Opal
A German aroma hop — spicy and woody with apricot and aniseed.
What it tastes like
Opal is a modern German Hüll aroma hop with an unusual, complex profile — spicy and woody with liquorice and aniseed, sweet apricot and flowery jasmine. A daughter of Hallertau Gold, it brings distinctive character to lagers and Belgian styles.
Best in these styles
Tasting Tip
Use Opal late for its spicy-aniseed-and-apricot character; it shines in continental lagers and spiced Belgian styles.Beers showcasing Opal
Specific beer examples coming soon.
Substitutes & relatives
If you can't source Opal, these hops bring overlapping character.
For brewers — technical profile
Alpha Acid
5.0–10.5%
Beta Acid
3.7–7.5%
Total Oil
0.8–2.4 mL/100g
Oil composition
myrcene
up to 45%
humulene
up to 50%
caryophyllene
up to 15%
farnesene
up to 1%
History
Opal was bred at the Hop Research Center in Hüll, Germany and released in 2000, a daughter of Hallertau Gold, valued for its spicy, fruity complexity.
Sources
So you can see nothing here is made up — the published specifications on this page are traceable to grower / breeder data:
Freshness Note
Keep Opal cold and sealed to preserve its complex, fragrant aroma.