Overview
Developed as an early “super alpha” bittering hop, Nugget is a classic variety in North America and Europe. Our Vermont Nugget has elements of citrus, apple, and warm spice, whereas most American-grown Nugget tends to be strong on sharp earthy and herbaceous qualities and lighter on the fruit. CVH Nugget is not the same “old school” Nugget from your early homebrew days! Our Vermont Nugget is unique, complex and incredibly versatile. A high AA% for efficient bittering, spice for your malty brews and Belgians, and juiciness for your IPAs.
Nugget Hop Profile: Aroma & Flavor
Nugget’s sensory profile is typically woody and earthy (this is due to the high myrcene content). It has notes of pine with a spicy and herbal character. Nugget has a relatively prominent profile, so it’s great for balancing out floral/fruity varieties with a clean cut of bitterness. Nugget is sometimes compared to Magnum, but definitely has more of an aromatic kick. Nugget is also notable for being less concentrated in citrus flavor than other American varieties.
Our Vermont Nugget brings distinctive elements of fruit and warm spice, and becomes more fruity as it ferments. We get sweet citrus, apple and cardamom as the primary notes. Our Nugget is far more interesting, complex, and versatile than the old school Nugget you may be used to.
Nugget Hop History
Nugget was developed in Oregon as a cross between Brewers Gold and a high AA male selected by the USDA. It’s closely related to Horizon and Millennium.
An early “super alpha” variety, Nugget was part of the USDA’s breeding program in 1970, but the first commercial harvest didn’t come through until 1983. It’s a very hardy and tolerant variety, which was one of the key reasons for its success: Nugget was released shortly after a worldwide hop shortage, driven by crop failures in the US and Europe.
While its production has peaked, it remains a mainstay bittering variety for American growers and brewers. It’s also a prevalent variety in Germany (though it’s actually less bitter when grown in Germany, compared with American crops).
Beers that use Nugget hops
IPA, Pale Ale, Belgian Ale, Amber Ale, Stout, Saison, Barleywine, Biere de Garde
When to add Nugget hops
Nugget is a dual-purpose variety, which is often used for bittering due to its high AA%. That’s very much the traditional use case, but our Nugget has tons of interesting aromatics that can be celebrated outside of the boil. Some of our favorite local beers are dry hopped with Nugget.
What hops go well with Nugget?
Citra, Centennial, Chinook, Cascade, Simcoe, Summit, Crystal
Nugget hop substitute options
Galena, Magnum, Columbus, Tomahawk, Zeus, CTZ
