Cluster

America's Original Hop • Balanced Bittering • Pre-Prohibition Heritage

Cluster is the oldest hop variety grown in America, and for more than a century it was the backbone of the country's entire hop crop. Brewers reach for it when they want clean, well-rounded bitterness with a floral, fruity character that no modern variety quite duplicates, which makes it the essential ingredient for historically accurate American beers.

With alpha acids of 5.5 to 8.5%, Cluster is genuinely dual-purpose: sturdy enough to carry the full bittering load in a lager or porter, yet gentle enough in late additions to lend its signature floral and stone-fruit aroma without harshness.

Flavor & Aroma Profile

• Soft lilac and floral aromatics
• Ripe apricot and stone fruit
• Bright lemon zest
• Herbal, lightly spicy undertones
• Clean earthy backbone

Used early in the boil, Cluster reads as smooth, neutral bitterness. Pushed into the last 15 minutes, the lilac and apricot notes come forward and give classic American styles their old-fashioned character.

Brewing Applications

Cluster is a staple ingredient in many traditional American styles, including:

• Pre-Prohibition Lager
• Cream Ale
• American Pale Ale
• California Common
• Porter
• Stout

It also works quietly as a bittering charge in almost any recipe where the aroma hops arrive later.

Usage Recommendations

For a 5-gallon batch, use 0.5 to 1 oz at 60 minutes for clean base bitterness, and add another 0.5 to 1 oz in the final 15 minutes when you want the floral, fruity signature in the glass. Lower rates keep it strictly in the background; heavier late additions bring out the apricot and lemon.

Cluster pairs naturally with 6-row or 2-row malt and flaked corn, the grist that built the original American lager.

Specifications

• Alpha Acid: 5.5 - 8.5%
• Beta Acid: 4.5 - 5.5%
• Total Oil: 0.4 - 0.8 mL/100g
• Flavor Notes: Lilac, apricot, lemon
• Typical Use: Dual-purpose
• Common Additions: 60 min, late boil
• Substitutes: Galena, Northern Brewer
• Beer Styles: Pre-Prohibition lagers, cream ales, pale ales, porters

Whether you're recreating a pre-Prohibition lager or rounding out a modern pale ale, Cluster delivers the clean bitterness and old-school American character that started it all.