The ancestry of the Pacific Gem hop includes Smoothcone, Californian Late Cluster, and Fuggle. It was released to the public in 1987.

New Zealand hops begin to be harvested in late February or March and continues through to early April

Pacific Gem is a bittering hop that is commonly used only to bitter the beer during brewing, and not for too much flavor and aromas.

The Pacific Gem has specific aroma descriptors that include spicy black pepper and berry fruit aroma characteristics. Some brewers have noted delicate blackberry, floral, pine or oak tones as well

Experienced brewers have chosen the following hop varieties as substitutions of Pacific Gem:

Cluster
Magnum
Galena
Belma