Hallertau Blanc

Despite the name, Hallertau Blanc is not an old Hallertauer hop. In 2006 the Hopfenforschungszentrum Hüll crossed the American Cascade with a male plant from its own breeding, and brought the new variety to market in 2012. The variety has European plant variety rights protection.

Hallertau Blanc is one of the 'Special Flavor' hops from Hüll. According to the Bavarian agricultural institution LfL, Hüll started special crosses for that market in 2006, in response to American craft brewers' demand for fruity hops. German growers had to be able to take part, also because new American varieties are not freely available because of patents. In 2012, Mandarina Bavaria, Huell Melon and Hallertau Blanc were released at the same time. It is a small variety: in 2025 there were 65 hectares in Germany, against 91 hectares a year earlier.

According to the breeder, Hallertau Blanc gives intensely fruity and citrusy notes in a dry, wine-like whole. Depending on the beer, the amount and the moment of addition, passion fruit, mango and grapefruit dominate. An LfL overview simply says 'wine-like, green fruits'. The hop merchant BarthHaas mentions white muscat grape, grapefruit, elderflower, lemongrass and cucumber; Hopsteiner white wine, coffee, cassis and gooseberry.

Research by the Université catholique de Louvain gives indications of where those citrus notes come from. In the hops studied, Hallertau Blanc, like Amarillo, Citra, Mosaic and Sorachi Ace, contained more than 7 mg/kg of citronellol, a compound that smells of lemon and lime. Characteristic of Hallertau Blanc was the thiol 3S4MP, which smells of grapefruit. The same compound had previously been regarded as a characteristic of beer with Nelson Sauvin. In dry-hopped beer with Hallertau Blanc there was much more 3S4MP than you would expect based on the free thiols in the hop. The researchers therefore suspected bound precursors in the hop, from which yeast can release the compound, and did find them. One bound form of 3S4MP was found, of the three varieties studied, only in Hallertau Blanc.

Hallertau Blanc has more alpha acid than classic German aroma hops such as Hallertauer Mittelfrüh (3–5.5% according to Hopsteiner): on average 8.8% according to LfL Hüll, with a range of 6.2 to 11.3%, and 8–12.9% over the last four years according to the hop merchant BarthHaas. Researchers count it among the dual-purpose hops, which can both bitter and give aroma. The breeder calls it a special aroma hop, and according to the breeder the aroma depends on the beer type, the amount and the moment you add it.

• Substitute: Hopsteiner mentions Nelson Sauvin, in the brew kettle and for dry hopping.
• Family: mother Cascade itself descends from the English Fuggle, according to the USDA.

Hallertau Blanc is a child of the craft beer movement. According to LfL Hüll, fruity 'flavor hops' changed American hop growing, and Hüll wanted German growers to take part in that market. To that end, the institute started special crosses in 2006. The cross that became Hallertau Blanc dates from that year too; the variety came to market in 2012.

In 2015 the LfL gave 109 hectares. In 2025 it was 65 hectares in Germany, spread across the Hallertau, Tettnang, Elbe-Saale and Spalt.

Advice: taste Hallertau Blanc in a beer where hops play the lead role and that is dry hopped, such as a pale ale or IPA with this hop. Smell first: look for white grape, grapefruit or gooseberry, and a wine-like, dry character; according to the breeder, passion fruit and mango can also take the lead. Compare it with a beer with Nelson Sauvin, which can contain the same grapefruit thiol.