Knowledge · Varieties
The cultivars brewers and maltsters prize — country by country, from Maris Otter to Montoya.
Knowledge › Malting barley varieties
Behind every great beer is a specific barley variety — bred over decades for low protein, high extract, even germination and reliable malting behaviour. Below is a tour of the world's most important malting barley varieties, organised by region, plus the landmark cultivars that changed the industry.
British malting barley gave the world some of its most iconic names, prized for traditional ale and distilling:
A classic 2-row winter malting barley developed in 1966 by crossing Proctor and Pioneer. Beloved by craft and cask-ale brewers for its rich, biscuity malt character, it remains a global benchmark for flavour.
Other British and English pale-ale staples include Golden Promise, Propino and Planet.
A top-three EU producer. Preferred varieties in 2024–25 include LEXY, RGT Orbiter and KWS Thalis; varieties under development include RGT Asteroid, LG Belcanto, Fandaga, KWS Fantex and RGT Planet. Earlier preferred lists featured Traveler, Pewter and Shakira.
France (~7.8 Mt) is the EU's largest producer and is dominated by winter barleys; Germany (~11.1 Mt) is another major brewing-barley producer. RGT Planet — a widely grown, broadly adapted 2-row spring variety — has become a continental and global workhorse.
Developed at the University of Saskatchewan and licensed in 1981, Harrington was a transformative 2-row malting barley that became an international standard — so influential it was even grown in South Africa, outside its ideal adaptation zone.
Canada (~7.8 Mt, with China its main export destination) maintains a deep varietal program spanning Eastern and Western, 2-row and 6-row, covered and hulless types. Recommended modern varieties include:
| Variety | Notes |
|---|---|
| AC Metcalfe | Long-standing 2-row malting benchmark |
| CDC Copeland | Widely grown two-row malting |
| CDC Bow / CDC Fraser | Modern high-quality malting selections |
| AAC Synergy / AAC Connect | Newer high-performing malting lines |
| Legacy, CDC Copper, AAC Prairie | Established malting & feed options |
| Bill Coors 100, CDC PlatinumStar, CDC GoldStar, CDC Churchill | Specialty and craft-oriented selections |
Argentina produces 4.8–5.0 Mt (2024/25), around 90% in Buenos Aires Province, split roughly half malting and half feed, with more than half of malting exports going to Brazil. The leading varieties for 2025/26:
| Variety | Share (2025/26) |
|---|---|
| Montoya | 36.5% |
| Andreia | 21.8% |
| Overture | 18.6% |
The national institute INTA continues to release new locally adapted cultivars, including Verónica INTA (2025) and Beatriz INTA (2026). See where this grain is grown on our Global Barley Atlas.
Chile has tested and grown varieties such as Barker and Scarlett. Australia grows a large, export-oriented portfolio of malting varieties bound for Latin America, Vietnam, Japan and Mexico, while the United States focuses on 2-row malting barley across its Northern Plains.
Whatever the name, premium malting varieties share the same prized traits: low protein, high extract, high diastatic power, high alpha-amylase, good plumpness, no post-harvest dormancy and strong varietal purity. These are exactly the quality parameters maltsters test against — explored in our guide to malting barley quality.
Tell us what your brewery or maltings needs — we connect you with sustainable, traceable barley by variety and origin.
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