Hops – Basic facts and figures
Choosing the right hops for your craft brew can be a daunting experience when faced with list upon list of hop varieties. The tables reproduced in this knowledge base item aim to give you an idea of the bittering and flavour characteristics of a large range of hop varieties from all over the world.
U.K. Hop Varieties
VARIETY |
TALL/HEDGE |
ALPHA RANGE |
CHARACTERISTICS |
FLAVOUR INTENSITY |
ADMIRAL |
Tall |
13 – 16% |
High alpha, alternative to Target, less harsh with pleasant hoppy character |
8 |
BOADICEA |
Hedge |
8 – 11% |
Light floral characters with excellent bittering |
5 |
BRAMBLING CROSS |
Tall |
5 – 7% |
Distinctive strong spicy/blackcurrant flavour |
7 |
CHALLENGER |
Tall |
5 – 9% |
Gives a full bodied rounded bitterness in copper, with crisp fruity strawlike later |
6 |
FIRST GOLD |
Hedge |
6 – 10% |
Fruity slightly spicy & orangey/citrus notes |
6 |
FUGGLE |
Tall |
3 – 6% |
Delicate, minty, grassy slightly floral aroma |
4 |
GOLDING |
Tall |
4 – 7% |
Traditional aroma variety, smooth almost sweet delicate slightly spicy |
4 |
NORTHDOWN |
Tall |
6 – 10% |
Dual purpose with Challenger type aroma but richer flavour |
6 |
PHOENIX |
Tall |
8 – 12% |
Good in copper as bittering hop but only very mellow aromas come through |
3 |
PIONEER |
Hedge |
7 – 11% |
Unusual pleasant lemon/grapefruit citrus aroma distinctively hoppy |
8 |
PILGRIM |
Tall |
9 – 13% |
High alpha similar to Target but much hoppier aroma |
6 |
PROGRESS |
Tall |
4 – 7% |
Slightly sweeter alternative to Fuggles with softer bitterness |
4 |
SOVEREIGN (TA200) |
Hedge |
5 – 7% |
Delicate noble English aroma with a light fl oral, citrus twist |
4 |
TARGET |
Tall |
8 – 13% |
Excellent high alpha at competitive price, slightly harsh for aroma |
8 |
W.G.V. |
Tall |
5 – 8% |
Similar to Goldings but more robust and higher alpha |
4 |
European Hop Varieties
VARIETY |
TALL/HEDGE |
ALPHA RANGE |
CHARACTERISTICS |
FLAVOUR INTENSITY |
GERMANY |
||||
BREWERS GOLD |
Tall |
5 – 9% |
High resin gives well balanced bitterness, fruity spicy character |
8 |
MITTELFRUH |
Tall |
4 – 6% |
Traditional noble aroma for lager or light colour cask ales |
3 |
HERSBRUCKER |
Tall |
2 – 5% |
Grown as a replacement for Mittlefruh with very similar characteristics |
4 |
NORTHERN BREWER |
Tall |
6 – 10% |
Dual purpose similar to Northdown which was bred from it, pleasant aroma |
5 |
PERLE |
Tall |
6 – 10% |
Light lager hop with fruit, high alpha & good storage |
5 |
SPALT |
Tall |
3 – 5% |
Classic lager aroma hop |
5 |
TETTNANG |
Tall |
3 – 6% |
Traditional European lager aroma hop also used in light cask ales |
6 |
SLOVENIA |
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STYRIAN GOLDING |
Tall |
3 – 6% |
Distinctive perfume pine/lemon/citrus hoppy character |
9 |
AURORA (Super Styrian) |
Tall |
6 – 10% |
Higher alpha with aroma similar to Styrian Golding but much lighter with hoppy aroma |
6 |
CZECH REPUBLIC |
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SAAZ |
Tall |
3 – 6% |
Traditional noble European aroma variety, delicate earthy hop flavour |
4 |
FRANCE |
||||
STRISSELSPALT |
Tall |
2 – 5% |
Delicate aroma hop for lager or lighter cask ales |
4 |
POLAND |
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LUBELSKI (Lublin) |
Tall |
3 – 5% |
Originating from Saaz, deep noble, more floral and herbal than resinous |
4 |
MARYNKA |
Tall |
6 – 13% |
Intense, pleasant combination of floral resinous and herbal |
7 |
U.S.A. Hop Varieties
VARIETY |
TALL/HEDGE |
ALPHA RANGE |
CHARACTERISTICS |
FLAVOUR INTENSITY |
AHTANUM |
Tall |
5 – 7% |
Hoppy, grassy almost minty character |
7 |
AMARILLO |
Tall |
7 – 10% |
Very well balanced and rounded, fruity and floral |
7 |
BREWERS GOLD |
Tall |
7 – 9% |
Very refreshing spicy and fruity |
8 |
BULLION |
Tall |
8 – 10% |
Blackcurrant and spicy fruit in this very old hop variety originally used by Guinness as it’s main hop |
7 |
CASCADE |
Tall |
3 – 7% |
Very floral and spicy, gives a very smooth bittering quality even at high hop rates |
9 |
CENTENNIAL |
Tall |
6 – 11% |
Floral qualities with delicate citrus notes |
7 |
CHINOOK |
Tall |
11 – 13% |
High alpha with very strong grapefruit character |
8 |
CLUSTER |
Tall |
6 – 9% |
Well balanced bittering with deep fruity hop aroma |
6 |
COLUMBUS (Tomahawk) |
Tall |
14 – 17% |
Very high alpha used mainly in copper but also good citrus sherbet aroma if used late |
8 |
CRYSTAL |
Tall |
4 – 6% |
Aroma hop with delicate flavour and hints of tangerine |
4 |
FUGGLES |
Tall |
3 – 6% |
Grassy and minty with an American twist |
5 |
GALENA |
Tall |
11 – 15% |
High alpha & blackcurrant aroma gives strong fruity character |
7 |
GOLDING |
Tall |
3 – 7% |
Spicy and sweet with an American twist |
5 |
HALLERTAU (Mittelfruh) |
Tall |
2 – 5% |
Light hoppiness with grassy, spicy notes |
5 |
LIBERTY |
Tall |
3 – 6% |
Spicy, with hint of lemon/citrus |
5 |
MOUNT HOOD |
Tall |
3 – 6% |
Floral and slightly herbal character |
6 |
NUGGET |
Tall |
11 – 15% |
High alpha with resinous hoppy aroma |
6 |
PALISADE |
Tall |
7 – 10% |
Hoppy, fruity and well balanced |
6 |
PERLE |
Tall |
6 – 9% |
Full and fruity |
7 |
SANTIAM |
Tall |
5 – 7% |
Delicate German lager hop aroma |
4 |
SIMCOE |
Tall |
12 – 14% |
In your face resinous and citrussy |
8 |
STERLING |
Tall |
6 – 9% |
USA answer to Saaz, earthy with light hoppy flavours |
5 |
WILLIAMETTE |
Tall |
3 – 6% |
Estery blackcurrant and herbal aroma |
6 |
Antipodean Hop Varieties
VARIETY |
TALL/HEDGE |
ALPHA RANGE |
CHARACTERISTICS |
FLAVOUR INTENSITY |
AUSTRALIA |
||||
PRIDE OF RINGWOOD |
Tall |
10 – 14% |
High alpha and hoppy fruit flavours |
7 |
NEW ZEALAND |
||||
GREEN BULLET |
Tall |
11 – 15% |
High alpha but with Styrian type pine lemon crispness and excellent aroma |
8 |
HALLERTAUER AROMA |
Tall |
7 – 11% |
Bred from Mittlefruh, has a floral, vanilla flavour, excellent for lighter beers |
4 |
PACIFIC GEM |
Tall |
13 – 18% |
High alpha with distinctive berryfruit flavour |
5 |
PACIFIC HALLERTAU |
Tall |
3 – 6% |
New triploid from Mittlefruh in classic aroma style |
5 |
SAAZ 'B' |
Tall |
5 – 8% |
Triploid seedling of Czech Saaz – a more pronounced Saaz flavour with the hoppy earthy character. |
5 |
The above tables have been reproduced from information kindly provided by Charles Faram & Co. Ltd., Hop Merchants since 1865, so they know their stuff! Visit the Hop Store at http://www.wellhopped.co.uk Special thanks to Paul Corbett, Managing Director, for giving this to us before they are published on their own site!
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