Nectaron T90 Hop Pellets – New Zealand Hops

Nectaron T90 Hop Pellets – New Zealand Hops

Nectaron T90 hop pellets are one of the most exciting modern New Zealand hop varieties, delivering an intense combination of tropical fruit, passionfruit, pineapple, peach and citrus.

Originally known as HORT4337, Nectaron® was developed over 17 years in collaboration with New Zealand's Plant & Food Research before being released commercially in 2020. It has quickly become a favourite with brewers looking for big, juicy tropical hop character.

Our 2024 harvest Nectaron hops have an alpha acid of 13%, making them a powerful late-addition hop while retaining the huge tropical and stone-fruit character that makes this New Zealand variety so distinctive.

If you love hops that bring pineapple, passionfruit, peach and grapefruit to your beer, Nectaron is a hop worth getting excited about.

Nectaron is particularly well suited to IPA, Pale Ale, NEIPA, Hazy IPA, Double IPA and modern hop-forward beers. It is used almost exclusively in late additions, whirlpool hopping and dry hopping, where its expressive fruit character can shine.

Nectaron Hop Flavour & Aroma

Nectaron has a seriously expressive tropical fruit character. It combines ripe fruit sweetness with bright citrus and stone-fruit notes, creating a profile that is both juicy and highly aromatic.

Depending on how you use it, you can expect a combination of:

• Pineapple

• Passionfruit

• Peach and stone fruit

• Grapefruit

• Citrus

• Tropical fruit

The combination of pineapple and passionfruit is particularly characteristic of Nectaron, while peach and grapefruit add extra depth to the finished beer.

Used in generous late additions, whirlpool additions or dry hops, Nectaron can produce the kind of intense tropical aroma that modern IPA and NEIPA drinkers look for.

How to Use Nectaron T90 Hop Pellets

Whirlpool / Hop Stand

Adding Nectaron to the whirlpool or hop stand is an excellent way of extracting its huge tropical and citrus character while keeping bitterness relatively low compared with a traditional early-boil addition.

A generous whirlpool addition can produce flavours of pineapple, passionfruit, peach and grapefruit, making it particularly effective in Pale Ales, IPAs and NEIPAs.

Dry Hopping

Nectaron is an excellent dry-hopping hop, and this is where its tropical character can really shine.

Adding Nectaron T90 pellets during or after fermentation can give the beer an intense aroma of passionfruit, pineapple, peach and citrus, with a juicy tropical character that works particularly well in modern hop-forward beers.

Try Nectaron on its own for a single-hop Nectaron IPA or Pale Ale, or combine it with other varieties to build a more complex hop profile.

Nectaron works particularly well alongside hops such as Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, Motueka and Nelson Sauvin, allowing you to combine its tropical stone-fruit character with citrus, resinous or distinctive New Zealand hop flavours.

Late Kettle Additions

Late kettle additions of Nectaron can provide flavour, aroma and a modest amount of bitterness.

Adding Nectaron during the final 5–15 minutes of the boil can bring out its tropical fruit and citrus character, adding depth and complexity to the flavour of you beer 

For a modern Pale Ale, try using Nectaron towards the end of the boil before adding another dose in the whirlpool.

Nectaron Hop Specifications

Our Nectaron T90 hop pellets are from the 2024 crop.

• Hop variety: Nectaron®

• Crop: 2024

• Origin: New Zealand

• Type: T90 hop pellets

• Alpha Acid: 13%

• Best uses: Whirlpool, hop stand, late kettle additions and dry hopping

• Flavour: Pineapple, passionfruit, peach, grapefruit and tropical fruit

• Ideal beer styles: NEIPA, IPA, Pale Ale, Hazy IPA, Double IPA, Lager and modern hop-forward beers

Brewing with Nectaron Hops

Nectaron is one of those hops that can completely change the character of a beer depending on how you use it.

Want to brew a single-hop Nectaron Pale Ale? It works brilliantly.

Want a juicy Nectaron NEIPA packed with tropical fruit? That's where this hop really shines.

Want to build a modern IPA using several varieties? Nectaron makes an excellent partner for other high-impact American and New Zealand hops.

For maximum aroma, use Nectaron in the whirlpool and dry hop, allowing the pineapple, passionfruit and stone-fruit character to remain at the centre of the beer.

Nectaron can also be used alongside Citra for a powerful combination of tropical fruit and citrus, while pairing it with Motueka or Nelson Sauvin can create a distinctly New Zealand-inspired hop profile.

Nectaron – A Modern New Zealand Hop

Nectaron is still a relatively young variety compared with established favourites such as Cascade, Citra or Mosaic, but it has quickly developed a reputation among modern brewers.

Its combination of pineapple, passionfruit, peach and citrus gives it an immediately recognisable character, while its late-addition versatility makes it especially valuable in Pale Ales, IPAs, NEIPAs and other hop-forward beers.

For home brewers who enjoy experimenting with modern hop varieties, Nectaron is a particularly interesting choice because it can provide plenty of character when used as the main late hop in a beer.