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Sovereign Hops

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Sovereign hops originate from Wye College, developed in the mid-1990s by Peter Darby through open pollination. This English variety is a granddaughter of Pioneer and is known for its complex aroma profile.

Sovereign hops display a unique combination of floral, grassy, and herbal aromas, with hints of mint, green tea, and vanilla. This hop variety is often used alongside Goldings in English-style beers, contributing a classic and well-rounded bittering quality.

Sovereign hops work well in English Bitters, Pale Ales, Golden Ales, Porter, and Stout.

Usage:Bittering
Country of Origin:United Kingdom
Hop Growers Code:SOV 50/95/33

Where To Buy Sovereign Hops

Sovereign Hops
Amazon
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Sovereign Flavor And Aroma

Sovereign is a bittering hop that is often described to have the following aroma characteristics:

floral

floral

grass

grassy

herbal

herbal

Sovereign 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% – 6.5%
Beta Acid %
Beta acids are what give hops their more aroma and flavor compounds.
2.1% – 3.1%
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 – 3:1
Co-Humulone as a % of Alpha
Higher numbers are said to impart a harsher bitterness.
26% – 30%
Total Oils (mL/100g)
With more total oils, typically comes a more complex hop profile but these are highly volatile compounds.
0.6mL – 1mL
Myrcene
green, resinous
25% – 30%
Humulene
woody, piney
21% – 26%
Caryophyllene
woody
7.9% – 8.1%
Farnesene
floral
3.5% – 3.7%
Other Oils: Includes beta-ionine, beta-pinene, limonene, linalool, geranoil & selinene29% – 50%
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) RatingData Not Available

Sovereign 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 Sovereign, 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 Sovereign 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