Mill 95 is Idaho’s home-grown hop processing company, founded to keep Idaho-grown hops from travelling miles away for pelletizing and losing freshness in transit.

As the 2025 title sponsor of HowlerFest, Mill 95 is generously supplying hops to all participating breweries so they can brew a signature beer using Idaho Gem.

Idaho Gem is a relatively recent variety (released in 2018) grown by Gooding Farms in Idaho. It’s a dual-purpose hop (usable for both bittering and aroma) with an alpha acid range of about 10–12 % and a beta around 4–5 %. Its aroma/flavor profile leans sweet and fruit-forward, with notes of tropical and stone fruit, red berry, citrus, herbal spice, and even some minty or mojito-like undertones.

In a brew competition context, Idaho Gem offers brewers a vibrant palette: it can contribute both depth and aromatic brightness. With Mill 95’s backing, this gives all the breweries a shared hop “voice” to show off how the same raw ingredient can be expressed differently through recipe, yeast choice, timing, and technique.