Hop
Vic Secret
An Australian hop with pineapple, passionfruit and pine, close in character to Galaxy.
Aroma and flavour
Descriptors are impressions rather than analytical results. BeerHQ rates this characterisation as commonly reported.
Belongs to
Analysis
| Alpha acid | 14–17% |
|---|---|
| Purpose | aroma |
| Origin | Australia |
| Breeder | Hop Products Australia |
| Storage stability | good |
The name is a registered trademark rather than a plain variety name, which affects what a label may say and who may grow it.
How it is used
- 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 Vic Secret
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.
Galaxy 12–16% alpha · editorial
The closest Australian alternative.
Not the same: brings citrus that Vic Secret does not; lacks the pine and resin of Vic Secret.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Azacca 14–16% alpha
Shares tropical fruit, pine and resin with Vic Secret; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings citrus that Vic Secret does not; lacks the stone fruit of Vic Secret.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Denali 13–15% alpha
Shares tropical fruit, pine and resin with Vic Secret; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings citrus that Vic Secret does not; lacks the stone fruit of Vic Secret.
Smells alike, but the alpha acid differs enough that a like-for-like swap would change the bitterness.
Bravo 14–17% alpha
Shares pine and resin, stone fruit with Vic Secret; a bittering variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings floral that Vic Secret does not; lacks the tropical fruit of Vic Secret.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Idaho 7 9–14% alpha
Shares tropical fruit, pine and resin, stone fruit with Vic Secret; a dual-purpose variety though it bitters more gently.
Not the same: brings earth and wood that Vic Secret does not; 4 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.
- Galaxy — The closest Australian alternative.
- Azacca — Shares tropical fruit, pine and resin with Vic Secret; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Bravo — Shares pine and resin, stone fruit with Vic Secret; a bittering variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- El Dorado — Shares tropical fruit, stone fruit with Vic Secret; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.