There are literally hundreds of varieties of hops on the market, each with their own character. A quick Google search reveals plenty of existing hop variety guides to help you sort out what various hops tend to smell and taste like.

But if you’re coming at it from the other direction, ie. you have a beer in your hand, you may have trouble tracking down a specific character from those guides alone. This is a more aroma- and flavor-forward hop guide that starts with the flavors and suggests hops that may match. It also gives you a good indication of what hops can contribute to a beer; if you’re encountering a flavor that isn’t listed here, chances are it’s derived from something else.

As always, tasting is subjective, so consider each connection as a suggestion rather than a hard and fast rule. Each listing comes from the way various suppliers describe their hops and new hop varieties are being developed every year. Brewing process and quantities can also affect how you perceive the hop contribution to your beer. You could very well find other connections that aren’t present here.

Anise

Summit™, Columbus, Mt. Rainer, Tomahawk®, Zeus

Apricot

Amarillo®, Palisade®, Rakau, Summer, Wai-iti

Balsamic

Newport (far more often caused by acetobacter, however)

Berry

Northdown, Pacific Gem, Pilgrim, Simcoe®

Black Currant

Bramling Cross, Brewers Gold, Bullion, Galena

Black Pepper

Columbus, Pacific Gem, Pacific Jade, Santiam, Tomahawk®, Zeus

Blackberry

Glacier, Pacific Gem

Blueberry

Mosaic®

Botanical

Whitbread Golding

Cedar

Challenger, Northdown, Pioneer, Pride of Ringwood, Tahoma

Citrus

There are so many hops that have a generally citrusy aroma that it may be easier to narrow it down if you can describe a more specific citrus fruit. Varieties: Cascade, Chelan, Colombus, Dr Rudi, Galaxy, Glacier, Herkules, Horizon, Mandarina Bavaria, Merkur, Motueka, Newport, Olympic, Opal, Pacific Jade, Pacifica, Riwaka, Southern Cross, Strisselspalt, Summit™, Target, Tomahawk®, Triskel, Wai-iti, Waimea, Willamette, Zeus, Zythos®

Curry

Columbus, Tomahawk®, Willamette, Zeus

Dill

Sorachi Ace

Earthy

Columbia, East Kent Golding, Merkur, Newport, Progress, Saaz, Simcoe®, Summit™, Tettnang, Whitbread Golding

Elderberry

Willamette

Elderflower

Willamette

Evergreen

Northern Brewer. For specifically Cedar or Piney notes, see those entries for more.

Fig

Rakau

Floral

Floral character is very common in hop oil, and comes from compounds like linalool and geraniol. Varieties: Aurora, Blanc, Boadicea, Bobek, Bravo, Cascade, Centennial, Challenger, Chelan, Saaz, East Kent Golding, Falconer’s Flight®, First Gold, Golding, Helga, Hersbrucker, Horizon, Liberty, Millenium, Mt. Rainer, Northdown, Opal, Pacific Gem, Pacifica, Palisade®, Perle, Pioneer, Polaris, Progress, Santiam, Saphir, Select, Smaragd, Sovereign, Spalt, Strisselspalt, Sylva, Tettnang, Tradition, Triskel, Ultra, Wakatu, Whitbread Golding

Fruit

This refers to a non-specific fruity character, if you pick up a specific fruit consult that listing instead. Richer red fruit character is more likely to be malt or yeast-derived, but stone fruit and tropical notes can be hop-derived. Varieties: Challenger, Columbia, Galena, Opal, Pilgrim, Saphir, Select, Smaragd, Sovereign, Spalt, Strisselspalt, Super Pride, Tradition, Triskel, Vanguard

Garlic

Summit™

Geranium

Ahtanum™

Gooseberry

Citra®, Galena, Nelson Sauvin

Grape

Blanc, Nelson Sauvin

Grapefruit

Ahtanum™, Amarillo®, Blanc, Cascade, Chinook, Citra®, Comet, Ella, Falconer’s Flight®, Galena, Pilgrim, Pioneer, Riwaka, Summit, Tahoma, Yakima Gold

Grassy

Bitter Gold, Comet, Fuggles, Mosaic®, Palisade®, Progress, Sovereign, Tradition

Green Tea

Challenger

Herbal

A non-specific herbal character is very common from many hop varieties, and often equally hard to pin down. If you’re getting an impression similar to herbal digestif, you’re in the right ballpark. Otherwise see more specific herbal variety listings. Admiral, Aramis, Crystal, Saaz, Hallertau, Helga, Mt. Hood, Nugget, Opal, Pacific Jade, Perle, Pioneer, Pride of Ringwood, Sovereign, Spalt, Strisselspalt, Sylva, Tradition, Vanguard

Honey

East Kent Golding, Progress

Lavender

East Kent Golding

Lemon

Amarillo®, Bramling Cross, Centennial, East Kent Golding, Falconer’s Flight®, Motueka, Pilgrim, Pilot, Pioneer, Sorachi Ace, Southern Cross, Tahoma, Yakima Gold

Lemongrass

Blanc, Dr Rudi, Yakima Gold

Licorice

Columbus, Mt. Rainer, Tomahawk®, Zeus

Lime

Citra®, Galena, Mosaic®, Motueka, Sorachi Ace, Wai-iti, Wakatu

Loganberry

Bramling Cross

Magnolia

First Gold

Marmalade

First Gold, Pacifica, Pilot, Target

Melon

Amarillo®, Citra®, Herkules, Huell Melon, Summer

Mint

Fuggles, Northern Brewer, Perle, Pioneer, Polaris, Progress, Sovereign

Oak

Pacific Gem, Pride of Ringwood

Onion

Summit™

Orange

Admiral, Amarillo®, Bravo, Summit™

Papaya

Mosaic®

Passionfruit

Blanc, Galaxy, Riwaka, Simcoe®

Peach

Amarillo®, Wai-iti, Rakau

Pear

Bitter Gold, Galena, Millenium, Pilgrim

Peppery

Also see: Black Pepper. Opal, Summit™, Tahoma, Target

Pine

Auroras, Bobek, Chinook, Cluster, Dr Rudi, Green Bullet, Northdown, Northern Brewer, Rakau, Simcoe®, Southern Cross, Tahoma, Waimea, Warrior®, Zythos®

Pineapple

Blanc, Galena, Zythos®

Plum

Glacier

Red Wine

Newport

Resinous

Green Bullet, Millenium, Rakau, Super Pride, Warrior®

Rose

Mosaic®

Sage

Target

Spicy

Pepper or clove-like spicy notes may be more yeast-derived, but many hops also convey an impression of spiciness. Varieties: Aramis, Boadicea, Bramling Cross, Brewers Gold, Chinook, Cluster, Crystal, East Kent Golding, First Gold, Hallertau, Hallertau Mittelfruh, Liberty, Liberty, Mt. Hood, Northdown, Opal, Pacific Jade, Perle, Pilgrim, Pilot, Pioneer, Progress, Santiam, Saphir, Smaragd, Southern Cross, Spalt, Sterling, Strisselspalt, Summit™, Tahoma, Target, Tettnang, Ultra, Vanguard, Yakima Gold

Stone Fruit

Rakau, Summer

Strawberry

Huell Melon

Tangelo

Waimea

Tangerine

First Gold, Mandarina Bavaria, Mosaic®, Saphir, Summit™

Tea

Challenger, Calypso

Thyme

East Kent Golding

Toffee

Much more likely to be malt-derived, but Millenium hops may add a touch of toffee-like character.

Tropical Fruit

Ella, Falconer’s Flight®, Kohatu, Motueka, Riwaka, Sussex, Zythos®

Vanilla

More likely to be yeast-derived, but vanilla notes may occur when Bravo hops are present.

Watermelon

Bitter Gold, El Dorado

Wine

Newport, Nelson Sauvin

Woodsy

Crystal, Fuggles, Galena, Glacier, Northern Brewer, Vanguard

Zesty

Bullion

Due to the proprietary nature of hop breeding, some of these hops are under trademark and need to be indicated as such.