Hop
First Gold
A dwarf English variety in the Goldings mould, with orange-marmalade citrus over a floral base.
Aroma and flavour
Descriptors are impressions rather than analytical results. BeerHQ rates this characterisation as commonly reported.
Belongs to
Analysis
| Alpha acid | 7–9% |
|---|---|
| Purpose | dual purpose |
| Origin | United Kingdom |
| Breeder | Wye College |
| Released | 1996 |
| 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.
- Dry hop. Added after the boil, during or after fermentation. Contributes aroma and flavour with essentially no isomerised bitterness.
If you like First Gold
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.
Cluster 6–9% alpha
Shares citrus, floral, earth and wood with First Gold; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: nothing in the recorded profile separates the two, which means BeerHQ cannot tell you how they differ rather than that they are interchangeable.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Challenger 7–9% alpha
Shares floral, earth and wood with First Gold; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings herbal and noble spice that First Gold does not; lacks the citrus of First Gold.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
East Kent Goldings 5–7% alpha · editorial
The classic it was bred to resemble in a dwarf plant.
Not the same: brings herbal that First Gold does not; lacks the citrus of First Gold.
Smells alike, but the alpha acid differs enough that a like-for-like swap would change the bitterness.
Ahtanum 4–7% alpha
Shares citrus, floral, earth and wood with First Gold; an aroma variety though it bitters more gently.
Not the same: nothing in the recorded profile separates the two, which means BeerHQ cannot tell you how they differ rather than that they are interchangeable.
Smells alike, but the alpha acid differs enough that a like-for-like swap would change the bitterness.
Wakatu 7–9% alpha
Shares citrus, floral with First Gold; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings herbal that First Gold does not; lacks the earth and wood of First Gold.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
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.
- Cluster — Shares citrus, floral, earth and wood with First Gold; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Challenger — Shares floral, earth and wood with First Gold; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Wakatu — Shares citrus, floral with First Gold; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Aurora — Shares floral, earth and wood with First Gold; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.