Agnus → Columbus
workable matchUse 0.72× the weight for the same bitterness
alpha acids 11.5% → 16% · 40% aroma match
- Keeps
- Citrus, Spicy
- Loses
- Lavender, Leather, Tobacco
- Adds
- Earthy, Black currant, Licorice, Curry, Floral, Pungent, Dank, Cannabis
Czech RepublicAgnus substitutes
Proven alternatives to Agnus and hops with a similar aroma profile. Pick by availability, price or country of origin.
Direct substitutes
4Columbus
USADual purpose8230IPAAPAPils
Alpha acid14–18%
Beta acid4.5–6%
Total oil2.5–4.5 mL
EarthyBlack currantLicoriceCurry+6
Magnum (US)
USABittering1980IPAImperial StoutBarleywine
Alpha acid10–16%
Beta acid4.5–7%
Total oil1.6–3 mL
FloralCitrusSpicyNutmeg+1
Nugget
USADual purpose1983IPAAPAPils
Alpha acid9.5–16%
Beta acid3–5.8%
Total oil0.9–3.3 mL
HerbalCitrusGingerPineapple+5
Target
United KingdomBittering1992IPAImperial StoutBarleywine
Alpha acid8.5–13.5%
Beta acid4.3–5.7%
Total oil1–1.4 mL
CitrusMarmaladeSageSpicy+1
How to swap it in a recipe
Bitterness scales with alpha acid times weight, so for bittering additions rescale the weight by the alpha ratio — the multiplier for each substitute is given below. For late, whirlpool and dry-hop additions dose 1:1 by weight and go by aroma instead, because alpha acids do not drive those.
Agnus → Magnum (US)
workable matchUse 0.88× the weight for the same bitterness
alpha acids 11.5% → 13% · 40% aroma match
- Keeps
- Citrus, Spicy
- Loses
- Lavender, Leather, Tobacco
- Adds
- Floral, Nutmeg, Black currant
Agnus → Nugget
last-resort matchUse 0.9× the weight for the same bitterness
alpha acids 11.5% → 12.75% · 20% aroma match
- Keeps
- Citrus
- Loses
- Lavender, Leather, Tobacco, Spicy
- Adds
- Herbal, Ginger, Pineapple, Geranium, Lychee, Herbal, Earthy, Coconut
Agnus → Target
workable matchUse 1.05× the weight for the same bitterness
alpha acids 11.5% → 11% · 40% aroma match
- Keeps
- Citrus, Spicy
- Loses
- Lavender, Leather, Tobacco
- Adds
- Marmalade, Sage, Pepper
Similar aroma profiles
3Elixir
FranceAromaPale AlePilsWitbier
Alpha acid4.6–7%
Beta acid4.5–6.6%
Total oil1.8–2.2 mL
RoseCognacLeatherTobacco+7
Amarillo
USAAromaPale AlePilsWitbier
Alpha acid7–11%
Beta acid5.5–8%
Total oil1–2.3 mL
FloralSpicyTropicalCitrus+7
Amethyst
Czech RepublicAromaPale AlePilsWitbier
Alpha acid3.5–6%
Beta acid7–8%
Total oil0.4–1 mL
CitrusEarthySpicy
How to pick a substitute
Look for similar alpha acid content (within 2%) and overlapping aroma notes. The more shared notes, the safer the swap.