is a traditional hop from the County of Kent in southeastern England. Although hops were first planted in the region by immigrant Flemish farmers around the beginning of the 1400s, East Kent Golding was released officially and commercially only a little more than a century ago. It is part of the generic “Golding” family of hops, so named after its breeder. However, whereas hops just labeled Golding or Goldings may be grown almost anywhere, including in the United States, East Kent Golding proper comes only from the eastern portion of Kent. Although any official designation may have come late, the Golding hop was famous by the late 1790s and British brewing books from the mid 1800s make mention of the unique quality of Golding grown in Kent. That said, in 1901 the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England made mention of the fact that growers of lesser hops tried to jump on the Golding bandwagon:

To a beginner desirous of obtaining definite ideas on the nature of hops, nothing is so puzzling or so annoying as the use of the term “Golding”. The inquirer soon learns that it is sometimes employed to denote a particular variety, which every grower in the best districts says, and probably imagines, that he grows; and on other occasions, perhaps more especially in districts suited only to the coarser varieties, the term is extended to include a somewhat heterogeneous mixture of kinds possessing few discoverable characters in common except that they are hops.

The writer, however, goes on to explain that there is in fact a true Golding hop, “the history of which is clear enough.” “It is thus clear that, although derived from the Canterbury Whitebine, the Golding hop was a specially-selected sort, which had distinct characters of its own.”

Errors and confusions of this sort were once common. Styrian Golding, grown mostly in Slovenia, is actually a misnomer, because the progenitors of that hop were varieties of Fuggle. See fuggle (hop), styrian golding (hop). East Kent Golding is prized for its aroma, which makes it suitable for dry hopping, but many brewers use it for bittering as well. Like most of the English hop varieties, East Kent Golding is fairly earthy in flavor, and here that quality is combined with apricot and slight notes of spice. East Kent Golding is, next to Fuggle, the classic hop for a traditional English ale flavor. It was a major hop in India pale ale during that style’s heyday, and it is still found in many of the best British bitters. The typical analysis of East Kent Golding hops varies greatly with its subvariety, but for the most part, alpha acids range from 4% to 5.5%, beta acids from 2% to 3.5%, and cohumulone levels from 20% to 25%. Humulene averages about 45%. East Kent is particularly susceptible to downy and powdery mildew infections. It is also highly sensitive to verticillium wilt and to the hop mosaic virus. East Kent Golding generally matures early to mid-season up to late season, and the average yield is about 1,500 to 1,800 kg/ha (1,350 to 1,600 lb/acre). East Kent Golding tends to keep well in storage. Although the technical parameters of East Kent Golding no longer make it a sought-after hop for large breweries, its incomparable flavors and aromas have provided that inimitable “je ne se quoi” to the true English pale ale drinking experience, which is now being kept alive and perhaps even expanded by small artisanal breweries all over the world.