Developed by The Hop Breeding Company, a joint venture between John I Haas and the Select Botanicals Group, and originally planted in Toppenish, Washington, Ekuanot — aka Equinox HBC 366 — features pronounced aroma characteristics and extremely high oil content. This variety bursts out of the spring soil in vibrant yellow and gradually matures to a deep green color by fall harvest. With descriptors such as lemon, lime, papayas, apples, cherries, mango, citrus and pine, it’s not surprising Ekuanot was quickly embraced by brewers the world over when it hit the market in 2014. Alongside these typical tropical and fruity descriptors that normally accompany recent hops, Ekuanot has a distinctive flavor note to mark its fame: green pepper, if green peppers were a sweet juicy fruit rather than a savory vegetable. Peaks and Pints selected five craft beers brewed with Ekuanot for our beer flight today: Craft Beer Crosscut 5.9.18: A Flight of Ekuanot.
Atwood Ales No Whey, Bro
4.2% ABV
Located just 18 miles north of the burgeoning Bellingham brewery scene, on the outskirts of a scenic seaside town, is Blaine, Washington’s first, and oldest, brewery — Atwood Ales. The unique setting provided by a 100 year old farmhouse and barn and the surrounding acreage is not only visually compelling, but also provides countless opportunities to directly incorporate estate and locally grown agricultural and natural ingredients into Atwood’s small batch beers. It’s a family-operated farm and brewery. Josh brews the beer. Monica takes care of sales, marketing, and distribution. Josh’s parents, Stephen and Leslee Smith, co-own the brewery, and Monica’s parents (Steve and Nancy) are involved as well. Son Xavier assists with naming beers and is responsible for “No Whey, Bro.” Way. No Whey, Bro is a blonde ale fermented with Lactobacillus bacteria cultured from yogurt. Dry hops (Citra, Ekuanot and Mosaic) add tropical and citrus fruit to the tangy aroma. No Whey, Bro’s flavors and acidity are all balanced components of what is the lemonade of craft beer — a light, refreshing, easy drinking, sour blonde ale.
Boundary Bay Three Degree Haze
6% ABV, 35 IBU
One year ago former brewers of Battle Ground’s Little Dipper Brewing (located inside Northwood Public House in the former Laurelwood Brewing space) opened Brothers Cascadia Brewing in a renovated warehouse space set back off Old Highway 99 in the Northeast Hazel Dell area of Vancouver, Washington. Earlier this year the Brothers traveled to their other side of Washington, north, to brew a hazy IPA with Boundary Bay Brewing. The result, Three Degree Haze, combines a zealous deep-orange haziness with mango and papaya juicy essence, thanks to Ekuanot, El Dorado and Lemondrop hops.
Ecliptic/Reuben’s Crimson Star Hazy Double Pomegranate IPA
9% ABV, 45 IBU
Ecliptic Brewing has a new chapter in its Cosmic Collaboration Series this time with Seattle’s Reuben’s Brews on Crimson Star Hazy Double Pomegranate IPA. Named after a reddish star hidden in the fur of Lepus the hare, Crimson Star is a Hazy Double IPA brewed with pomegranate and guava and dry hopped with Citra, Azacca, Ekuanot, and Motueka hops. Crimson Star offers thick citrus, mango, guava and grapefruit pith that comes on strong with a slight tartness on the back from the pomegranate.
Fremont The Sister Imperial IPA
8.5% ABV, 80 IBU
As part of its Imperial Series, Fremont Brewing’s The Sister hides its heavy hop presence — Mosaic, Ekuanot, Amarillo and Columbus — with a nose that links together apricot, tangerine and star fruit into something wholly engrossing. We are hit with a strong hop element with our initial sip that quickly dissipates due to a considerable amount of malt in The Sister, which it balances the hop side. The Sister gradually ends on the sweet side with the aforementioned flavors dancing on the tongue. This imperial IPA packs a bevy of tastes.
Bale Breaker Bottomcutter IIPA
8.2% ABV, 100 IBU
Hops have long defined life at B.T. Loftus Ranches in the Yakima Valley. Back in 1932, Kevin Smith and Meghann Quinn’s great-grandparents founded the family hop farm that’s now run by their older brother, Patrick. Meghann and her husband, Kevin Quinn, and younger brother were keen homebrewers. Wouldn’t it be natural to start a brewery on the farm? The trio took down three acres of the farm’s Field 41 and built Bale Breaker Brewing Company, which is surrounded by fields of hops. Double dry-hopped with their homegrown Yakima hops, Bottomcutter IIPA may be light in color but is supremely drinkable double IPA with pine, honey, orange and grapefruit swirling around a bunch of caramel. It’s brewed to finish dry, perfect for the combination of Citra, Simcoe, and Ekuanot hops.
