{"id":52005,"date":"2017-05-07T13:48:52","date_gmt":"2017-05-07T17:48:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/?p=52005"},"modified":"2026-10-17T12:39:44","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T16:39:44","slug":"hop-varieties-tasting-characteristics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/hop-varieties-tasting-characteristics\/","title":{"rendered":"Tasting 11 Hop Varieties: Technical Characteristics and Organoleptic Properties"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When it comes to brewing beer<\/a>, one of the main things we need to know inside out is the characteristics and handling of hops<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Hop tasting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You have to take into account the type of hop, something of its origins, its technical characteristics and its organoleptic properties.<\/p>

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Below we describe 11 hop varieties in detail, namely Calypso, Cascade, Chinook, Citra, Northern Brewer, Mount Hood, Nelson Sauvin, Nugget, Saaz, Sorachi Ace and Summit.<\/p>\n

The technical sheets for each variety, which used to be images, are now tables with the ranges of alpha and beta acids, cohumulone and essential oils, reviewed in October 2026. If you are looking for the history of the varieties that changed beer, you will find it in the 9 most influential hop varieties of all time<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 11 Varieties at a Glance<\/h2>\n

Before going into each sheet, this table sums up where each hop comes from, what it is used for and which aroma dominates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Hop<\/strong><\/td>\nOrigin and year<\/strong><\/td>\nAlpha acids<\/strong><\/td>\nUse<\/strong><\/td>\nDominant aroma<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Calypso<\/td>\nUSA, Hopsteiner<\/td>\n12 to 14%<\/td>\ndual purpose<\/td>\npear, apple, citrus<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cascade<\/td>\nUSA, 1972<\/td>\n4.5 to 8.9%<\/td>\naroma<\/td>\ngrapefruit, floral, pine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chinook<\/td>\nUSA, 1985<\/td>\n12 to 14%<\/td>\ndual purpose<\/td>\npine, resin, grapefruit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Citra<\/td>\nUSA, 2008<\/td>\n10 to 15%<\/td>\naroma<\/td>\nmango, passion fruit, lime<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Northern Brewer<\/td>\nEngland, 1934<\/td>\naround 9.5%<\/td>\ndual purpose<\/td>\nmint, wood, pine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mount Hood<\/td>\nUSA, 1989<\/td>\n4 to 8%<\/td>\naroma<\/td>\nfloral, spicy, noble<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nelson Sauvin<\/td>\nNew Zealand, 2000<\/td>\n12 to 13%<\/td>\ndual purpose<\/td>\nwhite grape, passion fruit, grapefruit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nugget<\/td>\nUSA, 1983<\/td>\n9.5 to 14%<\/td>\nbittering<\/td>\nherbal, pine, wood<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Saaz<\/td>\nCzech Republic, traditional<\/td>\n2.5 to 4.5%<\/td>\naroma<\/td>\nfloral, herbal, spicy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sorachi Ace<\/td>\nJapan, 1984<\/td>\n11.5 to 16%<\/td>\ndual purpose<\/td>\nlemongrass, lemon, dill<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Summit<\/td>\nUSA, 2003<\/td>\n16 to 18%<\/td>\nbittering<\/td>\norange, tangerine, grapefruit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

How to Read a Hop Technical Sheet<\/h2>\n

Alpha acids indicate bittering potential and isomerize during the boil, so a 15% hop gives three times the bitterness of a 5% hop at the same dose and time. Beta acids barely add bitterness when fresh and gain weight as the hop ages.<\/p>\n

Cohumulone is the fraction of alpha acids that many brewers blame for a harsher bitterness when it goes above 30%, although the literature is not unanimous. Essential oils explain the aroma, with myrcene providing citrusy and resinous notes, humulene and caryophyllene an herbal and woody background, and farnesene the floral signature of noble hops such as Saaz.<\/p>\n

Storage stability measures how much alpha acid remains after 6 months at room temperature. Cascade, Saaz and Mount Hood lose about half, so it is best to buy them from the latest harvest and store them vacuum sealed and cold, as we explain in 10 things you should know about hops<\/a>.<\/p>\n