Pairing Eureka hops

[Queequeg]

I managed to lay my hands on 12oz of these bad boys for my next IPA. I'm looking to pair it with something that will show case the hop but fill out the palette.

I was thinking perhaps El Dorado as I hear that is a hop that plays well with others

I also have among other varieties

Galaxy
Cascade
Azacca
Equinox
Mosiac

Want to really keep it to primarily Eureka with a second hop to compliment

 

[dstockwell]

On its own, this hop made a tasty and perfectly drinkable hoppy APA, though I have a feeling it’d work even better paired with complimentary hops that amplify citrus and/or tropical fruit qualities.

http://brulosophy.com/2015/08/20/the-hop-chronicles-eureka-aka-experimental-pine-fruit/

 

[WBCo]

CTZ is my go to for when I'm using a new hop in an IPA. Totally stole the idea from Trillium, but it works well. I am familiar enough with CTZ that I can attribute any new flavors and aromas with the new hop. I typically bitter with CTZ and use a mix of CTZ and new hop for late/whirlpool additions. All new hops for the dry hop.

 

[Queequeg]

Thats a good idea, I dont use ctz that often though. I could do it with Mosiac though as I brew with that a lot and it's is tropical.

 

[Queequeg]

http://brulosophy.com/2015/08/20/the-hop-chronicles-eureka-aka-experimental-pine-fruit/

It's after reading that article that I created this thread. I am also using vermont too.

Grain bill will be

13lb Maris otter low color
0.5lb Abbey malt
0.25lb honey malt
0.25lb flaked barley

 

[theheadonthedoor]

I had a lb of Eureka last year and I tried it in a few different batches. I thought it came through better in a bigger beer, much like Simcoe and Mosaic does. I made a session beer with it and it was a little too piney and catty for the style to seem truly sessionable.

It paired fantastically with Summit and El Dorado in a triple ipa. And an 7.9% ipa I brewed with Eureka, Chinook, and Mosaic took first in a local competition. Although I liked the triple ipas hop combination better

 

[Queequeg]

Today I did a coors light hop infusion with the following hops as a try out

Eureka
Galaxy
Azacca
Equinox
El-dorado

In summary I was impressed with the aroma of Eureka, it is seriously intense compared to the others tested with only galaxy coming anywhere close.

I was underwhelmed by the flavor though, not as complex as Simcoe and rather a generic C hop taste. So I will likely dry hop only with Eureka.

For Flavour the stand outs where Equinox and El Dorado. El Dorado's rep for jolly ranchers is well founded. I could not get green pepper from Equinox rather a apple and "Verdi" flavor with some Citrus.

Azzaca to me tasted like a poor mans Galaxy, perhaps with a more herbal quality.

After some experimentation I think I will be going with

Hopstand of

4 oz El-dorado
2.5 oz Equinox
1.25 oz Galaxy

and a Dry hop of

6 oz Eureka

The combination of El-dorado, Equinox and galaxy was good, cherries up front, then a nice mouth feel from the equinox followed by a light amount of tropical fruits in the finish. El-dorado and Azacca was also good and El-dorado with Equinox was nice but the galaxy just gave it that final pop.

I don't think the dry hop will contribute much flavor

My take way from this is El-dorado rocks in terms of flavor and would be great in a single hop beer if highly hopped. Also Euraka has a nice intense pine and dank aroma that would probably go great with Columbus, Comet and Apollo. Something for another day maybe.