Brewer’s Gold hops were selected by Ernest Stanley Salmon at Wye College in England in 1919 and were the result of the open pollination of a wild hop sourced from Morden, Manitoba. Despite its initial popularity, the advent of super-alpha hop varieties in the 1980’s rendered Brewer’s Gold largely redundant from a commercial perspective.
For brewer’s wishing to experiment though, Brewer’s Gold is still a good choice for late bittering with desirable notes of spice and blackcurrant. It is also nearly identical to sister selection Bullion.
Brewer’s Gold’s main claim to fame is arguably it’s direct relation to most modern super-alpha hops. It was used to breed notable varieties like Galena, as well as Nugget, Centennial and many others and is still used for breeding today.
Characteristics: Notes of spice and blackcurrant
Purpose: Bittering
Alpha Acid Composition: 7.1%-11.3%
Beta Acid Composition: 3.3%-6.1%
Co-Humulone Composition: 3.3%-6.1%
Country of Origin: UK
Storability: Retains 60%-70% alpha acid after 6 months storage at 20ºC (68ºF)
Total Oil Composition: 1.96 mL/100g
Myrcene Oil Composition: 66.7%
Humulene Oil Composition: 11.6%
Caryophyllene Oil: 6.5%
Farnesene Oil: None
Substitutes: Bullion, Cascade, Galena, Northern Brewer (US), Northdown
Style Guide: Ale, American Pale Ale, Bitter, Barley Wine, Imperial Stout