We brewed another SMASH beer to figure out what Hallertau Blanc hops bring to a beer. This German hop variety was released in 2012 from the Hop Research Center and is known for white wine characteristics.

For this batch, we kept things simple with a single malt and a single hop. The goal was to isolate the hop character and really understand what Hallertau Blanc contributes in aroma and flavor. We also wanted to see how it compared to other modern hop varieties that lean heavily tropical or citrus-forward.

Hallertau Blanc SMaSH Beer Brewing Process

This was a one gallon SMASH beer using two row malt from Rahr and Hallertau Blanc hops throughout the boil and dry hop schedule.

Recipe

Batch Size:
1 gallon

Water:
2 US gallons of Spring water

Grain Bill:
2 pounds of Rahr 2-Row Malt

Hop Schedule:
Hallertau Blanc hops, 1 ounce total (28 grams)

  • 7 grams at 60 minutes
  • 7 grams at 15 minutes
  • 7 grams at flameout
  • 7 grams dry hop after chilling

Yeast:
3 grams of Safale US-05 dry yeast

What Did We Think?

The aroma immediately gave us white grape and bubble gum notes with some lime-like citrus characteristics. Mike also picked up lychee qualities while I noticed more white wine character as the beer warmed in the glass.

Flavor-wise, the beer leaned bright and crisp with lemon, white grape, citrus rind, and lime zest flavors. The hop had a lighter body and clean finish that worked really well with the pale malt backbone. We also agreed there was a lemongrass quality that sat somewhere between lemon and lime.

Yakima Valley Hops describes Hallertau Blanc as having aromas of white grape, cassis, lemongrass, and grapefruit with a distinctive white wine character. After tasting this beer, we thought the white grape and lemongrass descriptions were especially accurate.

We talked about possible applications for this hop and thought it would work very well in lighter beers. Pilsner-like beers, American wheat beers, and New England Pale Ales all seemed like strong options. We also thought blending it with Citra or tropical New England IPA hops could add an interesting white grape dimension.

In Conclusion, We Conclude

Hallertau Blanc turned out to be a really interesting modern German hop variety. It delivers bright citrus character while adding unique white wine and white grape qualities that stand apart from typical tropical hops.

This hop feels especially suited for lighter-bodied beers where its delicate flavors can shine through cleanly. It also seems like a great blending hop for New England styles where brewers want to add more complexity beyond standard tropical fruit flavors.

Brew ON!