Back in 2022, we featured a new 2-row barley variety bred at the Eastern Virginia Agricultural Research and Extension Center on our Field To Bench series. This new barley, Avalon, represents a whole community charging toward the debut of a better-performing barley, cultivated with maltsters in mind.
Now three harvests later, we asked the Craft Maltsters Guild membership to weigh in on their experience growing or malting Avalon barley in 2025. Here’s what they had to say…
A decade ago, Virginia didn’t even have a viable 2-row winter malting variety identified. The fact that we now have a 2-row malting barley variety specifically bred for Virginia’s climate is a testament not only to Virginia Tech’s focus in this area, but their work on the advancement of double-haploid breeding technology to speed up the delivery of new lines. These advancements put better tools in the hands of our growers making it easier for them to diversify their crop selection, which in turn puts maltsters in a better position to recruit growers in the name of diversification. Mother Nature hasn’t been the kindest to our region over the last two harvest years, which has resulted in spotty acceptance rates for Avalon— but no singular variety is immune to that. Despite these coincidentally difficult years, we absolutely love Avalon’s malting and brewing functionality when the stars align agronomically. Its slightly earlier maturing date provides a bit of insurance against Virginia’s wet June and its short, round kernel dimension enhances millability vs. a variety like Calypso. If we could dodge its minor susceptibility to sprout damage, we’d be 100% Avalon by now.
— Jeff Bloem, Murphy & Rude Malting Co.
Now in its third year of production, Avalon barley has really hit its stride. Acreage increased dramatically with the expanded availability of certified seed after the 2024 harvest. As a result, we will be bringing in Avalon from farmers in four different states. This is exciting news, as this represents a big step forward for regionally-adapted varieties.
Violetta barley will remain an important part of our variety mix after another successful harvest. From coastal Virginia (Bays Best Farm) to central Kentucky (Walnut Grove Farms), this variety weathered a wide array of stressors, but emerged with strong yields and plump kernels.
— Brent Manning, Riverbend Malt House
Regarding Avalon, our experience this year has been limited. We malted 40,000 pounds from one farm, and 12,000 pounds from another farm, both grown and harvested in 2024, and they produced delicious malt with excellent enzymes. That’s all positive.
One of our fields of Avalon this year was destroyed by wind and rain, and we don’t have test results back yet on the other two smaller fields that were harvested in June.
We’re committed to the new variety and will be planting it again this fall, but I think we need another year under our belts before we can feel really good about it.
— Alan Gladish, Double Eagle Malting Co.
I have not yet malted or grown Avalon but there are many growers in the eastern part of Maryland that grow Avalon. I just picked up a sample of Avalon to evaluate and likely bring in a load for malting soon. One of my long-time growers here in central Maryland will be planting Avalon in the next week or so.
— Brad Humbert, Bear Branch Malt
Read about the researchers behind Avalon, its namesake, and its 10+ years in the making here.
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