What is your "go to" hop variety?

[eanmcnulty]

I still consider myself a new brewer. I am on batch 25. I have been AG since #8 or 9. In order to learn what different hops taste/smell like I brewed seven batches of the same APA grain bill, but I used a different single variety of hops: Cascade, Amarillo, Centennial, Simcoe, Citra, Chinook, and Columbus. I had two tastings so far. Now, my tasters are more BMC drinkers than craft brew, so mostly all I got was, "I like this more than this," but the consensus was Centennial. Chinook, Cascade, and Columbus were other favorites. Amarillo, Simcoe, and Citra were not really liked when compared side by side with the others, however some people seem to like them on their own.
Lucky for me I am growing some Centennials this year. My first time growing.
I think I am going to brew some Centennial/Chinook combinations, and maybe later throw in some Amarillo, Simcoe, or Citra for aroma.
I just bottled two brown ales with Centennial and Chinook hops. The recipes were identical except I doubled the hops in the second. They were pretty good at bottling!

 

[permo]

???

I have used it only for hopburst and late addition. That huge AA% is overkill to try to use as a bittering hop. Never added with less than 30 min remaining in boil and I've never had a single onion beer experience.

with %18, it is an efficient and fairly smooth bittering hop, so you could try that too. For hopbursting and late additions it is also fine.

For first wort or for 30 minute additions it should be avoided, IMO. I made 5 gallons of india red onion ale as a result of heavy summit FWH and all the way through the boil.

If you search online you will find other brewers have had similar results, but used in restraint it has an unmatched tangerine note.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

This all being said, I am very pleased to read about the, virtually across the board, love for ammarilo. I have never brewed with them before, and just finished up my first ever pound of centennial.

I used to think cascade was such a great hop, move over cascade, centennial is in the house! I am hoping that centennial and ammarilo work good together for my late additions in an india brown ale.

I really like Centennial but I recently bought some Simcoe and Amarillo. Still haven't tried the Amarillo but I'm not diggin' the Simcoe at all. Very grapefruity and grapefruit just isn't a flavor/aroma I want in beer. But I don't like high bitterness anyway and just don't 'get' citrusy flavors/aromas in beer. I might end up giving these hops away (begone foul grapefruit pith!).

 

[SchlazzGraft]

I really like Centennial but I recently bought some Simcoe and Amarillo. Still haven't tried the Amarillo but I'm not diggin' the Simcoe at all. Very grapefruity and grapefruit just isn't a flavor/aroma I want in beer. But I don't like high bitterness anyway and just don't 'get' citrusy flavors/aromas in beer. I might end up giving these hops away (begone foul grapefruit pith!).

Amarillo is similar to Simcoe i'd say (maybe not as intense)... both are quite citrusy/piney. Stay away from those, maybe cascade too, if you don't like that flavor

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Amarillo is similar to Simcoe i'd say (maybe not as intense)... both are quite citrusy/piney. Stay away from those, maybe cascade too, if you don't like that flavor

Thanks. I don't get the intense-grapefruit from Cascade, I like Cascade. But I had concerns about the Amarillo, that's why I haven't been in a rush to even open the bag.

I agree with OP about Willamette. Seems I go through twice as much of it as anything. I use a lot of nobles too.