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Shipping

Hoptimaal offers a wide variety of beers both in-store and online. If you can place an order, we usually have the product in stock (though mistakes can happen, unfortunately). Products that are in stock will be shipped the same day if ordered before 3:00 PM.

If we make an error with stock levels, you will be notified within 24 hours. In that email, we will offer you an alternative product, the right to a full refund, and a new delivery time. It's up to you how you'd like us to resolve the issue.

We ship all orders with DPD from the Netherlands. You can choose between:

  • Home delivery or delivery to your work
  • Delivery to a DPD pickup point near you

Shipping costs and the free-shipping threshold for your country are in the table below.

Deposit

On cans and bottles we charge the Dutch deposit (statiegeld): €0.15 per can and €0.10 per bottle (a little more for some bottles). It shows as a separate line in your cart. The deposit belongs to the Dutch deposit system: you can return the packaging in the Netherlands, not in deposit machines in other countries.

Shipping Costs by Country

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CountryShipping costReduced rateFree shipping from
Netherlandspickup point €6.95
home €8.50		–€75
Belgium€8.95–€100
Germany€13.50–€100
Denmark€15.95–€150
Austria€15.95–€150
Bulgaria€47.50€25 from €150not available
Estonia€17.50–€150
Finlandpickup point €24.95
home €29.95		home: €10 from €200pickup point €200
home €250
France€16.95–€150
Greece€29.50€15 from €150not available
Hungary€21.95€10 from €150€200
Ireland€15.95–€150
Italy€16.95–€150
Croatia€47.50€25 from €150not available
Latvia€17.50–€150
Lithuania€21.95€10 from €150€200
Luxembourg€12.95–€150
Poland€15.95–€150
Portugal€19.95€10 from €150€200
Romania€27.50€10 from €150not available
Spain€18.75–€150
Czech Republic€15.95–€150
Swedenpickup point €24.95
home €29.95		home: €10 from €200pickup point €200
home €250
Norway*Coming soon
United Kingdom*Coming soon
Switzerland*Coming soon

Delivery

DPD generally delivers within 24 hours after receiving the parcel. So if we have received your order before 15:00 on working days, in 99% of cases you will have your order at home the next day. It may sometimes happen that they need one day longer. You can follow this via the Track & Trace details you receive from us, so you can see exactly where your order is. DPD also gives you a time window of 2 to 4 hours in which your order will be delivered. Not at home? No problem! You can indicate yourself whether you want them to come by again tomorrow or whether they should deliver it to the nearest post office.

Do you have a question about the delivery of your beer? Feel free to contact us: customer service.

Returns

You have a cooling-off period of 14 days after you have received the product. Within this period you can register the product for return. The email you received stating that your order is on its way contains a link that you can use to easily and free of charge download and print a return label. Returning is free: we provide the return label and the shipping costs of your return are at our expense. After registering your return, you have another 14 days to send the product back. If you bought multiple items at once, the period starts after receipt of your last item.

How do I return or exchange a product?

  • Fill in the return form within 14 days after receipt. If you are unable to print the return form, please write at least the order number and your name on a piece of paper and include it with your return.
  • Register your return with our customer service. You can do this by sending an email to: info@hoptimaal.nl or by calling 085 -130 1591. Or print your return label yourself via the link in the email titled "Your order is on its way".
  • After registering your return, you have another 14 days to send the product back.
  • Then send your return back in its original condition and with the packaging. Products that are damaged or incomplete are not eligible for exchange or refund.

Please note: after the 14-day cooling-off period it is no longer possible to return your product.

What can you expect after returning your product?

After receiving your return, you will receive a confirmation from us. This can take 3 working days, but in general we process your return on the day we receive it. We will check your return to see whether your product meets our return conditions and will then get to work on the solution you want.

Do you want your money back?

  • We will refund the purchase amount within 3 working days after confirmation of receipt to the account with which you paid. If you want to receive the purchase amount in another way, please contact us about the possibilities.
  • In case of visible signs of use, missing accessories or missing packaging, you are no longer entitled to a refund. If the packaging is not returned entirely in its original condition, we won't make a fuss and you will in any case get 75% of the purchase amount back. This is very rarely the case; usually the full purchase amount is simply refunded.

Do you want to receive a new product?

After receiving your return, we will send the new product right away. If the product is no longer in stock, we will refund the purchase amount to the account with which you paid.

  • Is the new product cheaper? The remaining amount will be refunded to your account within 3 working days.
  • Is the new product more expensive? You will receive a payment request for the remaining amount. After receipt of payment, we will send the product immediately.
  • Do you want to receive the new product at a different address or on a different day? Please contact us.

Exceptions

Beer that has been opened will not be taken back. We also do not take back beer that you ordered at a discount because the shelf life is almost expired. Of course we state this clearly on the product page, so that you are not surprised by a limited best-before date.

The item may be returned to the address below:

Hoptimaal
Leeghwater 5
3825MR Amersfoort
Netherlands

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Beer School › Hops · Hop variety

Hallertauer Mittelfrüh

Hallertauer Mittelfrüh is an old landrace from the Hallertau, the large hop-growing region in Bavaria. It is a mild aroma hop with a spicy, slightly herbal and floral aroma, mainly used in German lagers.

  • CountryGermany (Hallertau, Bavaria)
  • Breedernone (landrace)
  • Parentageunknown (landrace)
  • Typearoma
  • Alpha acids3–5.5% (according to Hopsteiner and the USDA; varies by harvest)

What is it?

Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, also Hallertauer Mittelfrüher, is a German landrace: not a cross made by a breeder, but an old plant form from the Hallertau. 'Mittelfrüh' means mid-early and refers to when it ripens. The Hopfenforschungszentrum Hüll calls the variety the reference for classic hop flavour.

According to the German hop growers' association, the Hallertau in Bavaria is the largest hop-growing region in the world, with 15,680 hectares in 2025. Since 2010, 'Hopfen aus der Hallertau' has been a protected geographical indication (PGI) in the EU. Mittelfrüh is a small variety there today: in all of Germany there were 626 hectares in 2025, mainly in the Hallertau and in Tettnang. According to brewing author John Palmer, it is one of the four varieties that are mainly called 'noble hops'.

Aroma and flavour

Palmer describes the aroma as pleasant, spicy, noble and mildly herbal. According to the USDA, the variety has a pleasant 'continental' aroma and a lot of humulene. According to a review article, that compound smells spicy and woody. The hop merchant BarthHaas mentions myrrh, carnation, lilac, redcurrant and lemon; Hopsteiner spicy, grassy, tea and a hint of citrus.

What is missing is striking. Saaz and Tettnanger have a lot of farnesene in their hop oil, Mittelfrüh almost none: the USDA found none or only traces, Hopsteiner gives 0–1%. Hopsteiner also rates the influence of fruity thiols as low. How much hop aroma ends up in the beer has also been studied: when German researchers dry hopped alcohol-free beer with Mittelfrüh, Cascade or Mandarina Bavaria, 20 to 90% of hop aroma compounds such as linalool, geraniol and myrcene passed into the beer.

The growing location also seems to matter. In a comparison with one sample per origin, Mittelfrüh grown in Germany had a spicier aroma profile according to the researchers, and Mittelfrüh grown in Brazil a greener and fruitier profile.

Use and similar hops

Mittelfrüh is an aroma hop with little alpha acid, usually around 3–5.5%. Palmer calls it a finishing hop for German lagers, and the USDA a fine finishing hop. Brewers therefore mainly add it late, for the aroma. In German research it was also used to dry hop alcohol-free beer.

  • Substitutes: Palmer mentions Hallertauer Hersbrucker, Mount Hood, Liberty and Crystal. According to him, Crystal is one of three American varieties bred as a replacement for Mittelfrüh. Hopsteiner mentions Hallertauer Tradition, Mount Hood and Nobella, and for dry hopping Saphir and Crystal.
  • Noble hops: Palmer mentions Mittelfrüh together with Saaz, Tettnanger and Spalter. The BJCP uses 'noble' for traditional German and Czech hops, which are often subtle, slightly floral, spicy or herbal. They do differ in their oil (see above).

Myth or fact?

Partly true

‘Hallertau hops are the same as Hallertauer Mittelfrüh.’

Hallertau is a region, not a variety. Dozens of varieties grow there; Mittelfrüh covered only about 3% of the Hallertau hop fields in 2025. The American USDA does list 'Hallertauer' as one of the names of Mittelfrüh.

Partly true

‘Hallertau hops are the same as Hallertauer Mittelfrüh.’

The confusion is understandable. According to The Oxford Companion to Beer, Mittelfrüh is often simply called 'Hallertau', and on the forum of the American Homebrewers Association a brewer writes that most recipes used 'Hallertau' as a generic name for Mittelfrüh. There is also a kernel of truth. Mittelfrüh is an old landrace from the Hallertau, and the American USDA lists 'Hallertauer' as one of its names. According to the USDA, Hallertauer Gold and Mittelfrüh were sometimes sold together under the trade name 'Hallertauer' or 'Hallertau hops'.

But the Hallertau is first of all a region: according to the German hop growers' association the largest hop-growing region in the world, with 15,680 hectares in 2025. Dozens of varieties grow there. The largest in 2025 was the bittering hop Herkules, with 7,324 hectares. Hallertauer Mittelfrüher stood at 451 hectares, about 3%. Newer varieties also carry the region's name, such as Hallertau Tradition (1992) and Hallertau Blanc (2012), a fruity daughter of the American Cascade.

The European protection is about the region too. Since 2010, 'Hopfen aus der Hallertau' has been a protected geographical indication: a name of origin, not a variety name.

In short: if it says only 'Hallertau' or 'Hallertauer', you know where the hop comes from, but not for certain which variety it is.

Sources

Partly true

‘There are exactly four noble hops.’

There is a well-known list of four, but sources use no fixed definition. According to John Palmer, mainly Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Tettnanger, Spalter and Saaz are called that; the BJCP uses 'noble' as another word for traditional German or Czech hops.

Partly true

‘There are exactly four noble hops.’

You often read it, for example in the American magazines Craft Beer & Brewing and Brew Your Own: there are four noble hops. That list really exists. According to brewing author John Palmer, 'noble hops' is a category of aroma hops whose aroma is regarded as the best, with 'mainly' four Central European varieties: Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Tettnanger, Spalter and Saaz. Palmer adds that the growing location matters: according to him, only Tettnanger and Spalter from Tettnang and Spalt are truly noble. He also mentions 'noble-type' varieties, which were bred from noble hops and resemble them in aroma.

We did not find a fixed definition. The BJCP, which writes the style guidelines for beer judges, describes traditional German or Czech hops as 'also called noble or landrace hops': hops with an often subtle, slightly floral, spicy or herbal character. The BJCP does not name a fixed list of varieties. The variety descriptions of the American USDA use 'noble aroma' as a description of an aroma.

The term is not defined in law either. What is defined in law are names of origin. In the EU, among others Žatecký chmel (since 2007), Hopfen aus der Hallertau and Tettnanger Hopfen (both since 2010) are protected. Those names are about origin (for Žatecký chmel also about the variety), not about whether a hop is 'noble'.

Chemically, too, the four differ: Saaz and Tettnanger have a lot of farnesene in their hop oil, Hallertauer Mittelfrüh almost none.

Sources

A bit of history

According to the USDA, Mittelfrüh declined steadily in the Hallertau because of a low yield and extreme susceptibility to verticillium wilt, a fungal disease. The variety almost disappeared from commercial cultivation and made way for higher-yielding varieties such as Hersbrucker, Perle, Hallertauer Gold and Hallertauer Tradition.

According to the hop merchant BarthHaas, demand and virus-free planting stock later contributed to a comeback. The German acreage figures at least show that the variety is still around: from 601 hectares in 2024 to 626 hectares in 2025, while total German hop growing shrank.

How to taste it

A good starting point is a Munich helles or a German pilsner, which the BJCP both describes with traditional German hops. In a helles the hop is low to medium-low, spicy, floral or herbal, and the malt dominates. In a German pilsner the hop is more prominent, with a dry finish. Look for something fine and spicy.

Where it takes centre stage

HellesHelles is a golden-yellow lager from Munich: softly malty, with little bitterness and a... PilsnerPilsner is a pale, bottom-fermented lager with a clear hop bitterness. A Czech pilsner... Lager & PilsnerLager is the family of bottom-fermented beers, which mature cold after fermentation; pilsner is...

More hop varieties

AmarilloCascadeCentennialChinookCitraColumbus (CTZ)East Kent GoldingsEl DoradoFuggleGalaxyHallertau BlancIdaho 7MosaicMotuekaNectaronNelson SauvinRiwakaSaazSabroSimcoeStrataTettnangerVic Secret

Terms

Landrace
An old variety that does not come from a deliberate cross, but arose through centuries of selection of plants in a region; according to German hop growers, such hop varieties usually have little bittering compound and a good aroma. Examples are Saaz, Hallertauer Mittelfrüh and Tettnanger.
Noble hops
Name for a group of traditional Central European aroma hops. According to John Palmer, mainly four varieties are called that: Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Tettnanger, Spalter and Saaz, and their aroma is regarded as the best. The BJCP uses 'noble' as another word for traditional German or Czech hops, which are often subtle, slightly floral, spicy or herbal. The sources give no single definition.
Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)
A European protection for a product name that is linked to a region, in which usually at least one step of the production takes place in that region; for beer it applies from 21 October 2026, among others, to 'Vlaams roodbruin bier / Flanders Red Ale'.
Verticillium wilt
A fungal disease of hops (Verticillium) that makes plants wilt; it spreads via infected plant material, carried by the wind, by vehicles and by people on foot. Old varieties such as Hallertauer Mittelfrüh and Fuggle are susceptible to it, and that contributed strongly to the shrinking of their cultivation.
Farnesene
One of the heavier aroma compounds in hop oil. Saaz and Tettnanger have a lot of it (about 14–20% or more of the oil), Hallertauer Mittelfrüh and Goldings almost none; such differences in the oil help to tell hop varieties apart chemically.
Hop oil
The volatile, fragrant oil from hops (according to John Palmer 0.5–3% of dried hops; some modern varieties are higher, Galaxy according to HPA 2.6–3.3 ml per 100 grams), with compounds such as myrcene, linalool and geraniol; it largely evaporates during the boil, which is why brewers add aroma hops late or dry hop them.
Dry hopping
Adding hops after the wort has been boiled, often during or after fermentation, mainly for a fresh, strong hop aroma.
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