultural survival and the intense, clean, fruit-forward aromatic expectations of today’s modern brewers, providing exceptional field vigor and superb lot-to-lot consistency.

The profile of Elani is an exceptionally bright, clean, and beautifully balanced sensory experience that completely avoids the heavy onion, garlic, or harsh herbal notes that often plague high-oil New World varieties. The aromatic journey opens with an immediate and striking blast of sweet orange zest, fresh-squeezed tangerine, and tangy lime sherbet. As this vibrant citrus framework unfolds across the palate, a dense mid-palate of lush tropical fruits takes center stage, highlighting sweet guava, juicy pineapple, and a smooth, elegant core of ripe white peach. The finish wraps up cleanly, supported by a subtle, underlying hint of crisp pine needles and sweet lemongrass. This pristine complexity allows Elani to perform beautifully as a standalone single-hop feature or to seamlessly amplify the tropical punch of classic hop combinations.

Substitution Tip

If you can't find Elani, the best alternatives are Citra®, Mosaic®, or Simcoe®.

At A Glance

ProfileOrange Zest, Pineapple Juice, Sweet Guava, Ripe White Peach, Tangy Lime Sherbet, Crisp Pine Undertone, Lemongrass
PurposeAroma
Alpha Acid9.0 - 11.0%
SubstitutesCitra®, Mosaic®, Simcoe®
Pairs withAmarillo® (to push the sweet mandarin orange and stone-fruit attributes to their absolute maximum), Citra® (to drive sweet mango and bright lime characters into absolute overdrive over Elani's orange zest base), Mosaic® (to build a highly multi-dimensional berry and dense tropical fruit punch)
Beer StylesJuicy/Hazy New England India Pale Ale, West Coast India Pale Ale, American Pale Ale, Double India Pale Ale, Hoppy Pilsner, India Pale Lager

General Information

Country
United States
Alias
YQH-1320
Storage Stability
Good

Brewing Chemistry (Acids & Oils)

Alpha Acid
9.0 - 11.0%
Beta Acid
6.0 - 7.0%
Cohumulone
20.0 - 35.0%
Total Oil
1.3 - 2.4 ml/100g
Myrcene
~53.8%
Humulene
~9.7%
Caryophyllene
~5.2%
Linalool
~0.6%
B-Pinene
~0.9%
Geraniol
< 0.25%

Growth & Cultivation

Maturity
Mid to Late Season
Resistant
Displays excellent native field health and robust built-in resistance patterns against common Pacific Northwest hop diseases.
Tolerant
Exceptionally tolerant to changing weather conditions, a direct benefit inherited from its feral, wild river-valley adaptation.
Growth Rate
High / Extremely Vigorous
Cones
Firm, resilient, and packed with dense, aromatic golden lupulin.
Ease of Harvest
Excellent (The structural bine configuration separates cleanly, allowing easy processing via modern mechanical harvesting equipment).
Sex
Female
Leaf Color
Medium Green

Elani Aroma/Flavor Profile

Aroma
CitrusTropical FruitStone FruitApple/PearMelonBerryFloralSpicy/HerbalPineResinGrassEarthy/WoodyOnion/GarlicDank/Catty

Discovery Tags

Usage

Breeding/Supplier

Last Updated
  • 2026-05-29 15:47:51