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What are Noble Hops?

Where are these lovely hop varieties grown? What beers use Noble Hops? How did they get such a lofty name? Let's find out.

Interesting Tools

A farm growing a field full of Noble Hops
Looks like a scene from 2000's Gladiator.

Noble hops have been used for hundreds of years and some varieities come from the Hallertau region in Germany. You can use noble hops to brew many different types of beer including German-style beers such as Kolsch, Pilsner, and Weissbier. Some examples of popular beers that contain noble hops are Sam Adams Noble Pils and Stone Ruination.

One interesting, and innovative, beer utilizing Noble Hops is Kernza Pils, as the beer is made with Kernza, a regenerative agriculture crop. Patagonia, the sustainable outdoor lifestyle brand and Boston Beer Company collaborated on the brewing of the beer.

Types of Noble Hops

  • Hallertauer Mittelfruh
  • Saaz
  • Spalt
  • Tettnanger

Hallertau Hops

Hallertau, or Hallertauer Mittelfruh,

Beer Styles that use Hallertau Hops

Craft Beers brewed with Hallertau Hops

Saaz Hops

Beer Styles that use Saaz Hops

Craft Beers brewed with Saaz Hops

Spalt Hops

Beer Styles that use Spalt Hops

Craft Beers brewed with Spalt Hops

Tettnang Hops

Beer Styles that use Tettnang Hops

Craft Beers brewed with Tettnang Hops

American Noble Hop Varieties vs. European Noble Hops

Varieties of Noble Hops such as Tettnanger grow in the United States, as they were imported at some point. This disqualifies them from being true noble hops. For instance, Canterbury Aleworks is a brewery that grows their own Tettnanger and Hallertau hops just outside of Concord, NH. Those hops don't make the "noble" cut.