A pint of golden beer with white foam sits on a rustic wooden table in a sunlit forest setting, styled with pineapple pieces and lime slices that demonstrate kohatu hops flavor

Kohatu

$3.00
$3.00
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A pint of golden beer with white foam sits on a rustic wooden table in a sunlit forest setting, styled with pineapple pieces and lime slices that demonstrate kohatu hops flavor
  • A pint of golden beer with white foam sits on a rustic wooden table in a sunlit forest setting, styled with pineapple pieces and lime slices that demonstrate kohatu hops flavor
  • A pint of golden beer with white foam sits on a rustic wooden table in a sunlit forest setting, styled with pineapple pieces and lime slices that demonstrate kohatu hops flavor
Kohatu
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Kohatu

$3.00 / oz

Bright tropical fruit and citrus character with a clean pine needle backbone — fresh pineapple, lime zest, and soft resin.

Where It Lives

  • Tropical & Citrus (primary)
  • Piney & Dank (secondary)

Storytime

Kohatu is a New Zealand hop released in 2011 by the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research. It comes from a cross of Hallertau Mittelfrüh and a New Zealand male, which helps explain its unusual balance of tropical fruit and pine. Named after a small village (the Māori word kohatu means “stone” or “rock”), it was selected for a saturated fruit character without the heavier dank or catty notes some Southern Hemisphere hops can show. The result is a clean, bright hop that delivers pineapple, lime, and tropical fruit alongside a distinctive pine-needle quality. It works especially well as a single hop or as a supporting player in modern pale ales and IPAs.

Key Specs

  • Alpha Acids: 6.0 – 7.0%
  • Total Oil: 0.8 – 1.5 mL/100g
  • Origin: New Zealand
  • Form: Pellet
  • Common Substitutions: Motueka, Wai-iti, or Amarillo (in some recipes)
  • More tech specs here

Practical Use

Kohatu is mainly used for aroma and flavor, though its moderate alpha and clean bitterness also make it useful as a dual-purpose hop. It performs best in late boil, whirlpool, and dry hopping, where the tropical fruit and pine notes come through clearly. Most brewers find 1.5–3.5 oz total in 5 gallons gives good impact without overwhelming the beer. Higher rates work well in hop-forward styles if you want more intensity.

Brew day tip:

It pairs especially well with Citra, Motueka, or Nelson Sauvin when you want to layer tropical and citrus character with a bit of pine structure. It also shines on its own in pale ales and session IPAs where you want a clean, fruit-forward profile with some backbone.

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