Hop
Wai-iti
A low-alpha New Zealand aroma hop with delicate lime, peach and apricot.
Aroma and flavour
Descriptors are impressions rather than analytical results. BeerHQ rates this characterisation as commonly reported.
Belongs to
Analysis
| Alpha acid | 3–4% |
|---|---|
| Purpose | aroma |
| Origin | New Zealand |
| Storage stability | moderate |
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 Wai-iti
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.
Callista 2–5% alpha
Shares citrus, stone fruit with Wai-iti; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings tropical fruit that Wai-iti does not.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Nectaron 8–12% alpha
Shares citrus, stone fruit with Wai-iti; an aroma variety though it bitters harder.
Not the same: brings tropical fruit that Wai-iti does not; 7 points higher 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.
Eclipse 14–18% alpha
Shares citrus, stone fruit with Wai-iti; an aroma variety though it bitters harder.
Not the same: brings tropical fruit that Wai-iti does not; 13 points higher 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.
Sládek 5–8% alpha
Shares citrus, stone fruit with Wai-iti; an aroma variety though it bitters harder.
Not the same: brings noble spice that Wai-iti does not; 3 points higher 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.
Riwaka 5–7% alpha
Both lead with citrus; an aroma variety though it bitters harder.
Not the same: brings tropical fruit that Wai-iti does not; lacks the stone fruit of Wai-iti.
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.
- Callista — Shares citrus, stone fruit with Wai-iti; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.