Noble and English Hops
Before the citrus explosion of the American hop industry, brewing ran on a small set of traditional European varieties: the German and Czech "noble" hops and the classic English hops. They are the genetic and stylistic ancestors of every modern hop and remain essential to the English IPA.
#The Noble Hops
"Noble" is a traditional designation for four refined Continental aroma hops, prized for low bitterness, high humulene, and a delicate herbal-spicy character.
| Hop | Origin | Alpha % | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saaz | Czech Republic (ลฝatec) | ~3โ4.5% | Delicate, spicy, herbal; the classic Pilsner hop |
| Hallertau Mittelfrรผh | Germany (Hallertau) | ~3โ5.5% | Floral, herbal, mildly spicy |
| Tettnang | Germany (Tettnang) | ~3.5โ5.5% | Fine, herbal, slightly fruity |
| Spalt | Germany (Spalt) | ~3โ5% | Soft, spicy, refined |
#The English Hops
England's hops are earthier and more rustic: the taste of the original English IPA and of Burton pale ale.
| Hop | Alpha % | Character |
|---|---|---|
| East Kent Goldings | ~4โ6% | Sweet, floral, honey, marmalade (the classic English aroma hop) |
| Fuggle | ~3.5โ5.5% | Earthy, woody, minty, mild |
| Challenger | ~6โ9% | Spicy, cedar; a versatile dual-purpose hop |
| Target | ~9โ12% | Higher-alpha, intense, sometimes used for bittering |
#Character and Chemistry
Noble and English hops share a defining trait: a high humulene-to-myrcene ratio and very low alpha acid. This gives the gentle, herbal, spicy, earthy aroma that terpene chemistry predicts, the opposite of the myrcene-heavy citrus blast of Citra or Galaxy.
These traditional hops appear in the parentage of nearly every modern variety. Cascade descends from Fuggle; Citra and Centennial carry Hallertau and East Kent Golding in their pedigrees. Modern hops are, genetically, the children of these classics.
#Use in IPA
In a traditional English IPA, English hops do everything (bittering, flavor, and aroma), yielding the style's earthy, marmalade-like restraint. In modern brewing, noble and English hops are mostly used as accent and balancing hops, adding herbal complexity beneath flashier American and Southern Hemisphere varieties.
A small charge of East Kent Goldings or Hallertau in a modern hop bill adds an "old-world" floral-herbal depth that pure tropical recipes lack. It is a way to give a New England IPA or West Coast IPA a subtle backbone.
#Continue Reading
- English IPA: the style built on these hops
- Hop Variety Index: traditional hops in the full catalog
- Hop Oils and Terpenes: the chemistry of noble character
- Hop Growing Regions: the European hop heartland