Interesting hop combinations

I recently did an oatmeal stout that I dry hopped with Simcoe (think i did about 2 oz in 5 gallon batch) and I loved what it added.

 

Big fan of the El Dorado, Galaxy, Mosaic, and Citra combo. Great for juicy flavor and smell

 

Azacca and Denali is dope. Very heavy pineapple

 

Citra and Columbus
Citra and Nelson
Citra and citra

 

It’s funny with so many hop varieties these days I always still buy a couple pounds of Citra per year. It’s such a cheater hop.

 

Simcoe for me adds a delicious Piney note that I love in conjunction with Amarillo. It was the hop combo in the old Sublimely Self Righteous from Stone. That beer has a nostalgic place in my memory, delicious.

 

Got some interesting ones brewing right now

Ella, Enigma, Eureka

Citra, Idaho 7, Bravo

Cashmere, Motueka, Citra

 

I’ve got Centennial, Cryo Simcoe, El Dorado
Thinking about a WC IPA with them

 

Yes and No. The truth is that most hop oils (which the flavors come from) are found in most hops. The differences are mostly about proportions and levels. So you've got the basic flavors pretty much covered with a few hops (any few). But it's also true that those proportions and levels are very important in how a hop comes across in the beer. It's why there are hundreds of hop varieties available and it's why new ones are being developed all the time.

Having said that, I think those 5 are great choices to start experimenting with and learning from SMaSH beers.

 

Why not Dryhop a flavor neutral pop top and recap. Wait 2 or three days and pour through a strainer. Great way to get a feel for hops. I’m due to try it again with some of the new varieties myself

 

Several hops use melon in the description, including Amarillo and Citra. If you’re a fan of melon consider Huell/Hüll Melon, already mentioned. Although I have some Hüll Melon and haven’t used them yet, some folks here have commented that the melon is prominent.

Both of those are terrific ideas. Wish I’d done them.

A little food for thought:

• Make a clean benchmark batch with bittering hops only, no late addition flavor/aroma hops. Use it as a palate cleanser when sampling the hopped test-beers.
• Hold out some hops from each batch, re-seal them independently as O2 free as possible and put them in the freezer. When you sample from a batch, also sample the reserved pellet/s. Depending on how, and how long, they're stored it could give you an idea of how the character of a given unused hop comes through in brewing.
  
• Hops descriptions from site to site and can make one wonder if they’re comparing the same hops. If you make notes or copy/paste (in advance) the descriptors of the hops you settle on, you can strike-out the features YOU don’t find and keep the features you DO find....building your own, personalized hop profile reference. The power of suggestion (by what other folks perceive) might help you name a subtle flavor/aroma you’d otherwise miss.

 

Ya Man! As I sound like a broken record on this forum, I’m a hop head. I brew pretty much just IPA’s. Something about that little flower and what it adds. Oh ya, Citra kicks ass. By its self or in concert with others.

Check this out:
http://brulosophy.com/projects/hop-chronicles/