| Name | Flavor | Example | Summary | Alpha Min | Alpha Max | hf:categories | hf:tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amarillo® Hops VGXP01 cv. | Amarillo hops have a flowery, citrus-like aroma with medium bittering value that is gaining acceptance as a substitute for Cascade due to its hardy nature. | Ales, IPAs | A flowery, grapefruit-like aroma with medium bittering value that is gaining acceptance as a substitute for Cascade due to its citrus nature. | 7 | 11 | hops | citrus flowery |
| Cascade Hops | Very successful and well-established American aroma hop developed by Oregon State University's breeding program in 1956 from Fuggle and Serebrianker (a Russian variety), but not released for cultivation until 1972. It has a flowery and spicy, citrus-like quality with a slight grapefruit characteristic. One of the "Three Cs" along with Centennial and Columbus. Substitutes: Centennial and Columbus (but they have a higher Alpha Acid content). | Pale Ales, IPAs, Porters | Flowers, citrus & spice with notes of grapefruit create the wonderful bouquet of Cascade hops. Homebrewer’s #1 hop. | 4.5 | 7 | hops | citrus flowery grapefruit spicy |
| Centennial Hops | American aroma-type variety bred in 1974 and released in September 1990 by S.T. Kenny and C.E. Zimmermann, the breeders of this variety. Similar to Cascade and Chinook. The genetic composition is 3/4 Brewers Gold, 3/32 Fuggle, 1/6 East kent Golding, 1/32 Bavarian and 1/16 Unknown. One of the "Three Cs" along with Cascade and Columbus. Centennial is often referred to as a 'Super Cascade', since it has a strong citrus aroma. | Ales, IPAs | Flowers and citrus are the most evident aromas. It has a medium aroma with mid to high bittering value. Often times referred to as Super Cascade. | 9.5 | 11.5 | hops | citrus flowery |
| Citra Hops HBC 394 cv. | Citra Brand is a registered trademark used with HBC 394 cv special aroma hop variety developed by the Hop Breeding Company (a joint venture between John I. Haas, Inc. and Select Botanicals Group, LLC). It was released in 2007. Citra Brand hops have fairly high alpha acids and total oil contents with a low percentage of cohumulone content. Citra Brand hops imparts interesting citrus and tropical fruit characters to beer. | Citra is a high alpha Hallertauer hybrid. This hop imparts interesting citrus and tropical fruit characters to beer. | 12 | 16 | hops | citrus high-alpha tropical | |
| Crystal Hops | An American triploid variety developed in 1993 from Hallertau, Cascade, Brewer's Gold and Early Green. It is spicier than Hallertau (cinnamon, black pepper, and nutmeg). Substitutes: any Hallertau variety, Mount Hood, Liberty. | German-style Pilsner, Lager, Kölsch, ESB, Belgian Ales | A delicate blend of spices and flowers with a low bittering value. | 3.5 | 6.2 | hops | floral spicy |
| CTZ Hops | Columbus hops rank high on the bittering scale, yet are also valued for its oil content which creates a hop that is an interesting dichotomy of sharp and herbal. | American IPAs & Pale Ales, Stout, Lager | CTZ stands for Columbus, Tomahawk, and Zeus. High on the bittering scale yet also valued for its oil content. An interesting dichotomy of sharp and herbal. | 14 | 17 | hops | |
| Lambic Hops | Belgian hop cultivated in the Aalst-Asse area near Brussels in the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century. Because of the low bitterness the Coigneau was originally a favorite hop used for Lambic beer. | Lambics | Aged low alpha hops. | 1 | 2 | hops | floral fruity low-alpha |
| Magnum Hops | A high alpha acid bittering hop with mild flavor and low aromatic characteristics. | Ales, Lagers, IPAs | Prized for its high bittering value. The aromatic nature is one of spice and citrus. | 12 | 15 | hops | citrus german spicy |
| Mosaic® Hops HBC 369 cv. | Mosaic™ Brand HBC 369 cv is a daughter of the YCR 14 cv hop variety and a Nugget derived male. It has high alpha acids and tropical, blueberry, tangerine, floral, and earthy aromas. | Brown Ales, IPAs, Pale Ales | Simcoe’s daughter with earthy, grassy, herbal, citrus, cedar, tropical, spice and stonefruit notes adding to the pine-based pungency. A complex modern gal! | hops | cedar citrus earthy grassy herbal spicy stonefruit tropical | ||
| Nugget Hops | Floral, resiny aroma and flavor. Primarily a bittering hop. | Ales, Stouts | Nugget was introduced in 1970 via the USDA. It has a strong herbal/slight spice aroma and high bittering value. | 12 | 14 | hops | floral good-storage herbal mild resiny |
| Saaz Hops | An aromatic blend of earth and spice with a low bittering value. | European Noble Ales | Saaz is the Old World steadfast standby made famous by Pilsner Urquell. It possesses the aromatic blend of earth and spice notable in European pilsners. | 4.5 | hops | earthy spicy | |
| Sabro® Hops HBC 438 | Sabro Hops is a neomexicanus cross released in 2018. Complex fruit and citrus flavors include tangerine, coconut, tropical, and stone fruit. | hops | hops-aroma-hops | ||||
| Willamette Hops | The king of aroma hops in the U.S. with its modest bittering value and sublime blend of flowers, fruit, earth and spice notes. | Ales, Lagers | A triploid hybrid of the English Fuggle hop released in 1976 from the USDA breeding program. Fragrant, spicy, woody aroma. | 4 | 6.5 | hops |
Hops can be divided into three categories: aroma hops, bitter hops, and dual-purpose hops.
- Aroma hops have a lower alpha acid percentage and an oil profile associated with good aroma. These hops are generally used as a finishing or conditioning hop.
- Bitter hops have a higher alpha acid percentage. These hops are generally used in the boiling process to extract bitterness.
- Dual-purpose hops, such as Northern Brewer, have the qualities of both aroma hops and bitter hops, and are both aromatic and bittering.
For a more detailed description of all U.S. hop varieties, go to USDA Hop Descriptions.