Knights of the Mashing Fork



Comparing and Selecting Hops
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Zeus 13% to 17% - Columbus Aromatic and pleasant.