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Comparing and Selecting Hops
So
how the heck do I choose the right hops for my beer? With such a wide
range of flavor and aroma characteristics, this chart can serve as a
helpful guide to more than five dozen varieties. Whether you are trying
to duplicate a style or are looking to experiment, the following list
can help to get you started.
| Name |
Alpha Acid % |
Typical Beer Styles |
Possible Substitutions |
Flavor Description |
| Admiral (U.K.) |
13.5% to 16% |
Ale |
U.K. Target, U.K. Northdown, U.K. Challenger |
Known for its bittering potential. |
| Ahtanum |
4% to 6.3% |
|
|
Floral, citrus, sharp, and piney. |
| Amarillo |
8% to 9% |
Ale, IPA |
Cascade, Centennial |
Citrusy, flowery. |
| Bramling Cross (U.K.) |
5% to 7% |
ESB, bitter, pale ale |
U.K. Kent Golding, U.K. Progress, Whitbread Golding Variety |
Quite mild, fruity currant aroma. |
| Bravo |
14 to 17% |
American-style IPA? |
|
|
| Brewer's Gold |
7% to 8.5% |
English ale |
Bullion |
Bittering hop with neutral aroma character. |
| Brewer's Gold (German) |
6% to 7% |
Ale, heavier German-style lagers |
Northdown, Northern Brewer, Galena, Bullion |
Black currant, fruity, spicy. |
| Bullion |
6.5% to 9% |
IPA, ESB, stout |
Columbus, Northern Brewer, German Brewer's Gold |
A rich hop primarily used for bittering. Intense blackcurrant aroma. |
| Cascade |
4.5% to 7% |
Pale ale, IPA, porter, barleywine |
Centennial, Amarillo, possibly Columbus |
Pleasant, flowery, spicy, and citrusy. Can have a grapefruit flavor. |
| Centennial |
8% to 11.5% |
All ale styles, has been used with wheat beer |
Cascade, possibly Columbus |
Medium with floral and citrus tones. |
| Challenger (U.K.) |
6.5% to 8.5% |
English-style ales, porter, stout, ESB, bitter |
U.S. or German Perle, Northern Brewer |
Mild to moderate, quite spicy. |
| Chinook |
10% to 14% |
Pale ale, IPA, stout, porter, lager |
Nugget, Columbus, Northern Brewer, U.K. Target |
Mild to medium-heavy, spicy, piney, and grapefruity. |
| Cluster |
5.5% to 8.5% |
Ale and lager (good aroma for ale, good bittering for lager) |
Galena |
Medium and quite spicy. |
| Columbus |
11% to 16% |
IPA, pale ale, stout |
Nugget, Chinook, U.K. Target, Northern Brewer |
Pleasant, with pungent aroma. |
| Crystal |
2% to 4.5% |
Lager, pilsner, ESB |
Mt. Hood, Hersbrucker, French Strisslespalt, Liberty, Hallertauer |
Mild and pleasant, spicy and flowery. |
| Eroica |
9% to 12% |
Wheat |
Galena, Nugget, Chinook |
Strong but pleasant aroma. |
| First Gold (U.K.) |
6.5% to 8.5% |
Ale, ESB |
U.K. Kent Golding, maybe Crystal |
A little like Golding family; spicy. |
| Fuggle (U.S.) |
4% to 5.5% |
Any English-style beer or American ale |
U.K. Fuggle, Willamette, Styrian Golding, U.S. Tettnanger |
Mild and pleasant, earthy and fruity. |
| Fuggle (U.K.) |
4% to 5.5% |
All English-style ales, ESB, bitter, lager |
U.S. Fuggle, Willamette, Styrian Golding |
Mild, pleasant, hoppy, and robust. |
More Hops
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