Hop Variety Chart and Hop Substitutions
This hop chart will help you find the right variety of hops for your beer. Maybe you're looking for a hop variety that falls in a certain alpha acid percentage, or maybe you're looking for a hop substitute due to a shortage, whatever the reason, the following hop chart will help you find what you're looking for.
| Hop Name | Hop Alpha Acid % | Common Beer Styles | Possible Hop Substitutions | Hop Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| Azacca® | 14% to 16% | India Pale Ale | Citra, Galaxy, Mosaic | Aromas of tropical fruits and citrus. Tasting notes of spicy mango, pineapple, tangerine and pine. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Citra® | 11 to 14% | American Pale Ale, American IPA, Double IPA, Amber Ale | Simcoe, Mosaic | Delicate fruity characteristics and strong citrus aromas and flavors of lime, grapefruit, bright orange, mango, lychee, and gooseberry. |
| 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% | Wheat, India Pale Ale | Galena, Simcoe® | Mild and pleasant, spicy and flowery. |
| El Dorado® | 13% to 17% | Lager, pilsner, ESB | Mt. Hood, Hersbrucker, French Strisslespalt, Liberty, Hallertauer | Flavors of tropical fruit, pineapple, mango. Aromas of pear, watermelon, stone fruit and candy. |
| 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. |
| Galena | 10% to 14% | Ale, porter, stout, ESB, bitter | Nugget, Pride of Ringwood, Chinook | Medium but pleasant hoppiness, citrusy. |
| Golding (U.S.) | 4% to 6% | Pale ale, ESB, all English-style beer | U.K. Golding, Whitbread Golding Variety, U.K. Progress, and possibly the Fuggle family | Mild, extremely pleasant, and gently hoppy. |
| Hallertauer (U.S.) | 3.5% to 5.5% | Lager, pilsner, bock, wheat | Liberty, Ultra, Hallertauer Tradition | Very mild, pleasant, and slightly flowery, some spicy. |
| Hallertauer Gold | 6% to 6.5% | - | Crystal, Mt. Hood | Known for its aromatic properties similar to Hallertauer. |
| Hallertauer Mittelfrüh | 3% to 5.5% | Lager, bock, wheat, maybe pilsner | Liberty, German Tradition, Ultra | Mild and pleasant. |
| Hallertauer Tradition (Ger.) | 3.5% to 5.5% | Mild-flavored beers | Crystal, Liberty | Known for its aromatic properties. A replacement for Hallertauer Mittelfrüh. |
| Hallertau Hersbrucker (German) | 3% to 5.5% | Lager, pilsner, bock, wheat | Mt. Hood, French Strisslespalt | Mild to semi-strong, pleasant, hoppy. |
| Horizon | 11% to 14% | Ale, lager | Magnum or a high-alpha hop | Pleasantly hoppy. |
| Kent Golding (U.K.) | 4% to 5.5% | All English-style ales, ESB, bitter | U.S. Golding, Whitbread Golding Variety, U.K. Progress | Gentle, fragrant, and pleasant. |
| Liberty | 3% to 6% | Lager, pilsner, bock, wheat | Hallertauer Tradition, Hallertauer, Mt. Hood | Mild and clean aroma, slightly spicy character. |
| Magnum | 13% to 15% | All beers, particularly lager, pilsner, stout | Northern Brewer | Known for bittering value and quality. |
| Mosaic® | 11.5% to 13.5% | India Pale Ale, Pale Ale | Citra® | Flavors of mango, pine, citrus and herbs and aromas of tropical and stone fruit. |
| Mt. Hood | 3% to 8% | Lager, pilsner, bock, wheat | Crystal, French Strisslespalt, Hersbrucker | Mild, pleasant, and clean, somewhat pungent and resiny. |
| Northdown (U.K.) | 7.5% to 9.5% | All ales, porter | - | Fruity with some spiciness. |
| Northern Brewer (U.S.) | 6% to 10% | ESB, bitter, English pale ale, porter, California (steam) beer | Nugget, Chinook | Medium-strong with some wild tones. |
| Northern Brewer (German) | 7% to 10% | ESB, bitter, English pale ale, porter | Chinook, U.S. Northern Brewer | Medium-strong with some wild tones. |
| Northwest Golding | 4% to 5% | Ale, porter, stout, ESB, bitter | - | Known for aromatic properties. |
| Nugget | 11% to 14.5% | Light lager | Columbus, Chinook, U.K. Target, Galena | Quite heavy and herbal. |
| Olympic | 11% to 13% | - | Chinook | Mild to medium, citrusy aroma, spicy. |
| Perle (U.S.) | 6% to 9.5% | Pale ale, porter, German styles | Northern Brewer, Cluster, Galena, Chinook | Known for its aromatic and bittering properties, pleasant and slightly spicy. |
| Perle (German) | 6% to 8.5% | Pale ale, porter, lager | U.S. Perle, Northern Brewer | Moderately intense, good and hoppy, fruity and a little spicy. |
| Phoenix (U.K.) | 4.2% to 5.5% | All ales | U.K. Northdown, U.K. Kent Golding, U.K. Challenger | Similar to U.K. Challenger. |
| Pioneer (U.K.) | 8% to 10% | Ale, ESB | U.K. Kent Golding | A mild, typical English aroma. |
| Polish Lublin | 3% to 4.5% | Pilsner | U.S. Saaz, Czech Saaz, U.S. Tettnanger | Mild and typical of noble aroma types, spicy, herbal. |
| Pride of Ringwood (Australia) | 7% to 10% | Australian lager | Galena, Cluster | Quite pronounced, woody, earthy, herbal. |
| Progress (U.K.) | 5% to 7.5% | Ale, bitter, ESB, porter | U.K. Kent Golding, Fuggle | Moderately strong, good aroma. |
| Saaz (Czech) | 3% to 4.5% | Pilsner | U.S. Saaz, Polish Lublin | Very mild with pleasant hoppy notes, earthy, spicy, and herbal. |
| Saaz (U.S.) | 3% to 5% | Pilsner, lager, wheat | Czech Saaz, Polish Lublin | Mild and pleasant, earthy and spicy. |
| Santiam | 5% to 7.9% | Lager, American ale, pilsner | German Tettnanger, German Spalt, German Spalt Select | Noble characteristics. |
| Satus | 12.5% to 14% | - | Galena | Known for its bittering and aromatic properties. |
| Simcoe | 12% to 14% | - | - | A bittering and aromatic hop. |
| Spalt (German) | 4% to 5.5% | Lager | U.S. Saaz, U.S. Tettnanger, German Spalt Select | Mild and pleasant, slightly spicy. |
| Spalt Select (German) | 4% to 6% | Lager, and any beer where noble aroma is wanted | U.S. Saaz, U.S. Tettnanger, German Spalt | Very fine Spalter-type aroma. |
| Spalt Select (U.S.) | 3% to 5% | German lagers | Tettnanger, Saaz | Medium intensity and pleasant hoppy qualities. Medium-strong aroma with wild American tones. |
| Sterling | 6% to 9% | Lager, ale, pilsner | Saaz, Polish Lublin | Herbal, spicy, pleasant aroma, hint of floral and citrus. |
| Strata™ | 11% to 12.5% | IPA, pale ale, NEIPA, dark ales | None at the moment. | Passionfruit, melon, strawberry, grapefruit, cannabis and dried chili peppers. |
| Strisslespalt (France) | 3% to 5% | Pilsner, lager, wheat | Mt. Hood, Crystal, Hersbrucker | Medium intensity, pleasant, hoppy. |
| Styrian Golding (Slovenia) | 4.5% to 6% | All English-style ales, ESB, bitter, lager | U.S. Fuggle, U.K. Fuggle, Willamette | Delicate, slightly spicy. |
| Summit | 17.5% to 19.5% | IPAs, Imperial IPAs | Simcoe | Orange, tangerine, citrus notes. |
| Target (U.K.) | 9.5% to 12.5% | All ale and lager | Fuggle, Willamette | Pleasant English hop aroma, quite intense. |
| Tettnanger (U.S.) | 3.4% to 5.2% | German ales and lagers, American lagers, wheat | German Spalt, Czech Saaz Santiam | An aromatic hop, mild and slightly spicy. |
| Tettnanger (German) | 3.5% to 5.5% | Lager, ale | German Spalt, German Spalt Select, U.S. Tettnanger, Saaz | Mild and pleasant, slightly spicy, herbal. |
| Tomahawk | 15% to 17% | Ale | Columbus | Primarily a bittering hop. |
| Tradition (German) | 5% to 7% | Lager, pilsner | Hersbrucker, Hallertauer Mittelfrüh | Very fine and similar to Hallertauer Mittelfrüh. |
| Ultra | 2% to 4.1% | Lager, pilsner, wheat, finish hop in ales | Liberty, Hallertauer Tradition, Saaz | Very good to outstanding, some Saaz-like qualities. Aromatic properties similar to Hallertauer. |
| Vanguard | 4% to 5.67% | - | Saaz, Hallertauer Mittelfrüh | Aroma similar to continental European types. |
| Warrior | 15% to 17% | Ale, stout | Nugget | A bittering and aromatic hop. |
| WGV (Whitbread Golding Variety) (U.K.) | 5% to 7% | Ale | U.K. Kent Golding, U.K. Progress | Quite pleasant and hoppy, moderately intense. |
| Willamette | 3.5% to 6% | Pale ale, ESB, bitter, English-style ale, porter, stout | U.S. Fuggle, U.S. Tettnanger, Styrian Golding | Mild and pleasant, slightly spicy, fruity, floral, a little earthy. |
| Yakima Cluster | 6% to 8.5% | - | - | Used as a kettle hop for bittering. |
| Zappa | 6% to 8% | IPA, Pale Ale, Fruited Sour | HBC 472 | Aroma hop that is typically used in late boil additions, including dry hopping. |
| Zeus | 13% to 17% | - | Columbus | Aromatic and pleasant. |