Humulus Lupulus Neomexicanus

Later this year, I will be attending the RDP Customer Conference in Vail, Colorado. I'm sure you don't recall the last time I attended the Conference in September, but I visited a lot of breweries along I-70. (Follow along in  the September 2007 archives.)

I went back to Vail in February 2012 ostensibly for business, but still had some good beers. I even sampled Crazy Mountain Brewing's Amber at a restaurant in Edwards, but never made the brewery tour (which was just around the corner from our hotel!!).

This year, though, I will make the brewery tour, come hell or high water. And hopefully they will still have Neomexicanus Native Pale Ale  in the tasting room.

Neomexicanus Native Pale Ale is made with a new, American hop cultivar, Humulus Lupulus Neomexicanus, created in cooperation with CLS Farms in Yakima, Washington. This experimental hop  "offers a citrusy aroma with a distinct lemon lime and guava character while maintaining a moderate acidity" to help balance the malt flavor in the beer.

Crazy Mountain does distribute to Texas, but it does not appear in the Great Texas Craft Beer Desert™, hence my excitement at going to Vail in Septermber.  Right now, the beer is draught only.