Hop
Kazbek
A Czech variety with noble spice alongside a distinct lemon and grapefruit brightness.
Aroma and flavour
Descriptors are impressions rather than analytical results. BeerHQ rates this characterisation as commonly reported.
Belongs to
Analysis
| Alpha acid | 5–8% |
|---|---|
| Purpose | aroma |
| Origin | Czechia |
| Storage stability | moderate |
How it is used
- 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 Kazbek
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.
Sterling 6–9% alpha
Shares citrus, noble spice, herbal with Kazbek; 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.
Opal 5–9% alpha
Shares citrus, noble spice, herbal with Kazbek; 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.
Sládek 5–8% alpha
Shares citrus, noble spice with Kazbek; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings stone fruit that Kazbek does not; lacks the herbal of Kazbek.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Aramis 7–9% alpha
Shares citrus, noble spice, herbal with Kazbek; 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.
Smells alike, but the alpha acid differs enough that a like-for-like swap would change the bitterness.
Harmonie 5–8% alpha
Shares noble spice, herbal with Kazbek; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings floral that Kazbek does not; lacks the citrus of Kazbek.
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.
- Sterling — Shares citrus, noble spice, herbal with Kazbek; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Opal — Shares citrus, noble spice, herbal with Kazbek; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Sládek — Shares citrus, noble spice with Kazbek; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Harmonie — Shares noble spice, herbal with Kazbek; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.