Hop
Ella
An Australian dual-purpose hop with floral, aniseed and tropical character.
Aroma and flavour
Descriptors are impressions rather than analytical results. BeerHQ rates this characterisation as commonly reported.
Belongs to
Analysis
| Alpha acid | 13–16% |
|---|---|
| Purpose | dual purpose |
| Origin | Australia |
| Breeder | Hop Products Australia |
| Storage stability | good |
The name is a registered trademark rather than a plain variety name, which affects what a label may say and who may grow it.
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.
- 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 Ella
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.
Magnum 12–16% alpha
Shares floral, noble spice with Ella; a bittering variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: lacks the tropical fruit of Ella.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Dana 11–16% alpha
Shares floral, noble spice with Ella; a bittering variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings herbal that Ella does not; lacks the tropical fruit of Ella.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Melba 12–16% alpha
Both lead with tropical fruit; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings stone fruit and citrus that Ella does not; lacks the floral and noble spice of Ella.
Comparable alpha acid, but a different aroma — a bittering substitute rather than a character one.
El Dorado 13–16% alpha
Both lead with tropical fruit; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings stone fruit and citrus that Ella does not; lacks the floral and noble spice of Ella.
Comparable alpha acid, but a different aroma — a bittering substitute rather than a character one.
Loral 10–12% alpha
Shares floral, noble spice with Ella; a dual-purpose variety though it bitters more gently.
Not the same: brings berry that Ella does not; lacks the tropical fruit of Ella; 4 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.