Noble hop suggestions for a noob hop head

Ive been brewing since january, and due to lack of ferm temp control (and because of taste preferences) ive only brewed more or less american styled ipas an apas.
Now I'm kind of curious about all the old style european so called noble (?) hops.

I understand its all about what kind of beer youre brewing, but still... If I like the american citrusy strong tasting hops, like amarillo, citra, but want to something new, which one should I try?
Which has the most unique/strong taste of all the classics?
Can you brew an ipa on noble hops?

Thanks for your tips!

There are a few different noble hops. Some are used more in English beers, like Fuggles or East Kent Goldings (not technically the noble hops varieties...). They would be found more in English Ales.

Some are from Germany and Czech republic, like Halltertauter and Saaz. They would be found in a lot of the pilsners and lagers.

Frankly, I don't think they are similar to American hops at all. They have their own appeal, and seem to work well in the beers you would expect them to be in, but they are quite different from the citrusy and piney American hops that we put in our Pales Ales and IPAs.

It's certainly possible to hop anything to IPA levels. English IPAs are not uncommon. Noble hops are generally not used for IPAs, and I'd be curious to see how they would work out as an IPA hops. They are usually used as a balance, sometimes a minimal balance) with the malt.

I admit I'm a fan of the American hps for IPAs and I can't see how using Tettnanger or Hallertauer is going to be better than the classic American varieties for this.

My suggestion is to keep the AA in mind. Sure you could make an IPA with all Saaz, but that would probably be two pounds of hops which sounds expensive and difficult to work with while brewing.

BreezyBrew said:

My suggestion is to keep the AA in mind. Sure you could make an IPA with all Saaz, but that would probably be two pounds of hops which sounds expensive and difficult to work with while brewing.

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Some of the more "European" ones I enjoy are Magnum, Halertau, East Kent Goldings, and Mt Hood.