Hop
Sorachi Ace
A Japanese-bred hop with a lemon and dill character unlike anything else in commercial use.
Sorachi Ace was bred by Sapporo in the 1980s from Brewer's Gold and Saaz, and is genuinely singular: lemongrass, dill and a coconut note that drinkers either love or find alarming.
It fell out of use in Japan and was revived by American growers, which is why a Japanese variety is now mostly grown in the Pacific Northwest.
Aroma and flavour
Descriptors are impressions rather than analytical results. BeerHQ rates this characterisation as commonly reported.
Belongs to
Analysis
| Alpha acid | 10–16% |
|---|---|
| Purpose | dual purpose |
| Origin | Japan |
| 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 Sorachi Ace
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.
Cashmere 8–10% alpha
Shares citrus, herbal with Sorachi Ace; an aroma variety though it bitters more gently.
Not the same: brings tropical fruit that Sorachi Ace does not; lacks the mint eucalyptus of Sorachi Ace; 5 points lower 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.
Pacific Jade 12–14% alpha
Shares citrus, herbal with Sorachi Ace; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings noble spice that Sorachi Ace does not; lacks the mint eucalyptus of Sorachi Ace.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Styrian Wolf 10–15% alpha
Both lead with citrus; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings tropical fruit and stone fruit that Sorachi Ace does not; lacks the mint eucalyptus and herbal of Sorachi Ace.
Comparable alpha acid, but a different aroma — a bittering substitute rather than a character one.
Sabro 12–16% alpha
Both lead with citrus; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings coconut creamy and tropical fruit and earth and wood that Sorachi Ace does not; lacks the mint eucalyptus and herbal of Sorachi Ace.
Comparable alpha acid, but a different aroma — a bittering substitute rather than a character one.
Strata 11–15% alpha
Both lead with citrus; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings tropical fruit and pine and resin that Sorachi Ace does not; lacks the mint eucalyptus and herbal of Sorachi Ace.
Comparable alpha acid, but a different aroma — a bittering substitute rather than a character one.
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.
- Pacific Jade — Shares citrus, herbal with Sorachi Ace; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.