Super-alpha hop Apollo was first bred in 2000 by Hopsteiner and released to the public in 2006. it is descended from Zeus and two other unnamed USDA varieties. It tends to be quite expensive, though quantities used tend to be smaller due to its ultra-high concentration of alpha-acids. To it’s credit, Apollo’s abundance of alpha acids also come with a …
Banner
Banner did not fare well on the commercial market. Bred from a Brewer’s Gold seedling in the early 1970’s through open pollination, its first test plot was abandoned due to severe mildew problems. It was finally released along with its half-sister Aquila in 1996 having caught the interest of goliath American brewing company Anheuser Busch. Eventually though, after several years …
Bitter Gold
Super-alpha variety Bitter Gold’s heritage comes from varieties Bullion, Brewer’s Gold, Comet and Fuggle. It features an alpha-acid percentage higher than any of its parents and higher even than Galena or Nugget, to which it is often compared. Released for production in 1999, Bitter Gold is quite versatile and can be used as a bittering or flavor addition imparting strong …
Bravo
Bravo’s high alpha content is largely attributable to its parent variety, Zeus. It’s bittering quality is considered smooth and in addition features light floral aromas and subtle flavors of orange and stone fruit making it highly desirable for use in many different ale styles. Developed as part of the Hopsteiner Breeding Program, Bravo hops were released to the public in …
Brewer’s Gold
Brewer’s Gold hops were selected by Ernest Stanley Salmon at Wye College in England in 1919 and were the result of the open pollination of a wild hop sourced from Morden, Manitoba. Despite its initial popularity, the advent of super-alpha hop varieties in the 1980’s rendered Brewer’s Gold largely redundant from a commercial perspective. For brewer’s wishing to experiment though, …
Bullion
Sister selection to Brewer’s Gold, Bullion was first bred in 1919 at Wye College, England and originates from a wild hop cutting sourced from Manitoba, Canada. It was officially released in 1938. Bullion features many of the same brewing traits as its sibling with flavors of dark fruit and elements of spice arising from its use as a mid to …
Bullion 10A
Though technically still Bullion, Bullion 10A is a heat-treated and meristem-tip cultured version of the original English variety. Developed by the USDA and released in 1972, it was retired from production in the US in 1985 along with the original Bullion following the introduction of super-alpha varieties. Want this hop? Browse our recommended stockists below. Also Known As Characteristics Same …
California Cluster
Generally considered to be indistinguishable from other Cluster varieties, California Cluster is a true dual use hop. Used prolifically by US brewers in the early-to-mid 1900’s, Clusters were widely available and cheap – providing a generic but pleasant bitterness and flavor. California Cluster’s exact lineage is vague. The name itself is also representative of a number of different Cluster varieties. …
Chelan
Chelan is a privately patented bittering hop and daughter to Galena. Developed by John I. Haas, Inc. and grown exclusively in Washington State, it was released in 1994 and has found popular use in male styles of ales – particularly American style ales. Despite being comparable in style, Chelan enjoys higher yields and a higher alpha percentage than its parent …
Rakau
Rakau, or AlphAroma as it was previously known, was developed in New Zealand. Languishing in its disease free habitat, Rakau features a high concentration of myrcene is said to pair it beautifully to dry-hopped American Pale Ales. It was initially bred in the late 1970’s from Smooth Cone through open pollination but it was not released to the market until …