NZ Hops Ltd

Let me take you back to the noughties. We survived the Y2K bug, discovered social media, filled our pockets with iPods and later our hands with iPhones, and somehow convinced ourselves that low-rise jeans were a good idea.

Beyoncé, Eminem, Britney Spears, Coldplay, Usher, and Linkin Park were on repeat. Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean and Avatar had us rushing to the cinema, while The Sopranos, The Office and Lost kept us glued to our screens (although we’re still debating that ending).

More importantly these little beauties launched onto the global stage 💚

Nelson Sauvin™
NZ Pacific Jade™
Rakau™ (renamed in 2008, previously known as Alpha Aroma)

Let me take you back. It’s the nineties. The World Wide Web is taking off, Amazon and Google are just getting started, and the Cold War is finally behind us. The music scene is shifting to grunge, hip-hop, boy bands, girl bands while we’re busy playing Super Mario Kart on Nintendo.

We all loved Seinfeld, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Friends (were Rachel and Ross really on a break?). Titanic, Jurassic Park and Forrest Gump were dominating the big screen. It was the era of the supermodel, and Kate Moss and Marky Mark seemed to be on every billboard in their Calvin Klein jeans.

The NZ Hops Co-operative was formed, and released the below to the world 💚

NZ Southern Cross™
Motueka™ (released in 1996 as B Saaz)
Riwaka™ (released in 1994 as D Saaz)
Pacifica™ (released in 1994 as Pacific Hallertau)

The Nectaron® Story

In 2005, during a research planning session with our hop breeding partner, the Bioeconomy Science Institute, we set ourselves an ambitious challenge: to create the hops of the future.

Our vision was clear. We wanted to develop a hop that growers would love to grow. A seedless triploid variety with exceptional agronomics, a strong chemistry profile, excellent cone development, and traits that would make machine harvesting more efficient, reliable, and cost-effective.

At the same time, the craft b**r revolution was gathering momentum. We knew brewers would soon be searching for something new and distinctive. They would need a versatile hop with intense aroma, excellent bittering capability, an outstanding oil profile, and a flavour character bold enough to stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

The result of that vision, innovation, and years of dedicated breeding is Nectaron®.

A unique hop bred for the future, valued by growers, and celebrated by brewers for its vibrant tropical fruit character, versatility, and unmistakable impact in b**r 🧡

Bursting with vibrant aromas of grapefruit, lime, and lemon, plus hints of tropical fruit and subtle pine, Taiheke® is a versatile New Zealand hop that shines in modern Pale Ales and IPAs.

Introduced into New Zealand from the US in the 1980’s as Cascade then in 2016 NZ Hops Ltd trademarked and changed the name to Taiheke® 💚

AA: 6-8%
BA: 5-6%
Total Oil (ml/100g): 0.8-1.3