Hops provide a masterclass in the art of deception. The green, conical flowers of the female hops plant may all look the same to the untrained eye. Yet more than 250 varieties have been scientifically categorized, each strain carrying its own level of alpha acid, beta acid, and essential oil. During brewing, these deliver distinctive bitterness and balance. Skilled brewers yield these differences to their advantage, using certain strains to craft beers with distinctive structure and flavor.
Given the sheer range of hops, it’s not surprising to learn brewers don’t view them all as equals. Some strains get too much hype, while others don’t get the love they should. With that in mind, we asked 14 beer professionals which varieties land in the overrated and the underrated categories.
The Most Underrated Hops, According to Beer Pros:
- Noble hops
- Saaz
- Tettnanger
- Sterling
- Crystal
- Jarrylo
- Idaho Gem
- Superdelic
- Lorien
- Mosaic hops from the South
“Noble hops like Saaz or Tettnanger are underrated. These hops can be subtle with hints of black tea or unique woody florals. When used correctly, they add wonderful complexity to traditionally crafted beer styles.” —Jeff Marquis, owner/head brewer, Granite Coast Brewing Company, Peabody, Mass.
“The most underrated hop for me is Sterling. It’s the brightest lemon bomb you can get while staying true to noble roots. Total sleeper for lagers.” —Brienne Allan, head brewer, Sacred Profane Brewery and Tankpub, Biddeford, Maine
“Crystal. This hop grows exceptionally well in the New England, Michigan, and Pacific Northwest regions. It’s incredibly versatile, and its low alpha acid percentage allows it to shine beautifully in lagers while also adding excellent depth to hoppier styles.” —Jonny Ifergan, co-founder/head brewer, Niteglow Beer Company, Brooklyn
“The most underrated hop in my opinion is New Zealand Motueka. This hop is super versatile and goes great in everything from classic lagers to big West Coast IPA’s. The bright lemon/lime citrus character adds a clean, refreshing bite to any beer where Motueka is used.” —Trevor Walls, Chief Brewing Officer, Brewery X, Anaheim, Calif.
“I think Idaho Gem is a criminally underrated hop. As much as I love tropical fruit, citrus, and dank hop flavors, Idaho Gem delivers a delicious flavor very uncommon in hops: sweet red fruit. The recently released Superdelic is another excellent source of red fruit flavors as well as citrus candy. It is being marketed pretty well to brewers, though, so hopefully we’ll at least be seeing more of it in the future.” —Daniel Gadala-Maria, head brewer, Finback Brewery, Queens, N.Y.
“Lorien. It brings such pleasing and bright notes of lemon/lime and wildflower to the easy drinking summer lagers that we all reach for.” —Scott Mohr, brewer, Great Notion Brewing, Seattle
“My underrated pick is the lower alpha Mosaic hops from Southern farms. They’re always ripping with blueberry, flower blossom, and tangerine notes. I find this Mosaic to be the holy grail of selection each year.” —Doug Reiser, founder and COO, Burial Beer Co., Asheville, N.C.
The Most Overrated Hops, According to Beer Pros:
- Riwaka
- Mosaic
- Citra
- Sabro
- Experimental and unproven hops
- Hop products
- Columbus
- Nectaron
“I love Riwaka but it has become incredibly expensive in recent years. There are plenty of options from the Southern Hemisphere that deliver similar notes for a fraction of the cost. At some point, you have to ask yourself how much you are willing to inflate your cost of goods just to put a trendy hop name on the label.” —Richie Tevlin, owner/brewmaster, Space Cadet Brewing Co., Philadelphia
“When it comes to IPA brewing, it has to be the old Mosaic/Citra combo. Relying on that duo specifically has been way overdone at this point, and it’s just becoming very static to try all these IPA’s out there with the same hop combination.” —Chris Schnepf, head brewer, Vault 202 Brewery and Taproom, Appleton, Wis.
“Sabro. I would posit that this hop, while being unique and having the possibility of awesome coconut character, has a razor-thin line between making a beer better and making a beer worse.” —Jared Lewinski, head brewer, Five Dimes Brewery, Westwood, N.J.
“Any of the experimental or newer/unproven or unnamed hop varietals. They promise to have flavors that don’t actually come through on the brew or come across weird. Every now and again they hit, but usually they’re kind of weird and we could live without them.” —Troy Johnson and Mike Hall, brewers, Cerberus Brewing Company, Colorado Springs, Colo.
“Hop products. It wasn’t that long ago that brewers used to define themselves as bastions of anti-corporate beer. And now we welcome the next chemical experiment of hops that can somehow unlock aromas never smelled before. Look, I’m pro-science and I don’t see anything wrong with these products existing. But for the most part, these products have the main benefit of storage ability, lower shipping costs, and better alpha-acid utilization. If they really do impart more aroma, it doesn’t track with the price increase.” —Kevin Davey, co-owner, Heater Allen Brewing and Gold Dot Beer, McMinnville, Ore.
“I don’t find myself using Columbus hops anymore. The evolution of hop varietals has produced great alternatives to Columbus that are now available, like Chinook.” —Jared Rouben, Brewmaster, Moody Tongue, Chicago
“The most overrated hop would have to be Nectaron. Not to say that it’s not delicious, but every so often the hop companies hype something up, and in the end it doesn’t stand well on its own. It’s a great minor player, but as a solo artist it falls flat.” —Lara Hargrave, head brewer, Great Notion Brewing, Seattle
