Taking a look at some other bittering hop varieties, I stumbled across Admiral hops.  High ranked hops tend to get my attention.  Here’s a profile of this hop variety.

Origin: The UK.  It was bred from Challenger and Northdown at Horticulture Research International (HRI) at Wye College in England to expand the number of bittering hops available in the UK.  It was released to the public in 1998.

Aroma: According to some texts, not much.  Some declared it gives a citrusy, orange flavor to any beer.

Alpha Acid: 13.5 – 16.2%

Typical Usage:  Bittering. 

Beer Styles: English style IPA.  Probably good for bittering in other English style beers.  One note:  Some brewers were posting that they were not impressed with the bittering capabilities of Admiral hops.  They said they wished they had used more in their brews.   If you try them, let us know.

Ah, Fuggles!   The Fuggle hop variety has the funniest name in all of hopdom (Hersbrucker is a close second).  Interestingly, the use of the singular and the plural version of the name seem to be used interchangeably on the web and in texts.  Not sure how dual usage came about, but I think it make sense to use “Fuggle” when pairing it with the word “hops” and “Fuggles” when you do not. 

Here’s some other things I dug up on the Fuggle hop variety.
 

Origin: The UK.  It was cultivated by a guy named Richard Fuggle.  His nickname was ‘Fuggly-Wuggly”.  Ok, I made that up.  There are a few dates attached to this hop.  One is 1861 and the other is 1875.  My guess is that the variety was first grown in 1861 and made available commercially in 1875.  Other things about the Fuggle hop: Styrian Goldings is Fuggles grown in Slovenia and they are a parent to Willamette, Cascade, and Glacier hops.

Aroma:  Woody, earthy, pleasant vegetal.

Alpha Acid: Ranges from 3.5 to 6% AAU.

Typical Usage:  Mostly flavor or aroma but I have seen Fuggles used in bittering too.

Beer Styles: English ales are a good fit for this hop variety:  Porters, Milds, and Bitters.   I like using Fuggles when I brew porters.   Fuggles are grown in the US too but they are less potent as the UK version.  If you can get UK Fuggles, get them.

Here’s a new hop variety that may be one to try:  Palisade Hops.   I found that there is little official information and varying forum and personal accounts.  Here is a culmination of what I read plus a large employment of my own editorial power.

Origin: USA.  It is bred and trademarked by Yakima Chief Ranches.  From other sources, it appears to have been bred from a version of Tettanger (possibly Swiss?).  I couldn’t find any release date information.

Aroma: Floral.  Subtle Apricot.  Grassy.  ”Pretty”. 

Alpha Acid: 5.5-9.5%

Typical Usage:  Although the alpha acid is pushing double digits on the high end, this is an aroma hop variety.  I think Palisade hops are similar to Glacier hops.  Many of the things I read both online and offline seemed to support a subtle, non-aggressive, smooth hop flavor with a fruity, non-citrusy aroma.   If you are a hop head, I think you will be unimpressed by this variety.  I would bitter with a high alpha acid hop variety and combine Palisade with a citrusy aroma hop variety to make a American pale ale.  This hop variety is better for English style pale ales.

Here are some other newish American hop varieties:

Santiam Hops

Simcoe Hops

Ahtanum Hops

I decided to learn more about Galena Hops because of the line in How To Brew: It’s the most widely used commercial bittering hop in the US.  So I got to thinking, “What do the commercial brewers know that I don’t know?”  Here is our profile of Galena Hops!

Origin: USA.  To be more specific, Idaho.  Its lineage is the variety Brewer’s Gold and open pollination…sweet, free, open pollination.  It was bred in 1968 (makes sense with all the free love in the late ’60s…) and was made available in 1978.

Aroma: Although used primarily for bittering, some texts did say it could be used later in the boil.  Some descriptors were “clean” and “pungent”.  Some others were “pleasant” and “citrusy”.

Alpha Acid: Between 10 – 14% 

Typical Usage:  Bittering.  It’s a nice, clean bittering hop that works well with other hop varieties.  I think that is the reason it has the mass appeal that it does.  Plus, it apparently has good storage qualities.  Some sources were claiming it retains its alpha acids for a long time (6 months) at room temperatures.  I wonder how long they last in the freezer?

Galena Hops are a good fit for American and English style beers.  I might have to find some.

Read some of our other hop profiles:

Chinook Hops

Magnum Hops 

Simcoe Hops

These are all good bittering hops.

The hop profile series continues with an examination of Northern Brewer hops.  The Brew Dudes have used these hops in pre-packaged recipe kits but never took the time to learn more about them.  Come with us as we learn more about Northern Brewer hops. 

Origin: All sources state that this variety was bred in 1934 in England.  It is a hybrid of English and American varieties.  There is some confusion on which country’s hop was the daddy…

Aroma: Some descriptors included: Medium-strong with some wild tones (which means nothing to me), woody with evergreen and mint overtones, Ted said: mild or very soft citrus and fruity quality.

Alpha Acid: Between 6.6 – 8.0% 

Typical Usage: It was made for a dual purpose of both bittering and flavoring.  I think typically it is used as bittering.  Northern Brewer hops are the signature variety in Anchor Steam, so if you were to make a California Common beer you may want to use them.  I think they can be used in all types of English ales.  We posted a brown porter recipe that calls for them.

Check out some other hop profiles:

Liberty Hops

Ahtanum Hops

Apollo Hops

I am interested in brewing with Liberty hops. They are an American hop variety that are noble in their aroma and flavor profile…and there is good reason for that. They do have the famous Hallertauer Mittlefrüh hop variety in their heritage. Liberty hops were bred to be more mildew resistant. Here is some more information about Liberty hops.

Origin: America – Developed in 1983 and released in 1991.

Aroma: Of a noble variety. Mild, Pleasant, some spiciness.

Alpha Acid: Between 3.0 – 5.0% 

Typical Usage: I think all your typical noble hop styles apply: Lagers, Pilsner, Bock. I saw one source saying it works well in Cream Ales and when brewing with rye malt.

When I get my hands on some, I think I will use them for some Cream ale.  I think I am focused on some American style/hops/grains these days.

Ahtanum Hops are a hop variety to be used for the typical American hop aroma and flavor.  Very citrusy and floral, it is a fine alternative to Cascade or Amarillo.  From what I read, Ahtanum hops have less bitterness than Cascade so that might be something to keep in mind when crafting up a recipe…or altering an existing recipe. 

Origin: USA -Yakima Chief Ranches

Aroma: Similar to Cascade or Amarillo - Citrus (Grapefruit) and Floral.  Some woodsy, earthy notes too.

Alpha Acid: Usually between 5.7-6.3%

Typical Usage: Aroma for the most part.  Some texts had it as a moderate bittering hop too.

Beer Styles: Pales, IPA, and a nice American Brown.