Are 2012 Centennial hops fruity?

[porky_pine]

I've made two batches of a Bell's Two Hearted IPA all Centennial clone with 2012 hops and both came out kinda fruitier tasting then they normally do when I make this beer. I'm pretty sure it's not esters because I use 05 yeast in the low 60's. For some reason I feel like these hops are fruity or something. It's like a peachy, sweet flavor I don't really like. Anyone else notice this? They are Hop Union hops.

 

[Calichusetts]

I've gotten peach from 05 in the low 60s lately...I've even heard that the mid-60s can be cleaner which I am going to try in a few batches

 

[bobbrews]

Centennial hops can have fruity, citrusy, and even piney traits depending on how they are used & how much are used. If you focus on hopbursting, you'll get something more fruity. Balancing it out with something like Cascade, Chinook, or Columbus really helps to give it more citrus and/or pine.

 

[gbarron]

I have this impression of 2012 Centennial as well, but this is solely based on one batch of IPA so far. I used an ounce of Centennial at both 10 and 5 minute additions, and another 1.5 ounces in the dry hop (along with 1.5 ounces of Chinook). The hop flavor was decidedly fruity and sweet. I'm fairly certain the sweet fruitiness is from the hops and not malt because this beer had an IBU of approximately 90 against an OG of 1.070 and FG of 1.013. The yeast was WLP007 fermented in the low 60's, so I don't think it is yeast character either. I'm left thinking it is the Centennial flavor hops. Next time I use them in this beer I will up the Chinook vs the Centennial.

 

[porky_pine]

I was at a bar last night where there happened to be two other homebrewers sitting at the bar and they both said they have noticed their IPA's with centennial hops this year have come out really fruity tasting. One of these guys said he just went to some brewing conference where a speaker was talking about the same issue with this year's crop of centennial.

 

[benflath]

Climate change is messing with hop profiles now!? Gah!