Hop
Superdelic
A recent New Zealand variety with an unusual red-fruit and grape character alongside tropical notes.
Superdelic adds a red-berry and grape quality to the passionfruit profile New Zealand is known for, which distinguishes it from Nelson Sauvin's white-wine character.
A young variety, so its place in the catalogue is provisional in a way the classics are not.
Aroma and flavour
Descriptors are impressions rather than analytical results. BeerHQ rates this characterisation as commonly reported.
Belongs to
Analysis
| Alpha acid | 10–13% |
|---|---|
| Purpose | aroma |
| Origin | New Zealand |
| 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 Superdelic
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.
African Queen 10–12% alpha
Shares tropical fruit, berry, stone fruit with Superdelic; 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.
Vista 7–11% alpha
Shares tropical fruit, berry, stone fruit with Superdelic; an aroma variety though it bitters more gently.
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.
Nectaron 8–12% alpha
Shares tropical fruit, stone fruit with Superdelic; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings citrus that Superdelic does not; lacks the berry of Superdelic.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Rakau 9–11% alpha
Shares tropical fruit, stone fruit with Superdelic; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings pine and resin that Superdelic does not; lacks the berry of Superdelic.
Smells alike, but the alpha acid differs enough that a like-for-like swap would change the bitterness.
Mosaic 12–14% alpha
Shares tropical fruit, berry, stone fruit with Superdelic; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings pine and resin that Superdelic does not.
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.
- African Queen — Shares tropical fruit, berry, stone fruit with Superdelic; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Nectaron — Shares tropical fruit, stone fruit with Superdelic; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Mosaic — Shares tropical fruit, berry, stone fruit with Superdelic; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Citra — Shares tropical fruit, stone fruit with Superdelic; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.