Falconer’s Flight is a unique blend of Pacific Northwest hops developed in 2010 by Hopunion LLC. It consists of the 7 “C” hops – Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Citra®, Cluster, Columbus, and Crystal – and some experimental varieties. This special blend was created in honor of Glen Hay Falconer, a beloved American brewer who tragically passed away in 2002.
Its aroma profile boasts delightful grapefruit, lemon, and sweet aromatic scents. With its distinct tropical, floral, lemon, and grapefruit characteristics, Falconer’s Flight is primarily an aroma hop, often used in late boil additions and dry hopping.
This versatile hop blend is well-suited for various beer styles, particularly IPAs, but also shines in Pale Ales, Lagers, and other hop-forward beers. Falconer’s Flight is great addition to India Pale Ales (IPAs), American Pale Ales, Lagers, Session IPAs, and American Amber Ales.
Not only does Falconer’s Flight deliver outstanding flavor and aroma to your brew, but by using it, you’re also supporting the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation, ensuring that the spirit of this influential brewer lives on in the world of craft beer.
| Usage: | Dual-Purpose |
| Country of Origin: | United States |
| Hop Growers Code: | N/A |
Where To Buy Falconer’s Flight Hops
Falconer’s Flight Flavor And Aroma
Falconer’s Flight is a dual-purpose hop that is often described to have the following aroma characteristics:
tropical
floral
citrus, lemon
Falconer’s Flight 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. | 9.5% – 12% |
| Beta Acid % Beta acids are what give hops their more aroma and flavor compounds. | 4% – 5% |
| 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. | 2:1 – 3:1 |
| Co-Humulone as a % of Alpha Higher numbers are said to impart a harsher bitterness. | 20% – 25% |
| Total Oils (mL/100g) With more total oils, typically comes a more complex hop profile but these are highly volatile compounds. | 1.6mL – 4.6mL |
| Myrcene green, resinous | 43% – 62% |
| Humulene woody, piney | 11% – 17% |
| Caryophyllene woody | 5% – 9% |
| Farnesene floral | 1% – 2% |
| Other Oils: Includes beta-ionine, beta-pinene, limonene, linalool, geranoil & selinene | 10% – 40% |
| 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 72% of its alpha acid after 6 months of storage at 20ºC (68ºF). |
| Hop Storage Index (HSI) Rating | Good |
Falconer’s Flight 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 Falconer’s Flight, 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 Falconer's Flight 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
