Hop
Summit
A dwarf high-alpha American variety with tangerine and pink grapefruit alongside a pronounced onion-garlic note some drinkers find intrusive.
The alliaceous character is genuinely divisive and varies substantially by crop and by dosing rate. Used sparingly it reads as savoury depth; overdosed it dominates the beer. BeerHQ marks its descriptor confidence as variable for that reason.
Aroma and flavour
Descriptors are impressions rather than analytical results. BeerHQ rates this characterisation as variable.
Belongs to
Analysis
| Alpha acid | 16–19% |
|---|---|
| Purpose | dual purpose |
| Origin | United States |
| Released | 2003 |
| Storage stability | good |
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.
- Whirlpool / hop stand. Steeped below boiling after flameout. Extracts aroma and flavour with limited additional bitterness.
If you like Summit
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.
Apollo 15–20% alpha
Shares citrus, earth and wood with Summit; a bittering variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings pine and resin that Summit does not; lacks the allium of Summit.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Columbus 14–18% alpha
Shares citrus, allium, earth and wood with Summit; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings pine and resin that Summit does not.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Vital 14–18% alpha
Both lead with earth and wood; a bittering variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings noble spice and herbal that Summit does not; lacks the citrus and allium of Summit.
Comparable alpha acid, but a different aroma — a bittering substitute rather than a character one.
Cluster 6–9% alpha
Shares citrus, earth and wood with Summit; a dual-purpose variety though it bitters more gently.
Not the same: brings floral that Summit does not; lacks the allium of Summit; 11 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.
Galena 11–14% alpha
Shares citrus, earth and wood with Summit; a bittering variety though it bitters more gently.
Not the same: brings berry that Summit does not; lacks the allium of Summit; 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.
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.