Amarillo → Cascade
workable matchUse 1.33× the weight for the same bitterness
alpha acids 9% → 6.75% · 36% aroma match
- Keeps
- Floral, Spicy, Citrus, Grapefruit
- Loses
- Tropical, Orange, Lemon, Melon, Apricot, Peach, Dank
- Adds
- Pine
United StatesAmarillo substitutes
Proven alternatives to Amarillo and hops with a similar aroma profile. Pick by availability, price or country of origin.
Direct substitutes
5
Cascade
USADual purpose1972IPAAPAPils
Alpha acid4.5–9%
Beta acid4.8–7.5%
Total oil0.7–2.5 mL
GrapefruitFloralSpicyCitrus+1
Centennial
USADual purpose1990IPAAPAPils
Alpha acid7–12%
Beta acid3.5–5.5%
Total oil1–3 mL
PineCitrusFloralGrapefruit+1
Chinook
USADual purpose8230IPAAPAPils
Alpha acid11.5–15%
Beta acid3–4%
Total oil1–2.7 mL
PineResinGrapefruitSpicy+2
Simcoe
USADual purpose2000IPAAPAPils
Alpha acid11–15%
Beta acid3–5%
Total oil0.8–3.2 mL
FruityEarthyGrapefruitPassion fruit+5
Summer
AustraliaAroma8230Pale AlePilsWitbier
Alpha acid5.6–6.4%
Beta acid4.8–6.1%
Total oil1.4–2 mL
ApricotMelonGrassyCitrus+3
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.
Amarillo → Centennial
last-resort matchUse 0.95× the weight for the same bitterness
alpha acids 9% → 9.5% · 27% aroma match
- Keeps
- Floral, Citrus, Grapefruit
- Loses
- Spicy, Tropical, Orange, Lemon, Melon, Apricot, Peach, Dank
- Adds
- Pine, Tangerine
Amarillo → Chinook
last-resort matchUse 0.68× the weight for the same bitterness
alpha acids 9% → 13.25% · 27% aroma match
- Keeps
- Spicy, Grapefruit, Dank
- Loses
- Floral, Tropical, Citrus, Orange, Lemon, Melon, Apricot, Peach
- Adds
- Pine, Resin, Cannabis
Amarillo → Simcoe
last-resort matchUse 0.69× the weight for the same bitterness
alpha acids 9% → 13% · 27% aroma match
- Keeps
- Citrus, Apricot, Grapefruit
- Loses
- Floral, Spicy, Tropical, Orange, Lemon, Melon, Peach, Dank
- Adds
- Fruity, Earthy, Passion fruit, Pine, Berry, Bubblegum
Amarillo → Summer
workable matchUse 1.5× the weight for the same bitterness
alpha acids 9% → 6% · 36% aroma match
- Keeps
- Citrus, Melon, Apricot, Peach
- Loses
- Floral, Spicy, Tropical, Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Dank
- Adds
- Grassy, Stone fruit, Passion fruit
Similar aroma profiles
1How to pick a substitute
Look for similar alpha acid content (within 2%) and overlapping aroma notes. The more shared notes, the safer the swap.