East Kent Goldings

Hop Variety

East Kent Goldings

Origin

UK

Alpha Acid %

4-5.5%

Beta Acid %

3.5%

Background

There are a many hops that come under the name Goldings and East Kent Golding may be the most widely known of all of them named after the grower for and commercially available for well over a century. As the name also suggests they are only grown in the Eastern part of the county of Kent, if they aren’t then they are not East Kent Goldings.

The East Kent Goldings hop along with Fuggles is quintessential hop linked to English Pale Ales and India Pale Ales and is has ingrained itself into British brewing in a similar way to Cascade in the US

Brewing Attributes

East Kent Goldings are primarily an aroma hop with earthy qualities and the aroma is perfect for dry hopping too. Even so it is still used in the boil for it’s rounded bittering. As mentioned previously it has pretty much defined English Bitters and Pale Ales like no other hop.

Another quality they add is the sweet, honeyed note they can give a beer, late additions will generally give you a honeyed flavour in blonde beers that is hard to replicate with other varities.

Possible Substitutions

Substitutes for aroma purposes just aren’t going to be the same. If I were making an English Pale Ale for example I would substitute something applicable to the beer style rather than searching for something to try and replicate the aroma profile.

Goldings or Whitbread Goldings are a suitable bittering substitute or you could even try Fuggles or Progress if it suits the style.

Commercial Examples

East Kent Goldings is the quintessential English Ale hop so there will be 1000’s of beers that make use of them in some way, if you are looking for some examples where the hop dominates however than the following beers are worth a look: