Hallertau Tradition was released in 1993 specifically to solve a real problem: Hallertau Mittelfrüh, the region's original noble landrace, is highly susceptible to verticillium wilt, a soil-borne disease that steadily reduced plantable acreage for decades. Tradition was bred for genuine disease resistance while preserving as much of Mittelfrüh's classic aromatic character as possible, and it has since become more widely planted in the Hallertau region than the original landrace it was designed to replace.
At 5-7% alpha acid, Hallertau Tradition runs slightly higher than true Mittelfrüh, with a mild spice and floral aroma close enough to the original that most brewers use the two interchangeably in practice — a recipe calling simply for "Hallertau" today is more likely, statistically, to be using Tradition than the true landrace, given how much more of it is actually planted and available commercially.
Tradition also stores somewhat better than the disease-prone Mittelfrüh it was bred to replace, retaining roughly 55% of its alpha acid after six months at room temperature — still modest next to a high-alpha American hop, but a genuine improvement grounded in the same breeding effort that solved the verticillium wilt problem. Hallertau Mittelfrüh remains the direct historical comparison, and Tettnanger or Spalt Spalter serve as related noble-hop alternatives from neighboring German growing traditions. German lager styles across the board use Hallertau Tradition as their default noble-hop choice today. Its alpha floor alone sits above the ceiling both older noble hops typically reach, the practical trade Tradition was bred to make: slightly more usable bitterness for a small loss of pedigree.