Hop
Centennial
An intense citrus-and-floral American hop, often described as a stronger Cascade, and a workhorse of American IPA.
Also known as Super Cascade.
Centennial is frequently described as a more intense Cascade, and the comparison holds: the same grapefruit and floral character at roughly double the alpha acid. That combination is why it works as both a bittering and an aroma hop where Cascade is really only the latter.
It is the single hop behind Bell's Two Hearted Ale, which makes it one of the few varieties a drinker can taste in isolation at scale. Released from the USDA programme in 1990, and named for the Washington State centennial.
Aroma and flavour
Descriptors are impressions rather than analytical results. BeerHQ rates this characterisation as well established.
Belongs to
Analysis
| Alpha acid | 10–12% |
|---|---|
| Beta acid | 4–6% |
| Cohumulone | 28–30% |
| Total oil | 2–3 ml/100 g |
| Purpose | dual purpose |
| Origin | United States |
| Released | 1990 |
| Storage stability | good |
How it is used
- Bittering (early boil). Added at or near the start of the boil, where long exposure isomerises alpha acids into bitterness and drives off aroma.
- Late boil. Added in the last few minutes, retaining more aromatic oils while adding modest bitterness.
- Whirlpool / hop stand. Steeped below boiling after flameout. Extracts aroma and flavour with limited additional bitterness.
- Dry hop. Added after the boil, during or after fermentation. Contributes aroma and flavour with essentially no isomerised bitterness.
If you like Centennial
Hops with comparable character. Similarity and substitutability are different questions, so each entry says which it is: a hop can smell alike and still change the beer if its alpha acid is far off.
Cascade 5–7% alpha · editorial
The gentler original of the same character.
Not the same: 5 points lower in alpha acid, so a like-for-like weight swap would change the bitterness.
Smells alike, but the alpha acid differs enough that a like-for-like swap would change the bitterness.
Amarillo 8–11% alpha
Shares citrus, floral with Centennial; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings stone fruit that Centennial does not; lacks the pine and resin of Centennial.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Chinook 12–14% alpha · editorial
A more resinous alternative at similar alpha.
Not the same: brings earth and wood that Centennial does not; lacks the floral of Centennial.
Smells alike, but the alpha acid differs enough that a like-for-like swap would change the bitterness.
Comet 9–12% alpha
Both lead with citrus; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings grass and earth and wood that Centennial does not; lacks the floral and pine and resin of Centennial.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Ahtanum 4–7% alpha
Shares citrus, floral with Centennial; an aroma variety though it bitters more gently.
Not the same: brings earth and wood that Centennial does not; lacks the pine and resin of Centennial; 5 points lower in alpha acid, so a like-for-like weight swap would change the bitterness.
Smells alike, but the alpha acid differs enough that a like-for-like swap would change the bitterness.
Straight substitutes
Close enough in both character and alpha acid to swap at a similar weight. Substitution is directional and imperfect — these are the nearest available options, not equivalents.
Used in
- American pale ale
The beer that defined American craft brewing: clean pale malt under bright citrus and pine hop character, balanced rather than extreme.
- American amber ale
Caramel malt depth meeting American citrus hops — the maltier counterpart to American pale ale.
- American IPA
The defining modern craft beer: intense citrus, tropical and resinous hop aroma over a lean malt base, finishing firmly bitter.
- West Coast IPA
The dry, clear, aggressively bitter interpretation of American IPA, built on pine and grapefruit with the malt stripped right back.
- Black IPA
An IPA with dark malt for colour and a light roast edge, keeping full citrus and pine hop character.
- Red IPA
An IPA built on caramel and amber malt, where toffee depth sits underneath full American hop character.
- American brown ale
A brown ale with American hop character: chocolate and caramel malt met by citrus and pine.
- American barley wine
A strong malt-dense ale with assertive American hop bitterness and citrus-pine aroma alongside the caramel depth.
- American stout
A bold, hop-forward stout combining strong espresso roast with American citrus and pine hop character.
Evidence
What BeerHQ knows about this, and how. Every statement carries the state of the evidence behind it rather than being presented flatly as fact.
The USDA collection records Centennial at 9–12% alpha acids, 4–5% beta acids, 28–32% cohumulone and 2.83 ml/100 g total oil.
Checked against the source
Source: USDA-ARS World Hop Cultivar Collection, Accession 21507 (Centennial), analysis
Centennial is routinely described as a stronger Cascade, but Cascade is not in its pedigree: it descends from Brewer’s Gold, Fuggle and East Kent Golding lines, and the resemblance is convergence rather than parentage.
Checked against the source
Source: USDA-ARS World Hop Cultivar Collection, Accession 21507 (Centennial), pedigree
Centennial keeps poorly: the USDA collection records it losing more than half its alpha acids after six months stored at room temperature.
Checked against the source
Source: USDA-ARS World Hop Cultivar Collection, Accession 21507 (Centennial), storage stability