Hop
Smaragd
A soft, floral German aroma hop from the Hüll breeding programme.
Smaragd — emerald — is gentle and floral with a soft fruit character, and is used where a beer wants aromatic lift without any assertiveness at all.
It is a good example of a variety bred for a specific narrow purpose rather than for general utility.
Aroma and flavour
Descriptors are impressions rather than analytical results. BeerHQ rates this characterisation as commonly reported.
Belongs to
Analysis
| Alpha acid | 4–6% |
|---|---|
| Purpose | aroma |
| Origin | Germany |
| Storage stability | unknown |
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 Smaragd
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.
Hallertauer Tradition 5–7% alpha
Shares floral, herbal with Smaragd; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings noble spice that Smaragd does not; lacks the stone fruit of Smaragd.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Celeia 3–6% alpha
Shares floral, herbal with Smaragd; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings earth and wood that Smaragd does not; lacks the stone fruit of Smaragd.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Willamette 4–6% alpha
Shares floral, herbal with Smaragd; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings earth and wood that Smaragd does not; lacks the stone fruit of Smaragd.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Bobek 3–7% alpha
Shares floral, herbal with Smaragd; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings citrus that Smaragd does not; lacks the stone fruit of Smaragd.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Diamant 2–4% alpha
Shares floral, herbal with Smaragd; an aroma variety though it bitters more gently.
Not the same: brings citrus that Smaragd does not; lacks the stone fruit of Smaragd.
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.
- Hallertauer Tradition — Shares floral, herbal with Smaragd; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Celeia — Shares floral, herbal with Smaragd; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Willamette — Shares floral, herbal with Smaragd; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Bobek — Shares floral, herbal with Smaragd; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.