Hop
Idaho 7
An Idaho-bred hop with apricot, mango and a distinctive black-tea and pine character.
Aroma and flavour
Descriptors are impressions rather than analytical results. BeerHQ rates this characterisation as commonly reported.
Belongs to
Analysis
| Alpha acid | 9–14% |
|---|---|
| Total oil | 2–3 ml/100 g |
| Purpose | dual purpose |
| Origin | United States |
| Released | 2015 |
| 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
- 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 Idaho 7
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.
Mosaic 12–14% alpha
Shares stone fruit, tropical fruit, pine and resin with Idaho 7; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings berry that Idaho 7 does not; lacks the earth and wood of Idaho 7.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Rakau 9–11% alpha
Shares stone fruit, tropical fruit, pine and resin with Idaho 7; a dual-purpose variety though it bitters more gently.
Not the same: lacks the earth and wood of Idaho 7.
Smells alike, but the alpha acid differs enough that a like-for-like swap would change the bitterness.
Simcoe 12–14% alpha
Shares tropical fruit, earth and wood, pine and resin with Idaho 7; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings citrus that Idaho 7 does not; lacks the stone fruit of Idaho 7.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Vic Secret 14–17% alpha
Shares stone fruit, tropical fruit, pine and resin with Idaho 7; an aroma variety though it bitters harder.
Not the same: lacks the earth and wood of Idaho 7; 4 points higher 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.
Southern Cross 11–14% alpha
Shares earth and wood, pine and resin with Idaho 7; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings citrus that Idaho 7 does not; lacks the stone fruit and tropical fruit of Idaho 7.
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.
- Mosaic — Shares stone fruit, tropical fruit, pine and resin with Idaho 7; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Simcoe — Shares tropical fruit, earth and wood, pine and resin with Idaho 7; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Southern Cross — Shares earth and wood, pine and resin with Idaho 7; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Citra — Shares stone fruit, tropical fruit with Idaho 7; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.