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Ella (formerly Stella) is an Australian hop variety I started using after reading that it combined spice and floral character in a way that’s unusual for Southern Hemisphere hops, most Australian and NZ varieties lean tropical-citrus, but Ella specifically delivers anise, spice, and floral notes alongside the fruit. I’ve used it in saisons and Belgian pale ales where the spice character complements Belgian yeast esters, and in Australian craft lagers where the combination of European spice and Australian terroir produces something genuinely unique. It’s produced by Hop Products Australia with moderate international availability.
Ella hop flavor profile
Ella hops have a moderate to high alpha acid content (13–17% AA) with a distinctive multi-layered aroma: floral (primarily), spice (anise, star anise), tropical fruit (passionfruit, mandarin), and a clean herbal background. The anise-spice dimension is the most unusual element, few hops have genuine anise character, which makes Ella specifically useful in styles where spice complexity is the goal. Used as a late addition and dry hop in saisons, Belgian-influenced ales, Australian pale ales, and any recipe where floral-spice hop character adds dimension beyond conventional citrus or tropical notes.
Best substitutes
Galaxy (Australian, best accessible substitute): Same country of origin with intense tropical and some floral character, loses Ella’s spice dimension but maintains Australian hop intensity. Use 1:1. Saaz (for the spice direction): Noble hop with herbal-spicy character, different character class but the closest widely available hop in the spice direction. Use 1:1 and accept a shift from Australian tropical-spice to continental noble-spice. Hallertau Blanc (floral-spice direction): German variety with wine-like, floral, and some spice character, shares Ella’s floral dimension with different fruit character. Use 1:1. Enigma (Australian, floral-fruit): Another HPA variety with raspberry and wine-like character, different fruit direction but same floral-spice quality of Australian craft varieties. Use 1:1. Nelson Sauvin (NZ, wine-fruit-spice): NZ variety with white wine, tropical, and a spice dimension, the most similar overall character profile to Ella in terms of complexity. Use 1:1.
Ella in saison and Belgian styles
Ella’s spice character is particularly effective in saisons and Belgian pale ales where the anise and floral notes complement Belgian yeast’s own spice production (specifically 4-vinylguaiacol from Wallonian and Bavarian strains). The result can taste like the saison was spiced with anise or star anise when no spice was added, a pure hop effect that’s more integrated and less obvious than an actual spice addition. When substituting in this context: Nelson Sauvin at 1:1 provides the most similar complexity with white wine and spice alongside tropical fruit; Saaz at 1:1 is the most stylistically appropriate spice substitute if Ella’s tropical dimension isn’t needed.
