Have you used these hops?

Equinox was very herbal/floral to me with an amped up English hop characteristics....(?)
Comet was definitely more edgy, dank...more like summit.
When I got them, was planning an Astrological IPA with Galaxy as well...but ended up using too much of them to go ahead with that plan.
Never tried any of the others.

 

Not much to add except that @telejunkie nails my take on Equinox.

 

Maybe i'm just spoiled by some of the other fruit forward hop profiles because I got little citrus/tropical fruit, not to say none, but not the grapefruit/orange/mango/passionfruit, that i've become accustomed to with many new american hop varieties. Interesting to hear those descriptors....may need to revisit, i still have maybe a little over an oz left in my freezer.

 

I like first gold. floral and gives the classic tangerine/marmelade flavour, good for bittering too. Not very intense though as with most english hops

 

I did a few homebrews with it late and had a Sierra Nevada single hop that both were in line with British pales, maybe there was a very very subtle fruit maybe almost blueberry and lemon in the way that huel melon is fruity? Mostly I got earthiness similar to goldings or fuggles.

 

I like Equinox for its big citrus flavor personally, and I get some tropical fruit from it as well. I've brewed up a couple of single hop IPAs and another IPA with Amarillo, Galaxy and Mosaic and was blown away! It's definitely one of my favorites and stoked to have just got another pound of it last week. Unlike previous posts, I would personally say if you are looking for a juicy IPA, give this one a try!

I found Comet to have a wild flavor to it, very earthy and herbal, almost a touch of noble hops, with absolutely no dankness at all in comparison to someone else's reply. I used it as well in a single hop IPA and then decided it would be best in some saisons, a Berliner Weisse and in a wild beer. Those turned out much better than the single hop IPA.

BTW, I purchased both from Yakima Valley Hops.

 

I brewed an IPA a couple months ago with Topaz, Simcoe, and Galaxy. The Topaz had a nice fruit/citrus note, but less than the Galaxy for sure. I'd certainly use it again, but it wouldn't be the first thing I'd reach for either.

 

Haha...to our credit, just glance through some review of Equinox single hop beers and you'll see that it runs the full gamut from earthy hops to herbal to grapefruit to lemon/lime to melon/canteloupe:
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/129422/
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/94/149964/

Interesting to hear your take on Comet...one vocal guy on a different Forum swears up & down that Comet is the "secret hop" of Heady Topper. I'll stick by my original post, did a quick google search and noticed here reviews by @FATC1TY and some others who generally agree with that assessment. Would be interested to see if he still feels that way

 

I really, really liked Sierra Nevada Harvest Single Hop IPA - Equinox Hops. One of the hop flavors I noted was a cedar-like aroma/flavor; I really enjoyed that aspect. I did not pick up any green pepper in that beer.

Cheers!

 

Just tapped an Equinox and Mozaic IPA.....juicy...juicy fruity bomb I would say and I don't think most of it is coming from the Mozaic : )

My palate got orange, apricot, and pineapple/mango

 

IIRC, Comet is a very old-school hop that has seen a bit of resurgence in popularity due to the recent increase in the desirability of hoppy beers.

I have used First Gold quite a bit. It is a really nice English hop that works great in British style ales. And what @Hanglow said.

 

I personally don't get the same flavors in commercial Equinox beers that I do with fresh homebrewed beers. The Sierra Nevada single hop tastes more earthy and grassy with little to no citrus/tropical fruit...not my favorite example of an Equinox brew personally.

My sensory analysis is right there with @GreenKrusty101

I had a session IPA yesterday at Breakside in Portland called Rainbows and Unicorns that used El Dorado, Galaxy and Comet. One of the brewers mentioned that they use the Comet to round the flavors out and away from being too big of a juicy fruit bomb.

 

Comet is a potent hop. Catty wild grapefruit. Very dank and earthy, hints of onion perhaps but not much. It's a great hop to use when you've added too much fruity tropical hops and need something to blend in and simmer down the sugar cocktail.

Slight melon notes come out in dry hopping I've found in my use.

Decent hop to layer. Probably not on its own for my taste.

 

Interesting.

I had s surly bitter brewer that was excellent. The English grains and hops gave that black tea bitterness with this orange marmalade flavor that was so good

 

Got about 6 oz of wc Comet and Topaz left with 1# of Equinox and 4 oz of NS on their way...will have to figure out an end of Summer IPA (after a SH IPA with the NS, some Galaxy, Pacifica, and probably some of the Topaz for bittering.

 

I just got some Equinox yesterday. Planning a APA with them and Bravo.

 

I really liked Comet when I used it. I think I have a pound in the freezer, but I got distracted with saisons this year.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/comet-citra-is-like-chocolate-peanut-butter.181329/