Today in 2012, US Patent 20120297512 P1 was issued, an invention of Eugene G. Probasco and Jason Perrault, assigned to the Hop Breeding Company, L.L.C., for his “Hop Plant Named ‘HBC 369.'” Here’s the Abstract:

A new hop plant named ‘HBC 369’ is disclosed. The cones of ‘HBC 369’ mature in mid September, and yield a crop of 1600 to 2000 pounds per acre. ‘HBC 369’ is used for its unique aromatic quality, resistance to powdery mildew, high alpha acid content and exceptional yield.

If you don’t recognize that number, they quickly gave 369 a name, and it’s one you probably will know: Mosaic. The Hop Breeding Company has more info about Mosaic at their website, and co-inventor Gene Probasco gave a presentation at an MBAA meeting in 2012. This how Yakima Chief describes it. “Mosaic™ Brand HBC 369 cv is a daughter of the YCR 14 cv hop variety and a Nugget derived male. It has high alpha acids and tropical, blueberry, tangerine, floral, and earthy aromas.” And you can see it’s listing at HopUnion, and although the two merged to become YCH Hops, their hop varieties page is blank. It’s become a fairly popular hop variety in a very short time.