Last updated:
Target and Challenger are two British high-alpha hops that were developed to bring bittering efficiency to English ale brewing at a time when the UK hop industry needed varieties that could compete with imported high-alpha American and German hops. I’ve used both in English bitter and ESB clones where British bittering character is important, and the comparison reveals two different philosophies in British hop breeding: Target maximizes alpha efficiency; Challenger balances alpha with genuine late-addition character.
Target vs. Challenger: key specifications compared
Target: Developed at Wye College, Kent, England, released 1972. One of the first high-alpha British hop varieties. Alpha acids: 10–13% (high for a British hop). Beta acids: 4.5–6%. Cohumulone: 30–35% (moderate). Total oil: 0.8–1.3 mL/100g. Primary components: myrcene (45–55%), caryophyllene (10–15%), farnesene (10–14%). Primary flavor/aroma: clean, slightly herbal, mild spice, mild fruity note at late additions, Target is primarily a bittering hop that produces clean, moderately smooth bitterness at relatively low cost (high-alpha means less weight needed per IBU). Late additions contribute a soft herbal-spicy note that is compatible with British ale character. Target is the dominant bittering hop in many UK commercial brewery recipes, it is the “workhorse British bittering hop” in the same way that Magnum is the workhorse clean bittering hop in German and American brewing. Challenger: Developed at Wye College, Kent, England, released 1972 (same year as Target, same breeding program). Alpha acids: 7–9% (moderate, lower than Target). Beta acids: 4–4.5%. Cohumulone: 20–25% (low, noticeably cleaner bittering than Target). Total oil: 1.0–1.5 mL/100g. Primary components: myrcene (35–40%), farnesene (16–20%, high, contributes soft herbal character), linalool. Primary flavor/aroma: clean, slightly fruity, herbal, mild spice, floral undertone, Challenger is a more versatile and flavorful hop than Target. The high farnesene contributes the soft, herbal, slightly floral character that makes Challenger suitable for use in late additions and as an aroma hop, not just bittering. Its lower cohumulone produces smoother bitterness than Target at equivalent IBU levels.
British bitter and ESB: Target vs. Challenger
Use Target when: you need efficient, clean bittering in British ales where the bittering hop contribution should be neutral and background, the hop character in the finished beer should come from late additions of Fuggles or EKG, not from the bittering hop. Target at 60 minutes provides cost-effective IBU contribution with minimal intrusion; it allows Fuggles and EKG at 15-minute and flameout additions to define the hop character. Target is also appropriate for high-IBU British styles where smooth bittering needs to be maintained at 40+ IBU without harshness, its moderate cohumulone is better than Fuggles at these levels. Use Challenger when: you want a British hop that can serve as both bittering and flavor/aroma addition without switching varieties. Challenger’s lower cohumulone and higher farnesene mean it produces smooth bittering at 60 minutes and genuine herbal-floral character at late additions. This makes it the right choice for recipes where you want one British hop variety throughout, a Challenger-only bitter with additions at 60, 15, and 5 minutes produces a cohesive, well-integrated British hop character that a Target-only recipe wouldn’t achieve at aroma additions. Challenger is also excellent in premium bitter, ESB, and English IPA styles where British hop character should be present and distinct at every stage. Classic combination: Target at 60 minutes for efficient bittering, Challenger at 15 minutes for flavor, EKG at 5 minutes for aroma, this is one of the standard British ale hop schedules that produces authentic bitter, ESB, and English pale ale character.
Common Questions
Are Target and Challenger available to homebrewers outside the UK?
Yes, both are available internationally through homebrew suppliers that stock British hop varieties, though availability is less consistent than American varieties like Cascade or Centennial. In the UK, both are standard stock at most homebrew shops and are inexpensive, they are workhorse commercial brewing hops with no proprietary restrictions. In the US and Australia, they require ordering from specialty British hop importers or homebrew suppliers with good British hop selection. Charles Faram (the major British hop merchant) exports both varieties to international homebrewing distributors; Hopsteiner and other hop merchants also carry them. If you can’t source Target or Challenger: for Target substitution (bittering), use Magnum (cleaner, slightly less British character) or Northern Brewer (slightly mintier but compatible). For Challenger substitution (flavor and aroma), use Fuggles (earthier, less fruity) or East Kent Goldings (more floral, very different but British). Styrian Goldings are also sometimes listed as a Challenger substitute, though the character difference is significant. For authentic British ale reproduction, sourcing British hops directly is worth the extra effort, the character differences from Fuggles through EKG through Challenger and Target are part of what makes British ales taste distinctively British.
