Crystal

An American noble-type aroma hop — floral, spicy, and mild.

Country
USA
Released
1993
Alpha Acid
2.5–4.0%

What it tastes like

Crystal is a low-alpha American aroma hop in the noble style, with gentle floral, spicy and woody character and a hint of green pine. A triploid descendant of Hallertau Mittelfrüh, it brings a soft, refined aroma to lagers, pilsners and many classic ales.

floralspicywoodypine

Best in these styles

Tasting Tip
Use Crystal late for a soft, noble-style floral-spice aroma; its low alpha means it contributes aroma more than bitterness.

Beers showcasing Crystal

Specific beer examples coming soon.

Substitutes & relatives

If you can't source Crystal, these hops bring overlapping character.

Lineage & family

How Crystal connects to the rest of the hop family — its parents, and the varieties it spawned. Trace the full pedigree in the Hop Lineage explorer →

FuggleBrewer's GoldCascadeCrystal
Founding lineage
● Hallertauer Mittelfruh 50%   ● Fuggle 22%   ● 7k491 12%   ● BB1 6%   ● Serebrianka 6%   ● other roots 3%

Blood relatives

Genetically closest in the pedigree (may taste different):

Pedigree data adapted from the Rohwer (2021) hop family tree (CC0 1.0). Compilation, analysis & visualisation © 2026 Veryation · Freshie™.

For brewers — technical profile

Alpha Acid
2.5–4.0%
Beta Acid
4.0–6.5%
Total Oil
0.8–1.8 mL/100g

Oil composition

myrcene
17–55%
humulene
17.8–33.4%
caryophyllene
5–12%
farnesene
0–1%

History

Crystal is a triploid aroma hop released in 1993 from the USDA breeding program in Oregon. A descendant of Hallertau Mittelfrüh (crossed with a Cascade-derived line), it is a half-sister of Mt. Hood, Liberty and Ultra.

Sources

So you can see nothing here is made up — the published specifications on this page are traceable to grower / breeder data:

Freshness Note
Low-alpha aroma hops like Crystal fade faster than bittering hops — keep cold and sealed and use while fresh for the brightest floral notes.

Explore more hops

→ Browse all hop varieties

→ More from Willamette Valley