Hop
Motueka
A New Zealand hop with bright lime and lemon over a noble spice base inherited from Saaz.
Aroma and flavour
Descriptors are impressions rather than analytical results. BeerHQ rates this characterisation as well established.
Belongs to
Analysis
| Alpha acid | 7–9% |
|---|---|
| Purpose | aroma |
| Origin | New Zealand |
| Ancestry | Saaz |
| 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.
- Late boil. Added in the last few minutes, retaining more aromatic oils while adding modest bitterness.
- Traditional late lager hopping. Continental practice of late kettle additions of noble varieties for a fine, spicy-floral character.
If you like Motueka
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.
Taiheke 6–9% alpha
Shares citrus, tropical fruit with Motueka; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings floral that Motueka does not; lacks the noble spice of Motueka.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Riwaka 5–7% alpha
Shares citrus, tropical fruit with Motueka; an aroma variety though it bitters more gently.
Not the same: lacks the noble spice of Motueka.
Smells alike, but the alpha acid differs enough that a like-for-like swap would change the bitterness.
Wakatu 7–9% alpha
Both lead with citrus; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings floral and herbal that Motueka does not; lacks the noble spice and tropical fruit of Motueka.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Pacifica 5–6% alpha
Shares citrus, noble spice with Motueka; an aroma variety though it bitters more gently.
Not the same: brings floral that Motueka does not; lacks the tropical fruit of Motueka.
Smells alike, but the alpha acid differs enough that a like-for-like swap would change the bitterness.
Nectaron 8–12% alpha
Shares citrus, tropical fruit with Motueka; an aroma variety though it bitters harder.
Not the same: brings stone fruit that Motueka does not; lacks the noble spice of Motueka.
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.
- Taiheke — Shares citrus, tropical fruit with Motueka; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Wakatu — Both lead with citrus; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Olicana — Shares citrus, tropical fruit with Motueka; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Cashmere — Shares citrus, tropical fruit with Motueka; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.