Lemondrop hops have a fascinating origin story, stemming from the Hopsteiner Breeding Program as a cross between Cascade and USDA 19058 male hops. Released in 2012 under the name Experimental #01210, this Super Cascadian hop quickly gained attention for its unique blend of fruity and herbal characteristics, making it well-suited for various beer styles such as IPAs, Pale Ales, and Saisons.
Lemondrop hops offer a captivating combination of flavors and aromas. It has a prominent lemon-citrus profile and notes of green tea, light melon, and herbal undertones. This hop variety’s refreshing and well-balanced nature makes it a perfect choice for enhancing taste and fragrance in a wide range of beers.
Lemondrop hops excel in American Pale Ales, Cream Ales, Hybrid Beers, IPAs, Pale Lagers, and Trappist/Belgian Ales.
Usage: | Aroma |
Country of Origin: | United States |
Hop Growers Code: | LDP 01210 |
Where To Buy Lemondrop Hops
Lemondrop Flavor And Aroma
Lemondrop is an aroma hop that is often described to have the following aroma characteristics:
citrus, lemon,
floral
herbal, green tea
Lemondrop 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. | 5% – 7% |
Beta Acid % Beta acids are what give hops their more aroma and flavor compounds. | 4% – 6% |
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. | 28% – 34% |
Total Oils (mL/100g) With more total oils, typically comes a more complex hop profile but these are highly volatile compounds. | 0.8mL – 2mL |
Myrcene green, resinous | 45% – 47% |
Humulene woody, piney | 56% – 58% |
Caryophyllene woody | 9% – 10% |
Farnesene floral | 6% – 7% |
Other Oils: Includes beta-ionine, beta-pinene, limonene, linalool, geranoil & selinene | 0% – 16% |
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). | Data Not Available |
Hop Storage Index (HSI) Rating | Data Not Available |
Lemondrop 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 Lemondrop, 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 Lemondrop 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