Hop Varieties and Substitutes
Wondering what type of hops to use for your next brew? Can’t find the variety on the recipe and need an alternative?
Use the table below to find descriptions of the main varieties of hops and possible sustitutes that can be used when you run out.
Name Alpha Acidity % Flavour Description Possible Substitutions
Admiral 13.5 - 16 High alpha, alternative to Target, less harsh with pleasant hoppy character Target, Northdown, Challenger
Ahtanum 4 - 6.3 Distinctive unusual floral aroma - citrus, sharp and piney Cascade, Amarillo, Simcoe
Amarillo 7 - 10 Very well balanced and rounded, fruity and floral Cascade, Centennial, Summit, Ahtanum
Apollo 15 - 19 A high alpha acid varietal known for its disease resistance. Zeus
Aquila 6 - 7.5
Argentine Cascade 3 - 4 (These are NOT Cascades!) Tettnang, Spalt
Banner 9.5 - 10.5
Boadicea 8 - 11 Light floral characters with excellent bittering Cascade
Bramling Cross 5 - 67 Distinctive strong spicy/goldcurrant flavour East Kent Golding, Progress, Whitbread
Bravo 14 - 17 Apollo, Zeus
Brewers Gold 5 - 9 High resin gives well balanced bitterness, refreshing spicy and fruity character Bullion, Northern Brewer, Northdown, Galena, Chinook, Nugget
Bullion 6.5 - 10 Blackcurrant and spicy fruit in this very old hop variety originally used by Guinness as its main hop Brewers gold, Northern Brewer, Galena, Columbus
Cascade 3 - 7 Very floral and spicy, gives a very smooth bittering quality even at high hop rates Centennial, Amarillo, Summit, possibly Columbus
Centennial 9 - 11 Cascade
Centennial 6 - 11 Floral qualities with delicate citrus notes Amarillo, Cascade, Summit, possibly Columbus
Challenger 5 - 9 Gives a full bodied rounded bitterness in copper, with crisp fruity strawlike later Northern Brewer, Pearle, Admiral
Chinook 11 - 14 High alpha - spicy, piney, and very grapefruity character Brewers Gold, Nugget, Columbus, Target, Northern Brewer, Galena Eroica
Cluster 5.5 - 8.5 Well balanced bittering - spicy with deep fruity hop aroma Galena, Eroica, Chinook
Columbia 12 - 16 Nugget, Chinook, Northern Brewer, Target
Columbus 11 - 16 Pleasant, with pungent aroma. Eroica, Magnum, Chinook, Northern Brewer, Nugget, Warrior, Millenium
Columbus (Tomahawk) 14 - 17 Very high alpha used mainly in copper but also good citrus sherbet aroma if used late
Comet 8 - 11
Crystal 4 - 6 Aroma hop with delicate flavour and hints of tangerine Hallertauer, Mittelfruh, Liberty, Mt. Hood, Strisselspalt, Tettnanger
East Kent Goldings 4 - 6 Fuggle, Progress, First Gold
Eroica 10 - 14 Brewers Gold, Columbus, Galena, Nugget, Chinook, Cluster
First Gold 6.5 - 8.5 Fruity slightly spicy & orangy/citrus notes East Kent Goldings
Fuggle 4 - 6 Willamette, Kent Golding, Progress, Styrian Golding
Fuggle 3 - 8 Delicate, minty, grassy slightly floral aroma Willamette, East Kent Golding, Progress, Styrian Golding, Tettnanger, Newport
Galena 11 - 14 High alpha & blackcurrant aroma gives strong fruity character Brewers Gold, Nugget, Chinook, Bullion, Pride of Ringwood
Gill 11 - 13 High alpha with heavy resinous hoppy character
Glacier 5 - 9 Dual purpose hop with a citrus earthy aroma. Styrian Golding, Fuggle, Tettnanger, Willamette
Golding 4 - 7 Traditional aroma variety, smooth almost sweet delicate slightly spicy Whitbread, Progress
Green Bullet 11 - 15 High alpha but with Styrian type pine lemon crispness and excellent aroma
Hallertau Liberty, Tettnanger, Mt. Hood, Vangaurd, Tradition
Hallertau (Mittelfrüh) 4 - 6 Delicate aroma for lager or lighter cask ales Mt. Hood, Liberty, Crystal.
Hallertau Hersbrucker 2 - 5 Delicate aroma hop for lager or lighter cask ales Mt. Hood, Crystal, Liberty, Tettnanger, Vangaurd, Tradition
Herald 9 - 13 Less harsh alternative to Target, mild grapefruit/citrus
Hilary 9 - 10.5 Robust full and rounded with refreshing spicy aroma
Horizon 11 - 14 Pleasantly hoppy. Magnum
Huller 4 - 6
Irene (XG38) 10 - 13 Woody, citrus aroma with high alpha
Jeanette 0.06 Delicate, clean & refreshing, slightly floral
Jenny 0.098 Aniseed/liquorice combine in a well balanced hop
Joan 0.098 Powerful & fruity lovely citrus notes with hint of liquorice
Kate (SW199) 10 - 13 Resinous sharp bitterness, light citrus aroma
Kent Goldings 4-5.5 Goldings (British Columbia), Fuggle, Willamette.
Liberty 3 - 6 Spicy, with hint of lemon/citrus Hallertau Mittelfruh, Mt. Hood, Crystal, Ultra
Lublin 3 - 5 Czech Saaz, Tettnanger, Sterling
Magnum 12 - 14 Known for bittering value and quality. Columbus, Northern Brewer, Horizon, Newport
Marynka Northern Brewer
Millenium Nugget, Columbus
Mount Hood 3 - 6 Floral and slightly herbal character Hallertau Hersbrucker, Mittelfruh, Crystal, Strisselspalt
Nelson Sauvin (New Zealand) 12 - 14 Unique hop with grape-like flavor
Newport 13 - 17 Fairly pungent. Galena, Nugget, Fuggle, Magnum
Northdown 5 - 10 Dual purpose with Challenger type aroma but richer flavour Northern Brewer, Omega, Target, Yeoman, Admiral, Challenger
Northen Brewer 7 - 11 Dual purpose similar to Northdown which was bred from it, pleasant aroma North Down, Brewers Gold, Bullion, Challenger, Chinook, Nugget, Perle
Northwest Golding 4 - 5 Known for aromatic properties.
Nugget 11 - 16 High alpha with resinous hoppy aroma Chinook, Columbus, Galena, Target, Cluster, Galena, Brewers Gold, Warrior, Eroica, Millenium
Olympic 11 - 14 Mild to medium, citrusy aroma, spicy. Chinook
Omega 9 - 11 Northdown
Orion 6 - 8 Nothern Brewer
Pacific Gem 13 - 18 High alpha with distinctive berryfruit or woody flavour
Pacific Hallertau 3 - 6 New triploid from Mittlefruh in classic aroma style
Pacific Jade (New Zealand) 12 - 14 A "soft" bittering hop with spicy and citrus aroma qualities.
Palisade 5.5-9.5% Some "American" characteristics. Perhaps Cascade
Perle 6 - 11 Light lager hop with fruit, high alpha & good storage Hallertau Mittelfruh (not in Pilsners), Northern Brewer, Cluster, Chinook, Galena, Challenger
Phoenix 8 - 12 Good in copper as bittering hop but only very mellow aromas come through Northdown, Kent Golding, Challenger
Pilgrim 7 - 11 Unusual pleasant lemon/grapefruit citrus aroma distinctively hoppy
Pilot (Ros) 9 - 10 Delicate aroma with hints of lemon & fresh mown grass
Pioneer 7 - 11 Unusual pleasant lemon/grapefruit citrus aroma distinctively hoppy East Kent Golding
Pride Of Ringwood (Australia) 7 - 11 High alph with quite pronounced, woody, earthy, herbal aroma Cluster, Galena, Centennial
Progress 5 - 7.5 Slightly sweeter alternative to Fuggle with softer bitterness Fuggles, E.K. Goldings
Riwaka (New Zealand) 4.5 - 6.5 Citrusy, grapefruit aroma hop Czech Saaz, possible American "C" hops
Ruth 0.1 Traditional WGV type with hints of lavender
Saaz 3 - 6 Traditional noble European aroma variety, delicate earthy hop flavour Lublin, Ultra, Tettnanger, Spalt, Sladek, Sterling, Vangaurd
Saaz 'B' 5 - 8 Triploid seedling of Czech Saaz a more pronounced Saaz flavour with the hoppy earthy character
Santiam 5 - 7.9 Delicate German lager hop aroma with noble characteristics Tettnanger, Spalt, Liberty, Hallertau
Saphir
Satus 12.5 - 14 Known for its bittering and aromatic properties. Galena
Simcoe 12 - 14 A bittering and aromatic hop - in your face resinous and citrussy. Northern Brewer
Sladek Saaz, Lublin
Sorachi Ace (Japan) 13 - 16 Bittering hop with lemony aroma
Southern Cross 12
Spalt 3 - 5 Classic lager aroma hop Santiam, Liberty, Tettnanger, Hallertau, U.S. Saaz, U.S. Tettnanger, German Spalt Select
Sterling 6 - 9 USA answer to Saaz, earthy with light hoppy flavours Saaz, Lublin
Strisselspalt 2 - 5 Delicate aroma hop for lager or lighter cask ales Hallertau Hesbrucker, Mt. Hood, Crystal Fuggle, Willamette
Styrian Aurora Northern Brewer
Styrian Goldings 4 - 6 Distinctive perfume pine/lemon/citrus hoppy character Fuggle, Willamette
Summit 16 - 18% Ultra high-alpha bittering hop Simcoe, Amarillo, Cascade
Sun 12 - 16 High-alpha hop with intense character Magnum or a high-alpha hop
Super Alpha (New Zealand) 10 - 12 Earthy, piney bittering hop.
Super Styrian 6 - 10 Higher alpha with aroma similar to Styrian Golding but much lighter
TA 200 5 - 7 Golding flavour with a light floral, citrus twist
Target 9.5 - 12.5 high alpha at competitive price, can be intense for aroma Fuggle, Willamette, Nugget, Admiral, Northdown, Yeoman
Tettnanger 3 - 5 Traditional European lager aroma hop, also used in light cask ales Hallertau, Hersbrucker, Liberty, Fuggle, Spalt, Saaz, Willamette
Tomahawk 15 - 17 Primarily a bittering hop. Columbus
Tradition 5 - 7 Hallertauer
Ultra 2 - 4.1 Liberty, Hallertau, Saaz
Vanguard 4 - 6 Saaz, Hallertauer Mittelfruh
Warrior 15 - 17 A bittering and aromatic hop. Nugget, Columbus
WGV 5 - 8 Similar to Golding but more robust and higher alpha
Willamette 3.5 - 6 Mild and pleasant, slightly spicy, fruity, floral, a little earthy. Styrian Golding, Fuggle, Tettnanger, Glacier
Yakima Cluster 6 - 8.5 Used as a kettle hop for bittering.
Yeoman 9 - 14 Northdown, Target
Zenith 9 - 10
Zeus 13 - 17 Aromatic and pleasant. Columbus
