Hops – Basic facts and figures

HopsChoosing 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

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

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

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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