Nelson Sauvin
aroma · New Zealand
Iconic New Zealand aroma hop bred from a wild NZ male parent and named for the Nelson region and the Sauvignon Blanc grape. Famous for intense white wine, gooseberry, and tropical fruit character. One of the most distinctive hop varieties in the world — immediately recognisable at even moderate rates.
15 brews
About
A New Zealand triploid (brand 85-03-06) bred from Smoothcone and a selected NZ male, released in 2000. Its essential oil displays the fresh-crushed-gooseberry character associated with Sauvignon Blanc, which gave the hop its name. That cool-climate white-wine fruitiness is unlike any other variety in the world, and it works as both a bittering and aroma hop. The character is polarising, so it's usually deployed intentionally as the signature of a beer.
Specs
- Alpha acids
- 12.0–13.0%
- Beta acids
- 6.0–8.0%
- Co-humulone
- 22–26% rel.
- Total oil
- 1.0–1.4 ml/100g
Use rates
- Bittering
- Efficient; high alpha makes it usable for bittering
- Flavour
- 0.5–1.5 g/L at 15–20 min
- Whirlpool
- 1–3 g/L for wine/tropical character
- Dry hop
- 2–5 g/L for 3–5 days; 3–7 g/L total in showcase recipes
Pairings
- Grains
- Pale malt base; light crystal complements without competing
- Styles
- NZ-style IPA, Pale Ale, West Coast IPA, Session IPA, Lager
Substitutes
In your brews
Most-paired hops
Usage by stage
Styles brewed
Used in
- APA — Nelson Sauvin Hop Oil 18B American Pale Ale
- Amaizing Ale 21A American IPA
- Rice Ale 21A American IPA
- Nelson Sauvinionaire 21C Hazy IPA
- Mean Doses RIPA (clone) 21B Specialty IPA: Red IPA
- APA — Greenbacker Variant 18B American Pale Ale
- Summer Light II 21C Hazy IPA
- Summer Light 21C Hazy IPA
- Dark Crystal 34C Specialty Beer
- Manuka-Smoked Rauchbier 06B Rauchbier
- Brewdog Punk IPA (clone) 21A American IPA
- Redback APA 18B American Pale Ale
- Liberty Sauvin Bomb (clone) 21A American IPA
- Greenbacker APA 18B American Pale Ale
- Greenbacker APA (I) 18B American Pale Ale