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You are here: Home --> Forum Home --> Brewing Forum --> Brewing Discussion --> HBC 438 (Ron Mexico)

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KidMoxie
Charter Member
San Elijo Hills, CA
405 Posts


Holy cow, just tasted the sample I pulled off as I kegged the pale ale I made with HBC 438 (aka Ron Mexico). Its parents are Neomexicanus and an unknown father, presumed to be a hybrid with Lupulus.

Initial thoughts from just the sample: this hop is going to be *big*, moderate dank character mixed with green apple/honeydew mellon and indeterminate "tropical" fruit. I only used three oz in this batch (stuff is precious!), but there is a *ton* of character. At 16+% AA this stuff blows the other Neomex varieties out of the water. If you managed to snag some packets at NHC you hit the jackpot.

Good news for everyone else: this stuff is going to be available to homebrewers (this fall?) before pro brewers. If you see it "in the wild" 1) grab as much of it as you can and 2) tell the the rest of us :)




Posted 34 days ago.

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


This sounds awesome.  I'm jealous!



Posted 34 days ago.

vinpaysdoc
Charter Member
High Point, NC
321 Posts


Not sure about the others, but, Neomexicanus 1 looks to grow well in hotter climes. Still waiting to pull my first year cones off the bines:


Neo1






Posted 34 days ago.

KidMoxie
Charter Member
San Elijo Hills, CA
405 Posts


Yeah, I'm generally pretty stoked about the bright future ahead for Neomex, HBC 438 seals its future, IMO. Jealous that you've got some plants at home!



Posted 34 days ago.

uberg33k
Charter Member
The Internet
314 Posts


I'd offer to get you a plant or two, but you need water to grow hops, so....

I look to be getting a good crop this year, so I might be able to spot you an ounce.




Posted 34 days ago.

mchrispen
Bastrop, TX
485 Posts


This sounds awesome - is the hops mentioned in the Basic Brewing Cilurzo interview from NHC?




Posted 34 days ago.

vinpaysdoc
Charter Member
High Point, NC
321 Posts


Mine are not yet mature. I get little smell when I squeeze them. 

I also have about 5 shoots I'm growing into crowns. Rich gets one since he got shorted.




Posted 34 days ago.
Edited 34 days ago by vinpaysdoc

KidMoxie
Charter Member
San Elijo Hills, CA
405 Posts


> but you need water to grow hops, so....

You had to go there :'( Though word on the street is that we have a mega El Ni�o coming this winter that's supposed to be bigger than the bananas '97 year. I want to believe...

> is the hops mentioned in the Basic Brewing Cilurzo interview from NHC?

Yep! They handed out 1 oz packets at the experimental hop seminar, but they weren't limiting folks to only 1 oz.




Posted 34 days ago.

msuppan
Hillsborough, NC
1 Posts


Hi vinpaysdoc,

I would love to get my hands on some HBC 438 rhizomes. Where did get get them? Would you consider splitting the rhizomes this coming Spring? I live just down the road from you, and I would drive to pick them up (and help dig).  I have a very large 16" high hops trellis with 50 plants of 5 varieties, and I would love to add HBC 438. I would buy them or consider a rhizome trade?

I just bought 4 oz from Bullcity Homebrew store, and the hops smell AMAZING! I plan to brew an all-grain HBC 438 IPA (SMaSH) this coming weekend.

-Manfred




Posted 34 days ago.

vinpaysdoc
Charter Member
High Point, NC
321 Posts


Well, hello there msuppan.

I came by a couple of Neomexicanus One crowns last fall. I think they are similar to the Ron Mexico, but, I'm not sure they are the same. They grew well here, but, I doubt I'll dig rhizomes in the Spring since this was their first season. I'm going to save several feet of the bines to plant in the Spring. You are more than welcome to some of the bines. I just finished cutting my two hills back except for the bines I plan to store over Winter. I did plant some of the excess shoots this Spring and got about 5 crowns. I'm using 2 of them in the yard and the other three have been parceled out. I plan to bury the bines about 4 inches down in some planters to over-winter. I'll then use them in the spring to create more hills near a fence. I will probably also collect extra shoots next year to grow more crowns.

Let me know if you want some of the bines. You may also come by in the Spring to get shoots or bines if you like.

Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than I can shed light as to the relationship of Neomexicanus One to HBC 438 (Ron Mexico).

Greg




Posted 34 days ago.

ingoogni
nl
314 Posts


Will they grow in a colder and wetter climate?

Ingo




Posted 34 days ago.

vinpaysdoc
Charter Member
High Point, NC
321 Posts


I have no idea. They tolerated the heat of North Carolina pretty well.




Posted 34 days ago.

uberg33k
Charter Member
The Internet
314 Posts


Neo 1 is a pure neo mex variety. Ron Mexico is a hybrid of neo mex and lupulus.

As for how it would do in a cool, wet environment? Hard to say. I'm getting a third flush of cones off it right now, so it can grow in hot and humid. Its native is hot and dry. I've never seen a bine grow so quick or start pushing blooms so quickly. So cool and moist, it would probably do OK, but only push one set of blooms.




Posted 34 days ago.

davidg
Kula, HI
137 Posts


I totally spaced, and finally ordered some of these hops to try!  Anyone else been using them yet?



Posted 34 days ago.

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