Hop
Strisselspalt
The classic Alsatian aroma hop, delicate and floral, and the French counterpart to the German noble varieties.
Strisselspalt has been grown in Alsace for well over a century and is often described as sitting between Hersbrucker and Saaz in character: floral and hay-like with a light spice, at a very low alpha.
It is the reason French lager and bière de garde have a recognisably softer hop character than their German neighbours.
Aroma and flavour
Descriptors are impressions rather than analytical results. BeerHQ rates this characterisation as commonly reported.
Belongs to
Analysis
| Alpha acid | 2–4% |
|---|---|
| Purpose | aroma |
| Origin | France |
| 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 Strisselspalt
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.
Hersbrucker 2–5% alpha
Shares floral, herbal, noble spice with Strisselspalt; 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.
Hallertauer Mittelfrüh 3–6% alpha
Shares floral, herbal, noble spice with Strisselspalt; 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.
Smells alike, but the alpha acid differs enough that a like-for-like swap would change the bitterness.
Liberty 3–6% alpha
Shares floral, herbal, noble spice with Strisselspalt; 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.
Smells alike, but the alpha acid differs enough that a like-for-like swap would change the bitterness.
Tettnanger 4–6% alpha
Shares floral, herbal, noble spice with Strisselspalt; 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.
Smells alike, but the alpha acid differs enough that a like-for-like swap would change the bitterness.
Lublin 3–5% alpha
Shares floral, herbal, noble spice with Strisselspalt; 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.
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.
- Hersbrucker — Shares floral, herbal, noble spice with Strisselspalt; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Lublin — Shares floral, herbal, noble spice with Strisselspalt; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Saaz — Shares floral, herbal, noble spice with Strisselspalt; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Diamant — Shares floral, herbal with Strisselspalt; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.