Glossary
Noble hops
A traditional grouping of four low-alpha continental aroma varieties — Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Tettnanger, Spalt and Saaz — prized for delicate floral, herbal and spicy character.
The full record
Noble hops has its own catalogue entry with the detail this page summarises — causes, thresholds, related styles and evidence.
Noble hops — The four classic continental European aroma varieties, prized for low bitterness intensity and a refined spicy-floral aroma.
The grouping is trade convention rather than a botanical or legal category, and its membership has always been argued over: some accounts include Hersbrucker, others exclude Spalt. What the four share is low alpha acid, a high proportion of the aroma-relevant oil fractions, and a long association with continental lager and pilsner.
Commonly misunderstood
There is no official list of noble hops and no body that certifies one. It is a useful shorthand, not a protected designation.
Related
- Saaz — The Bohemian member, and the pilsner hop.
- Hallertauer Mittelfrüh — The Bavarian member.
- Aroma hop — The broader functional category.
More vocabulary
Adjunct · Aroma hop · Base malt · Bittering hop · Black malt · Brettanomyces · Candi sugar · Chocolate malt · Crystal malt · Dextrin
See every term on the glossary index.
Last reviewed 2026-08-16.