The era of craft beer had driven the popularity of brewing great beer to a level we had previously never seen. With the surge in growth from startup small scale brewers globally, the desire to differentiate from their peers, brewers are crafting out new beer styles, flavors and aroma. One area of rapid development is the hop industry. The surge in hybridizing new hops varieties has resulted in a massive niche industry of hops growers and continues to increase the number of hop varieties available to profession and home brewers alike.
The following list provides the aroma and flavor characteristics of the most popular hops varieties in homebrewing. Some of these varieties are classic hops, while others have rapidly gained in popularity.
Aroma: Floral, spicy, citrus
Flavor: Grapefruit, floral, pine
Aroma: Floral, citrus, earthy
Flavor: Balanced bitterness, floral, citrus
Aroma: Pine, earthy, berry
Flavor: Pine, earth, hints of berry and citrus
Aroma: Orange zest, floral, tropical
Flavor: Orange, tangerine, tropical fruit
Aroma: Tropical fruit, citrus, pine
Flavor: Blueberry, mango, citrus
Aroma: Citrus, grapefruit, tropical fruit
Flavor: Bright citrus, lime, tropical fruit
Aroma: Pine, spicy, grapefruit
Flavor: Resinous, pine, herbal
Aroma: Earthy, herbal, spicy
Flavor: Mild bitterness, herbal, spicy
Aroma: White wine, gooseberry, tropical fruit
Flavor: Grape, gooseberry, tropical fruit
Aroma: Floral, herbal, earthy
Flavor: Mild bitterness, floral, herbal
Aroma: Citrus, melon, herbal
Flavor: Peach, coconut, herbal tea
Galaxy:
Aroma: Passionfruit, citrus, peach
Flavor: Tropical fruit, citrus, pineapple
Aroma: Tropical fruit, pear, watermelon
Flavor: Candy-like sweetness, tropical fruit
Aroma: Passionfruit, grapefruit, herbal
Flavor: Dank, citrus, tropical fruit
Aroma: Tropical fruit, citrus, pine
Flavor: Mango, pineapple, citrus
Aroma: Floral, spicy, earthy
Flavor: Mild bitterness, floral, herbal
Aroma: Spicy, earthy, pine
Flavor: Resinous, herbal, citrus
Aroma: Woody, herbal, spicy
Flavor: Mild bitterness, woody, herbal
Aroma: Mild, woody, earthy
Flavor: Moderate bitterness, woody, herbal
East Kent Goldings:
Aroma: Floral, earthy, honey
Flavor: Mild bitterness, floral, herbal
Aroma: Herbal, spicy, resinous
Flavor: Clean bitterness, herbal, spicy
Aroma: Spicy, floral, minty
Flavor: Mild bitterness, herbal, spicy
Sorachi Ace:
Aroma: Lemon, dill, herbal
Flavor: Citrus, herbal, lemon zest
Southern Cross:
Aroma: Pine, citrus, spice
Flavor: Lemon, lime, spicy
Sapphire:
Aroma: Noble, floral, earthy
Flavor: Mild bitterness, floral, herbal
Aroma: Spicy, floral, fruity
Flavor: Mild bitterness, woody, herbal
Aroma: Spice, floral, earthy
Flavor: Moderate bitterness, floral, herbal
Aroma: Herbal, spicy, floral
Flavor: Mild bitterness, herbal, spicy
Aroma: Pear, apple, herbal
Flavor: Bright fruit, pear, mint
Aroma: Mild, herbal, pine
Flavor: Clean bitterness, herbal, pine
Aroma: Floral, spicy, tropical fruit
Flavor: Apricot, citrus, spice
Cluster:
Aroma: Floral, earthy, fruity
Flavor: Balanced bitterness, floral, herbal
