Hop
Sterling
An American Saaz-derived hop with noble spice plus a citrus lift.
Aroma and flavour
Descriptors are impressions rather than analytical results. BeerHQ rates this characterisation as well established.
Belongs to
Analysis
| Alpha acid | 6–9% |
|---|---|
| Purpose | dual purpose |
| Origin | United States |
| Released | 1998 |
| Ancestry | Saaz |
| Storage stability | moderate |
How it is used
- Bittering (early boil). Added at or near the start of the boil, where long exposure isomerises alpha acids into bitterness and drives off aroma.
- 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 Sterling
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.
Aramis 7–9% alpha
Shares noble spice, citrus, herbal with Sterling; 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.
Kazbek 5–8% alpha
Shares noble spice, citrus, herbal with Sterling; an aroma 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 noble spice, citrus, herbal with Sterling; 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.
Mount Hood 4–8% alpha
Shares noble spice, herbal with Sterling; an aroma variety though it bitters more gently.
Not the same: brings floral that Sterling does not; lacks the citrus of Sterling.
Smells alike, but the alpha acid differs enough that a like-for-like swap would change the bitterness.
Liberty 3–6% alpha
Shares noble spice, herbal with Sterling; an aroma variety though it bitters more gently.
Not the same: brings floral that Sterling does not; lacks the citrus of Sterling; 3 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.
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.
- Aramis — Shares noble spice, citrus, herbal with Sterling; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Kazbek — Shares noble spice, citrus, herbal with Sterling; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Opal — Shares noble spice, citrus, herbal with Sterling; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Premiant — Shares noble spice, herbal with Sterling; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.