Named after both its founding region in New Zealand and the Sauvignon Blanc grape, Nelson Sauvin is an exciting, distinctive hop varietal that hit the kettles in 2000. Hailing from a small bay on the north coast of the country’s South Island, the hop sports a compact cone shape with a tapered end. Nelson Sauvin hops have vigorous spring growth and can lend either a dominant hop character to a beer or something much more subtle. Aromas and taste range from citrus to mango and gooseberry, which are supplemented by hints of pepper and allspice. Known to impart a cool climate white wine “fruitiness,” Nelson Sauvin’s bold, dominant hop character is at home in new-world styles and can be used to produce pithy ales as well as delicate yet bitter lagers. Taste what Nelson Sauvin hops can do to beer at Peaks & Pints today with our in-house beer flight, Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Nelson Sauvin.
Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Nelson Sauvin
Block 15 Keen As!
6.6% ABV, draft
In early 2008, homebrewers Nick and Kristen Arzner opened Block 15 brewery and restaurant serving beers true-to-style with ingredients imported from different parts of the world, along with all the Willamette Valley produced grains, hops, fruits, herbs, and yeast. The brewery’s name hails from Corvallis’ previous incarnation as Marysville and the old plat map location from the old town. Originally built in 1926 for the Gazette-Times newspaper, the original Block 15 building is blocks from both Oregon State University’s campus and Corvallis’ riverfront park. They have since opened a production facility down the road. Their Keen As! IPA is brewed with heaps of juicy, and intense New Zealand Superdelic and Nelson Sauvin hops paired with pungent Northwest-grown Simcoe and Citra hops for mango, melon, herbal, and earthy notes plus a dry, dank finish.
Alpine Nelson
7% ABV, can
Named after Nelson Sauvin, which imparts a beautiful nose of tropical fruit — mango and pineapple — and a dry, earthy body that’s usually compared to the Sauvignon Blanc grape, Alpine Beer’s Nelson spends most of its time off the taps. Low supply does breed high demand though, and much like other great beers Alpine puts out, the Nelson developed a small cult following in its time away from chilled pint glasses everywhere. On the tongue, expect lemon and lemongrass, as in the aroma, with amplified grapefruit, moderate malt sweetness, a touch of resinous pine, moderately dank, strong bitterness, and light grassy notes.
Casita Go Ask Your Mother
7.3% ABV, can
What started as 217 Brew Works in downtown Wilson, North Carolina, is now Casita Brewing Company owned by Ryan and Mahalia Witter-Merithew. Mahalia started in the beer industry by chance when she got a job through a temp agency at a beer distributor in 2003 after finishing her undergraduate degree. Ryan started in the beer industry very much on purpose in 2006 at a beer distributor in Pennsylvania, and he got his first brewing job in 2007 at Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery in Farmville, Virginia. The two met at a pub in Greenville in 2007. The two were married in 2009 and soon thereafter moved to Europe for an opportunity for Ryan to be the head brewer at Fano Bryghus in Denmark. At Fano, they lived in the brewery and had an opportunity to contract brew for newer brands like Mikkeller, Evil Twin, Grass Roots, and Stillwater Artisanal Ales. They left Denmark for a new adventure in England in 2013, helping to start Siren Craft Brew in Finchampstead. In 2015, they left England, returning to the US to Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro, VT. It was here that Casita was born. Ryan was offered the opportunity to have his own brand housed within Hill Farmstead to earn extra money. The two developed Casita–the “little house” inside the bigger brewery to be a brand focused on home, love, and family. In 2017 they relocated their brand back to their home state of North Carolina, and in 2020, they opened their taproom in Mahalia’s hometown of Wilson. A collaboration with Wilmington Brewing Company, Go Ask Your Mother is brewed with pale malt, flaked oats, flaked wheat, Citra and Nelson Sauvin for dank pineapple and lemon notes.
Stillwater Wavvy Triangle
8% ABV, can
Brian Strumke is no longer a nomadic brewer. He’s now brewing his Stillwater beers from a permanent location — Talking Cedar Brewery & Distillery on tribal land in Ground Mound, Washington. One of the first beers out of Talking Cedar is his longtime double IPA, Wavvy, but with a twist. Wavvy Triangle is a hazy double international pale ale hopped with Motueka, Waimea, and Nelson Sauvin, and blended with Controlled Chaos v2 yeast blend. It’s delicious with ripe melon and a little grass.
Rainy Daze Balloon Animals
8.6% ABV, draft
You know the story. Longtime homebrewer Mike Montoney scores a brew system from closed Battenkill Brewing of Poulsbo, apprentices on a professional system with Brad Ginn and Mark Hood of Sound Brewery, goes on to brew awarding-winning craft beers under the Rainy Daze Brewing brand. Rainy Daze Balloon Animals double IPA is brewed with pilsner, oat, and golden promise malts, CGX Cryogenic Lupulin Pellets of Nelson Sauvin, plus Cryo Citra, Motueka and Mosaic hops for hints of white grape, lime, and grapefruit zest.
LINK: Peaks & Pints cooler inventory
