Fuggle (US) Hops

Fuggle (US) represents the direct, historic adaptation of England’s most celebrated nineteenth-century landrace to the distinct agricultural conditions of the Pacific Northwest. First brought to American soil around 1950 by the United States Department of Agriculture (likely sourced from Wye College) and heavily cultivated in Oregon valleys before expanding into Washington, this original unhybridized heirloom cultivar (tracked as USDA 19209) established a critical foundational footprint for the domestic production of traditional ales. Notably, this very selection served as the mother plant for the breeding line that ultimately gave rise to Willamette, the powerhouse variety that would eventually succeed it in large-scale commercial yards. Though its modern acreage has receded in favor of those higher-yielding triploid descendants, Fuggle (US) remains a deeply cherished, pure expression of old-school brewing heritage prized for its historical authenticity and unmistakable rustic charm.

The profile of Fuggle (US) is beautifully shaped by its unique American terroir, trading some of the delicate, mint-like properties of its British ancestors for a more robust and fruit-leaning sensory presence. It opens with a comforting, structural framework of damp forest floor, rich garden loam, and seasoned cedar wood. This deep, grounding earthiness is gracefully layered with a distinct herbal complexity reminiscent of crushed sage and dried black tea, all accented by a soft, unexpected top-note of dark orchard fruit. Because its essential oil matrix features a lower myrcene fraction relative to aggressive modern domestic hops, its aromatic intensity remains remarkably smooth, well-integrated, and complex, rounding out heavy specialty malts perfectly without ever turning sharp, pungent, or overbearing.