USA: USDA and Hop Quality Group release new hop variety Thora

Developed to meet the needs of both craft brewers and hop growers, Thora blends high agronomic performance with a complex tropical aroma profile.

The hop takes its name from the Old Norse word Þórr, meaning “thunder.” It’s the first variety to emerge from the collaboration between HQG and USDA-ARS, which began in 2015 to create publicly available hops with modern flavor and strong field performance.

From the official press release:
“Thora is the culmination of over a decade of hard work by the Hop Quality Group to make meaningful change within the hop industry,” said Eric Desmarais, 4th generation owner of CLS Farms.”

HQG’s network of more than 50 U.S. craft breweries partnered with USDA-ARS hop breeders through every stage of Thora’s development. Brewers participated in early rub-and-sniff trials, pilot brews, and thiol analysis to ensure the variety would stand out in the brewhouse. The result is a hop that balances aroma intensity with grower practicality — a goal shared by the HQG since its founding in 2010 to advance hop quality across the independent brewing community.

“What makes Thora truly unique is how a collection of brewers have been part of the process from the very beginning, shaping its direction and creating value for both the hop and brewing industries,” said Blake Crosby, CEO of Crosby Hops.

Thora bursts with passionfruit, guava, grapefruit, and stone fruit, layered with resinous and dank undertones. Its high concentrations of thiols — including 4MMP, 3S4MP, and 3MH — rival or exceed most U.S. cultivars, creating a punchy tropical character ideal for IPAs and other hop-forward beer styles. Brewers report expressive tropical fruit flavors balanced by clean bitterness, making Thora versatile for hazy, West Coast, or hybrid IPA approaches.