As a certifiable hop head, I’ve found that I need a quick and easy reference to help me keep some of these varieties straight. I’ll be adding some more personalized notes as I feel like it, or as I try a new beer with them.
| Hop | % Alpha Acid | Characteristics | Substitutes | Beers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahtanum | 5.5-6.5 | Floral and citrus | Cascade, Amarillo | Lagers, Ales |
| Amarillo | 8-11 | Meaty, citrusy and floral | Cascade, Centennial | IPA, Pale, Amber |
| Brewers Gold | 8-10 | Generic bittering hop, blackcurrant aroma | Bullion | Ales, Pils, Lambics |
| Bullion | 7-9 | Bittering hop with distinctive herbal aroma | Columbus, No. Brewer | IPA, Pale, Bitter |
| Cascade | 4.5-7 | Citrusy, floral and aromatic, excellent for dry hopping | Amarillo, Centennial | American Ales |
| Centennial | 9.5-11.5 | Citrus, floral and decent aroma, similar to cascade – aka “Super Cascade” |
Cascade, Amarillo, Chinook | American Ales |
| Chinook | 12-14 | Bittering, mild to medium spicy aroma | Nugget, Columbus, Northern Brewer | American Ales |
| Columbus | 14-16 | High alpha for bittering, good oils for dry hopping. Also known as Tommahawk. | Nugget, Chinook, Target, Northern Brewer | American Ales |
| Crystal | 3.5-5.5 | Highly aromatic member of Hallertau family | Mt. Hood, Hersbruck, Liberty, Hallertau | Lager, Pils, Kolsch, Alt, Abbey |
| Fuggle | 4-5.5 | Traditional British aroma hop | Willamette | British, American Ales |
| Galena | 12-14 | High alpha with balanced bittering and good aroma. | Nugget | British, American Ales |
| Glacier | 5.5 | Balanced bittering and nice aroma | Willamette, Golding, Fuggle | British, American Ales |
| Golding | 4-5 | Mild aromatic and bittering flavors | Willamette, Fuggle, Kent Golding | Bitters, ESB, Stouts, Pales |
| Hallertauer | 3.5-5.5 | German aromatic hop | Liberty, German Hallertau | Pils, Lagers |
| Horizon | 11-13 | Low co-humulone hop, use for both bittering and aroma | Magnum | Any |
| Kent Golding | 6 | British aromatic, mild herbal aroma | US Golding, Willamette | British Ales, Pales, Stouts |
| Liberty | 3-5 | Domestic comparison to Hallertau, mild, slightly spicy | Halltertau | Pils, Lagers, Wheat, Kolsch |
| Magnum | 12-14 | Bittering hop | Northern Brewer | Pils, Lagers |
| Northern Brewer | 8-10 | Dual purpose – bittering and aromatic | Magnum, Chinook | British Ales, Kolsch, Wheats |
| Nugget | 12-14 | High alpha bittering with grassy, resiny aroma | Galena, Magnum, Columbus | Lagers |
| Palisades | 9-10 | New higher alpha willamette replacement | Unknown as of yet | British Ales, American Ales |
| Saaz | 3-4.5 | Aromatic and bittering hop distinctive of Pils and other European lagers | Sterling | Pilsners, Lagers, Belgians |
| Santiam | 5-7 | Aromatic hop with noble hop characteristics | Tettnang, Spalt | Lager, Pils, Ales |
| Simcoe | 12-14 | Aromatic and high alpha bittering. Aroma is sharp, piney, and very green. | unknown | American Ales |
| Tettnanger | 4-5 | Spicy noble aromatic hop | Spalt, Santiam | Pils, Lagers, Kolsch |
| Vanguard | 5.5-6 | Similar to aromatic noble hops | Hallertau, Liberty | Lager, Pilsner, Bock, Wheat, Belgian |
| Warrior | 15-17 | Mild, Cascade-like aroma | Nugget, Columbus | IPA, Pales |
| Willamette | 4-6 | Mild aromatic hop | Fuggle, Tettnang, Golding | British Ales, Pales, Browns |
| Zues | 13-17 | Grassy aroma, high alpha, resiny bitterness | Columbus | Bitters, Lagers |
Sources:
- Hop Union Hop Variety Data booklet
- More Hop Union stuff
- BYO magazine Mar/Apr ’03
- S.S. Steiner
- Personal Experience
Great guide. thank you. Brewing an Abbey today, and needed to make adjustments for temp taking an SG reading. Glad I found you.
Great chart. This is just what I needed today. Doing some trial brews with some leftover inventory.
Thanks for posting.
Ken
I so want to rip this chart off your site and format it so that it is easier to read. Haha.
Check out the license at the bottom of the page. Rip away.