Your Favorite Underappreciated Hops

[dbrewski]

I'm a big fan of Tettnanger. The Riwaka hop of New Zealand is one of my favorites. It's a smooth one and great dual purpose variety.

How would you describe riwaka? Maybe folks can describe these hops rather than just list them.

 

[Homercidal]

Centennial. I just can't appreciate it enough!

 

[thughes]

I've been playing with Sorachi Ace on and off for about a year now. It's like soy sauce or reverb. A little too much is a lot too much.

x2

Did a Saison recently and dry hopped with a "little too much" Sorachi.....lemon pickle bomb! It is mellowing a bit with age but I will never make that mistake again.

 

[Dr. Francois]

If we're focusing on under-appreciated hops, Perle tops my list. Medium alpha, relatively neutral, and CHEAP in bulk.

I often wonder if Rogue uses them so often because the marketplace doesn't have much demand for them.

 

[rossi46]

If we're focusing on under-appreciated hops, Perle tops my list. Medium alpha, relatively neutral, and CHEAP in bulk.

Yep, good hop. I use it in 2 of my recipies, one of which gets brewed monthly. I use about 4 lbs. a year.

I'm also a huge fan of Nelson Sauvin hops.

 

[onthekeg]

I bought some Comet hops last fall for $5/lb. Wow they make a delicious IPA if ever there was. I am going to get more of them.
Fruity, almost like a subdued Amarillo.

 

[tre9er]

Brewer's Gold has intrigued me for a while, as well as Pacific Gem. I'm planning a black IPA around them to see if I really do get a black currant / blackberry character.

Pac Gem and Motueka are really nice, unique hops. They'll give a character you don't find in almost any other hops. Nice and melony, tropical, some citrus. I'm a big fan of both and make a hop-burst PA with them (in my recipes)

 

[tre9er]

Mine is Nugget. I just love that hop. So pleasing, floral, slightly herbal, it's almost noble. I used Tettnang yesterday on a Munchener Helles and thought, "This smells a lot like Nugget". I buy it by the pound and use it for bittering, flavor, and aroma, depending on the recipe. Made a nice all Nugget IIPA (in recipes) that I love.

 

[pwkblue]

cascade is still one of my favorites in commercial beers, and I use it often. Perle and Columbus can work in so many things.....and unappreciated Cluster is a great bittering hop, gives a nice herbal familiar foundation.

 

[Dr. Francois]

Yep, good hop. I use it in 2 of my recipies, one of which gets brewed monthly. I use about 4 lbs. a year.

What's the recipe?

 

[graduate]

I'm not sure it is underappreciated but I love Chinook!

 

[Braufessor]

I love me some citra.......like everyone. But, there are great hops that are going under utilized. Cascade and Centennial are still great (love to use them with citra). Also, Magnum, glacier, and liberty are favorites of mine that are always available.

 

[Eliterunner1]

I love me some citra.......like everyone. But, there are great hops that are going under utilized. Cascade and Centennial are still great (love to use them with citra). Also, Magnum, glacier, and liberty are favorites of mine that are always available.

+1 on the Glacier! A really amazing hop that moves well between american and english beers.

 

[scottland]

Cascade + Centennial. The combination is amazing, even if you use a VERY heavy hand. Union Jack and SN Celebration re two awesome commercial examples of the combo. You can't go wrong, and both hops are available 99.2% of the time

 

[rossi46]

What's the recipe?

It's a modified version of EdWort's kolsch. 11 gallon batch with more grain and hops and fermented at 62*
I can't keep the stuff around.
The other one I do is an Imperial Pilsner with Perle and Tet.

 

[pm5k00]

Cascade + Centennial. The combination is amazing, even if you use a VERY heavy hand. Union Jack and SN Celebration re two awesome commercial examples of the combo. You can't go wrong, and both hops are available 99.2% of the time

Centennial is not available anywhere close go 99% of the time, it is almost as hard to get as Citra, Amarillo, or simcoe.

 

[dbrewski]

Centennial is not available anywhere close go 99% of the time, it is almost as hard to get as Citra, Amarillo, or simcoe.

Huh? You can get Centennial at any of the online retailers throughout the year, even late in the summer. I haven't seen a shortage of it.

 

[NuclearRich]

Mine is Nugget. I just love that hop. So pleasing, floral, slightly herbal, it's almost noble. I used Tettnang yesterday on a Munchener Helles and thought, "This smells a lot like Nugget". I buy it by the pound and use it for bittering, flavor, and aroma, depending on the recipe. Made a nice all Nugget IIPA (in recipes) that I love.

I was gonna say.... all this talk about citra and centennial and sorachi ace and nelson.... those are OVER appreciated hops. All great in their own right, but everyone loves them. Nugget is a standby for me and my amber ale. Something that I thought was really interesting was Bullion, with its currant like flavor. In fact... I might do a mix with nelson sauvin for a nice bright fruity blonde, without any actual fruit.

 

[Obliviousbrew]

I´ll go with summit it´s cheap and great

 

[Soup4you2]

Glacier, Summit and Warrior

 

[mux]

Nugget! Love it's peachy goodness in an IPA.

 

[aiptasia]

Bramling cross for flavoring and aroma. Makes for a very nice earthy currant flavor in ales.

 

[sweetcell]

Cascade + Centennial. The combination is amazing, even if you use a VERY heavy hand. Union Jack and SN Celebration re two awesome commercial examples of the combo. You can't go wrong, and both hops are available 99.2% of the time

there is a definite shortage of centennial this year. it's not quite as bad as citra/simcoe/amarillo, but centennial is a close fourth on that list. not all shops have them right now. they will run out. i bought a pound from yakimavalleyhops while i still could. hops direct have a decent supply of pellets on hand but they're limiting them to 1 per customer (just like citra/simcoe/amarillo). they're sold out of leaf.

 

[Chuckus95]

+1 on Willamette - Cheap, flowering and fruity, and can be used in many different styles

Mt. Hood - Clean with hints of flower and spice; I like it in combo with 6-Row and flaked maize for a Semi-SMASH Cream Ale

Newport - Earthy and herbal; Great in American Browns, Robust Porters, and American Stouts; Can be used to bitter an IPA in a pinch

 

[dbrewski]

OK, maybe I stand corrected, NorthernBrewer does not have them, but I see them at Williams' Brewing, Midwest Supply, Niko's, Freshops.com, etc. etc.

But I see that they are not cheap so yeah, maybe a little shortage.

 

[TNGabe]

No love for Crystal so far? I think it's Jolly Pumpkins go to hop.

 

[skibb]

Sterling for sure for me. Next would be Apollo - great for bittering and in the dry-hop it smells like orange marmalade!

 

[scottland]

Centennial is not available anywhere close go 99% of the time, it is almost as hard to get as Citra, Amarillo, or simcoe.

Maybe not at your LHBS, but you can always find centennial from somewhere. It was a little thin from some suppliers, while others had plenty. By the end of December, going into January you'll be able to find it everywhere again

 

[cheezydemon3]

GLACIER

Love that stuff front to back.

 

[daksin]

Definitely going with Northern Brewer- just a great hop. I don't understand the harshness or woodsiness other people get from NB. It really adds an interesting touch to a lot of beers.

For lighter flavored beers, Mt. Hood can't be beat. You never see it used, though.