American Pie^® Hops

Hailing from the pristine growing regions of New Zealand, American Pie^® is a modern, proprietary specialty cultivar developed and released under strict plant propagation protection by Wild About Hops NZ. This fascinating selection was grown from seed utilizing a celebrated female Riwaka^™ plant as the maternal parent, which was then pollinated by a proprietary "Tangerine Dream^®" (TD103M) male selection. Engineered primarily to introduce an unconventional, dessert-like aromatic suite to the craft brewing landscape, this unique hybrid combines elite Southern Hemisphere agronomics with a highly expressive essential oil matrix. Its playful name pays direct homage to the distinctive, nostalgic baking spice and orchard-fruit essence it generates, giving experimental brewers an incredibly agile, small-acreage signature variety that stands completely apart from typical tropical profiles.

The sensory footprint of American Pie^® is an incredibly distinct, high-amplitude presentation that shifts away from standard tropical fruit notes into a comforting, pastry-like dreamscape. The aromatic canopy opens instantly with a nostalgic, sweet-tart core of baked red apples, juicy wild berries, and a warm, pungent top note of ground clove and culinary baking spices. This rich, dessert-like baseline is beautifully balanced across the palate by a sharp, lively burst of fresh tangelo peel and bright New Zealand citrus oil. Free of any harsh, rustic, or overly resinous undertones, American Pie^® functions as an elite late-kettle, whirlpool, or dry-hop weapon. It infuses contemporary, hop-forward recipes with a polished, multi-layered depth that beautifully complements complex malt bills and fruit-forward fermentations alike.