Cascade hops were developed in the 1960s through the USDA hop-breeding program at Oregon State University by Dr. Stanley Nelson Brooks and Jack Horner. In 1980, Ken Grossman introduced a Pale Ale using Cascade hops, which helped launch the craft beer movement. The beer remains popular and is considered one of the best and most influential American beers by industry experts.
Named for the nearby Cascade Range, this aroma hop offers a spicy, floral, citrus, and grapefruit character and is commonly used for late kettle, whirlpool, or dry-hopping additions, and has a high enough alpha acid content to also be used for bittering. Its extreme popularity among craft beer enthusiasts has led to the long-term dominance of Cascade among American hop fields, and it continually ranks among the top five hops produced annually.
| Usage: | Dual-Purpose |
| Country of Origin: | United States |
| Hop Growers Code: | CAS |
Where To Buy Cascade Hops
Defined by its citrus, and often more specifically grapefruit flavor, it is now sought out around the world.
Cascade Flavor And Aroma
Cascade is a dual-purpose hop that is often described to have the following aroma characteristics:
Grapefruit
Piney
Floral
Cascade Hop Oil Breakdown
Hop oils can vary from year to year and farm to farm but based on our research, here are the typical values we have seen reported. This information comes from various hop farms, The Hop Aroma Compendium, and For The Love Of Hops.
| Alpha Acid % (AA) Alpha acids are what is isomerized when boiling to create bitterness in beer. | 4.5% – 9% |
| Beta Acid % Beta acids are what give hops their more aroma and flavor compounds. | 6% – 9% |
| Alpha-Beta Ratio This ratio of alpha acids to beta acids determines how quickly bitterness fades during aging. Lower ratios are common for aromatic varieties. | 1:1 – 2:1 |
| Co-Humulone as a % of Alpha Higher numbers are said to impart a harsher bitterness. | 30% – 35% |
| Total Oils (mL/100g) With more total oils, typically comes a more complex hop profile but these are highly volatile compounds. | 0.7mL – 2.5mL |
| Myrcene green, resinous | 45% – 60% |
| Humulene woody, piney | 10% – 20% |
| Caryophyllene woody | 5% – 9% |
| Farnesene floral | 5% – 8% |
| Other Oils: Includes beta-ionine, beta-pinene, limonene, linalool, geranoil & selinene | 1% – 34% |
| Hop Storage Index (HSI) The HSI indicates the percent of alpha and beta acids lost after 6 months of storage at room temperature (68°F or 20°C). | Retains 64% of its alpha acid after 6 months of storage at 20ºC (68ºF). |
| Hop Storage Index (HSI) Rating | Fair |
Cascade Hop Substitutions
Replacing one hop for another is seldom straightforward but sometimes you don’t have the right hop or the right quantity of hops for the beer you want to make. For those situations, we have made a comprehensive list of hops to substitute on brew day.
These substitutions aren’t perfect as hop chemistry is pretty complex.
We wanted to make this list of substitutions with varietals that are easy to find when possible. For Cascade, we recommend substituting with the following hops:
Beer Styles
For the most part, any hop could have a place in just about any beer style. Based on popular beers, historical usage, and our own preferences, we would recommend using Cascade for IPA, New England IPA, Pale Ale, Wheat Beer, Golden Ale. That being said, experiment and see what works best for you.
References
https://www.hopslist.com/
https://www.ars.usda.gov/
https://www.brewersassociation.org/
https://www.barthhaasx.com/
https://www.yakimachief.com/
Hieronymus, Stan. For The Love of Hops. Brewers Publications, 2012
The Hop Aroma Compendium. 2012
