Seed available for three new winter barley lines from Oregon State University
Announcing the opportunity to purchase Foundation Seed of three new winter barley varieties from Oregon State University: Lontra, Top Shelf, and GN0-Vivar. Please see information below on how to order seed
Lontra – the New World Otter. The mystique of Maris Otter has kept brewers in awe for decades and this heirloom is still regularly called upon by ale brewers. However, growth is limited to its home island, with only malt leaving the UK. Lontra offers a contemporary take on this classic with freedom to roam in North America. This updated heirloom offers a unique flavor profile and malts and brews well in craft settings. An excellent barley for all-malt, craft brewing.
Top Shelf - The first domestic GN0 winter malting barley. This variety is perfect for distillers because it provides exceptional malt quality for both all-malt and grain/adjunct whiskey production. Top Shelf shows an excellent nitrogen response and when managed for high protein boasts a super enzyme and FAN package. When managed for low protein it has very high extract and Predicted Spirit Yield (PSY) required for all-malt distilling. Why look to Europe for GN0 barley when the Top Shelf is right here?
GN0-Vivar - A GN0 sister of Top Shelf, with rare resistance to Bacterial Leaf Streak. 472 is best suited for all-malt distilling with exceptional extract and PSY. It is a bit more tempered than Top Shelf, with a more moderate modification pattern in the malt house. A bonus is that preliminary data shows that it provides unique flavors in new-make spirit and is rare source of resistance to an emerging disease – Bacterial Leaf Streak (BLS). An ideal barley for the American Single-malt Whiskey producer keen on sustainable barley production
Ordering seed
Foundation seed is available from the Washington State Crop Improvement Association (WSCIA). To purchase foundation seed, a non-exclusive license from Oregon State University is required and subsequent seed increases for planting purposes can only be sold by license-holders as a class of certified seed with a royalty of $0.03/lb. For details, please reach out to Pat Hayes at patrick.m.hayes@oregonstate.edu.
