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Vic Secret is the Australian hop that delivers the most intense pineapple character I’ve found in a non-specialty variety. It was developed by Hop Products Australia and has become one of the flagship Australian craft hop varieties alongside Galaxy and Enigma. The pineapple-pine combination is distinctive, the pineapple character is fresh and vibrant, and the pine and passionfruit underneath give it depth beyond a one-note tropical variety. I use it in Australian pale ales, hazy IPAs, and tropical pale ales where pineapple-forward hop character is the goal. Availability outside Australia varies; here are the best substitutes.
Vic Secret hop flavor profile
Vic Secret hops have a high alpha acid content (14–17% AA) with a vibrant tropical character: pineapple (primary), passion fruit, pine, and a light herbal background. The pineapple is the defining characteristic, more prominent than in most “tropical” hops, with a fresh-fruit quality rather than a generic tropical blend. The pine adds resinous depth alongside the fruit, making it useful in both hazy and West Coast-influenced pale ales. Used as a late addition and dry hop in Australian pale ales, hazy IPAs, tropical pale ales, and any recipe where pineapple-tropical hop character is the primary aroma goal.
Best substitutes
Galaxy (Australian, best accessible substitute): Same country of origin and similar fruit intensity, passion fruit and tropical rather than pineapple-specific. Use 1:1. BRU-1 (pineapple match): American variety with prominent fresh pineapple character, the most similar pineapple-specific substitute. Use 1:1 where available. Citra (mango-tropical intensity): Intense tropical and citrus, the most widely available substitute for high-intensity tropical hop character. Use 1:1 and accept a shift from pineapple to mango-lime. Nectaron (NZ, pineapple-mango): NZ variety with mango, peach, and some pineapple notes, close to Vic Secret’s tropical intensity. Use 1:1. Ekuanot (pineapple-melon): Melon, citrus, and some pineapple, lower intensity than Vic Secret. Use at adjusted quantities (approximately 1.2:1).
Australian pale ale context
Vic Secret is one of the defining hops of the Australian craft pale ale style, alongside Galaxy, it represents what makes Australian hop-forward beers distinctive from American and NZ equivalents. The pineapple-pine combination produces a beer that reads as “tropical resinous”, modern and fruit-forward but with enough resin structure to anchor the bitterness. When substituting in an Australian pale ale where maintaining Australian character matters: Galaxy at 1:1 is the most appropriate substitute from the same brewing tradition; BRU-1 is the best pineapple match if Australian origin isn’t critical.
Common Questions
Is Vic Secret the same as Victoria’s Secret hop?
Vic Secret is the commercial name for the variety, “Vic Secret” is a shortened form that references the variety’s origin (Victoria, Australia) combined with a play on the word “secret” for marketing purposes. There’s no connection to the Victoria’s Secret brand. The name is simply a commercial branding choice by Hop Products Australia. The variety itself is formally designated as HPA-016 in the HPA breeding program catalog. In recipes and homebrew supplier listings, it appears consistently as “Vic Secret” without variation. There are no alternative names or historical names to be confused with, unlike some varieties (Ella/Stella, Pacific Gem/various) that have naming confusion in the hop literature, Vic Secret has been consistently named since its commercial release and the only naming consideration is that some non-English sources occasionally spell it as “Vic’s Secret” or “Victor Secret,” both of which refer to the same HPA-016 variety.
