I need some hops reccomendations....

I have been working on "perfecting" the recipe that I use for making amber ale. I like the way that the beer turns out, but the flavor is a little bit different than what Im shooting for. I have settled on a bittering hops that I like, but I need some suggestions for my flavoring and finishing hops. I have used casacades hops for flavoring and finishing my last few batches, and they have all have had a similar aftertaste. To me, the beer tastes too "hoppy". I want to create a beer thats sweet (which it is) and mild (which it is not). Any suggestions for flavoring/finishing hops that are more mild in flavor than cascades?

For my Amber Ale, I use Magnum for bittering, and Hallertau for aroma.

It is definitely a malt-forward brew. I use a good bit of 60L for crisp maltiness, and some flaked corn to balance it out.

EKG East Kent Golding is the softest hop(think Mild).

I don't enjoy the flavor of Cascades, but really like Centennial, Simco and Amarillo they are less "citrus, piney" than Cascades. Sweet really means adding sugar or splenda to beer and its the opposite of dry.

I do understand the concept of "hop sweetness", which can be achieved by adding massive amounts of hops at flame-out. Try "Boulevard Quad" or "Oscar Blues Gordon" to see what I mean.

+1 on Goldings, IMHO they're the smoothest hop out there. Regards, GF.

magnum is great for bittering, and if you want a nice middle of the road finishing hop....sterling. Very underrated.

for an amber ale that you dont want to be "too hoppy"...if you want to stick with american hops

willamette
sterling
mt.hood
crystal

^^^ That's a good list of American hops up there. I'd add Ultra to it, but otherwise it's just about perfect. Perle is sometimes grown in the US, and could work as well.

Thirded on the Sterling / Willamette suggestion(s).

My favorite beer in my recipe book is a rye ale that walks the line between pale ale and amber. I bitter with whatever's available, use Sterling at 20 minutes for flavor, and Wilamette at flameout for finishing. I think it's a dynamite combination. The end result is more earthy/floral than citrusy/piney.

jds said:

Thirded on the Sterling / Willamette suggestion(s).

My favorite beer in my recipe book is a rye ale that walks the line between pale ale and amber. I bitter with whatever's available, use Sterling at 20 minutes for flavor, and Wilamette at flameout for finishing. I think it's a dynamite combination. The end result is more earthy/floral than citrusy/piney.

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sterling and willamette are great together for sure. Floral and earthy, with minimal citrus. I am actually brewing a belgian imperial stout that is using 5 ounces of late willamette additions, I think it is going to be glorious.

Another vote for sterling/willamette for finishing - I make a lot of ambers and always keep those in my freezer.