Cascade Hop Pellets Brewferm
Cascade hop pellets are where craft beer begins — the 1971 release from the USDA breeding programme in Oregon that became the first great American aroma hop, and the variety that a certain Chico, California pale ale turned into the most influential hop in brewing history. That unmistakable grapefruit-and-flowers signature is the taste of American Pale Ale; every citrus-forward hop bred in the half-century since is, one way or another, chasing Cascade.
The profile is the original American statement, delivered with a balance modern high-impact hops have traded away: bright grapefruit citrus and distinctive floral notes over a gentle spicy undertone, assertive enough to define a beer, moderate enough to drink by the pint. With alpha acids typically in the 4.5–7% range, Cascade leans aroma — late boil, whirlpool, and dry hop additions are where it sings — while still handling bittering duty in sessionable, balanced recipes where a soft bitterness is the point. There's heritage in the genes too: Cascade carries Fuggle parentage, the old English aroma hop refracted through Oregon sunshine into something entirely new — which is why a Cascade beer, for all its citrus, never loses a certain drinkable elegance.
Cascade is also, by broad consensus, the perfect first hop: forgiving at any addition point, impossible to make taste bad, and the aroma of the classic first all-grain pale ale that generations of homebrewers started on. From there it scales with you — single-hopped in an APA showcase, blended with Centennial for the citrus-forward West Coast axis, or under Chinook's pine for the full old-school IPA treatment. Trends come and go; Cascade is the reference they're measured against.
Hop pellets
Processed hop cones compressed into pellets for improved storage, stability, and ease of use in brewing.
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Flavor & Aroma
- Grapefruit citrus (signature) with distinctive floral character
- Gentle spicy undertone
- Balanced, moderate intensity — assertive yet sessionable
- The defining aroma of American Pale Ale
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Usage
Pale Ale: American Pale Ale (the definitive hop), Blonde Ale, Session IPA
IPA: Classic American IPA, West Coast IPA, Red IPA
Specialty: Amber Ale, American Wheat, hoppy lagers, fresh-hop style beers
Aroma-leaning dual purpose: late boil, whirlpool, and dry hop are its home; suitable for soft bittering in balanced recipes. Pairs exceptionally well with Centennial, Chinook, Simcoe, and Amarillo.
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Quick facts
Origin: USA (Oregon, released 1971) — Fuggle parentage
Type: Aroma / dual-purpose hop
Alpha acids: typically 4.5–7%
Form: Pellets
Brand: Brewferm
Use: Late additions, whirlpool, dry hop, soft bittering — the American Pale Ale classic
Harvest: 2025
Best by: June 2028
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Related products
- Brewferm Centennial Hop Pellets — nicknamed "Super Cascade": the same citrus-floral character, intensified for IPA duty
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Brewferm Chinook Hop Pellets
— Chinook's pine under Cascade's grapefruit is the original West Coast IPA blend - Fuggles Hop Pellets — the English parent in Cascade's family tree, for brewing across the lineage
- Weyermann Pale Ale Malt 5.5–7.5 EBC — the clean, sturdy base of a classic American Pale Ale
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Mangrove Jack's M44 US West Coast Yeast
— the Chico-style strain that fermented the pale ales Cascade made famous
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From the blog
- Your First All-Grain Brew Day: A Complete Beginner's Guide — Cascade is the classic first-brew hop; here's the brew day to use it on