After brewing enough hoppy beers, most of us come to form opinions about certain hop varieties. Based on conversations with brewers online and in real life, I've noticed that Simcoe and Chinook are especially polarizing. Ironically, it can be difficult to find a well-regarded commercial IPA that doesn't contain at least one of the two hops. For some time, I was in the Simcoe-hating camp, but I don't think I can sustain this belief any longer, considering how many of the commercial IPAs I like contain a lot of Simcoe (e.g., Alpine Duet, Sculpin). Either my tastes have changed, or my negative experiences were based on oxidized or otherwise poor examples of the hop. This change of heart has made me curious how strongly you all believe in your hop preferences, and how you justify them.
1. Are there any hops you categorically dislike (will not use in any beer)?
2. If so, do you dislike all commercial examples of beers that contain these hops; or, at least, do you feel that the beers would be better without them?
For reference, here's a list of the hops in some popular IPAs I pulled from The Mad Fermentationist and added to:
Alpine Duet - Simcoe and Amarillo
Alpine Hoppy Birthday - Pacific Jade, Centennial, Amarillo, Columbus, Nelson Sauvin, Citra, and Simcoe.
Alpine Nelson - Nelson Sauvin and Southern Cross
Alpine Pure Hoppiness - Hallertau, Hersbrucker, Tomahawk, Cascade and Centennial
Ballast Point Sculpin - Mash hops: Simcoe, Boil: CTZ, Chinook, Cascade, Northern Brewer, Centennial, Galena, Amarillo, Dry Hop: Amarillo & Simcoe. For a 5 gallon batch dry hop with about 3 oz of each.
Bell's Hopslam - Hersbrucker, Centennial, Glacier, Vanguard, and Crystal in the kettle, and then dry hopped with Simcoe.
Bear Republic Racer 5 - Chinook, Cascade, Columbus, Centennial
Captain Lawrence Captain's Reserve - Columbus, Chinook, and Cascade
Cigar City Jai Alai - Kettle hops: Ahtanum, Columbus, Cascade, Amarillo, and Centennial. Dry hopped with Simcoe.
Coast The Boy King - Citra, Chinook, Nugget, Cascade, Centennial and Columbus.
Firestone Walker Double Jack - Bittering: Warrior, Columbus; Late Kettle: Cascade, and Centennial;
Dry Hops: Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, and Simcoe
Fat Head's Head Hunter - Simcoe, Columbus, and Cascade
Firestone Walker Union Jack - Bittering: Warrior, Simcoe; Late Kettle: Cascade, Centennial; Dry Hops: Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Simcoe
Flying Fish Exit 16 - FW: Citra, Boil: Columbus, 5 min: Cenntenial: 3 min: Simcoe, WP: Citra, First DH: 50% chinook, 50% Citra, Second DH: 75% Citra, 25% Columbus
Green Flash West Coast IPA: Simcoe, Columbus, Centennial, Cascade
Hill Farmstead Abner - Chinook, Citra, Columbus, Simcoe, and Warrior
Hill Farmstead Ephraim - Centennial, Chinook, Columbus, Simcoe, and Warrior
Hill Farmstead Double Galaxy - Galaxy
Kern River Citra Double IPA - Nugget to bitter, Citra in the kettle, and Citra and Amarillo dry hop
New Belgium Ranger IPA - Chinook, Simcoe, Cascade
Russian River Pliny the Elder - Kettle hop extract, Simcoe, Columbus, Centennial. Dry Hop Simcoe, Columbus, and Centennial.
Russian River Pliny the Younger - Bittered with extract, Amarillo and Simcoe (plus others?) in the boil.
Dry Hop Schedule
DH 1 Simcoe, Amarillo, Centennial for one week and remove
DH 2 Amarillo, Centennial for one week and remove
DH 3 Simcoe for one week and remove
DH 4 Simcoe, Amarillo Dry Hop in Keg
Sierra Nevada Celebration: Cascade, Centennial, Chinook
Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye: Bravo, Chinook, Citra, & New Proprietary Variety
Sierra Nevada Hoptimum: Magnum, Simcoe, New Proprietary Variety
Sierra Nevada Torpedo: Magnum, Crystal, Citra
Smuttynose Big A IPA - 2008: Nugget, Cascade, Centennial, Crystal, Chinook, Sterling. 2006: Warrior, Cascade, Centennial, Crystal, Horizon, Amarillo, Ahtanum
Smuttynose "Finestkind" - Bittering: Magnum; Flavoring: Simcoe, Centennial, Santiam; Dry hops: Amarillo
Southern Tier Unearthly IPA - Kettle Hops: Chinook and Cascade, Hop Back: Styrian Golding, Dry Hopped: Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook
Stone IPA: Columbus, Chinook, Centennial
Stone Ruination: Columbus & Centennial
Surly 16 Grit/Abrasive - Warrior, Citra (Previously CTZ bittering extract, Amarillo, and Columbus. Before that, kettle hopped with CTZ extract, Amarillo and Glacier hops. Twice dry-hopped with Glacier and Amarillo).
Surly Furious - Warrior, Ahtanum, Simcoe, and Amarillo
Three Floyds Dreadnaught - Warrior, Simcoe, Centennial, and Cascade
Three Floyds Zombie Dust - Citra
Town Hall Masala Mama - Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, and Mt. Hood
1. Are there any hops you categorically dislike (will not use in any beer)?
2. If so, do you dislike all commercial examples of beers that contain these hops; or, at least, do you feel that the beers would be better without them?
For reference, here's a list of the hops in some popular IPAs I pulled from The Mad Fermentationist and added to:
Alpine Duet - Simcoe and Amarillo
Alpine Hoppy Birthday - Pacific Jade, Centennial, Amarillo, Columbus, Nelson Sauvin, Citra, and Simcoe.
Alpine Nelson - Nelson Sauvin and Southern Cross
Alpine Pure Hoppiness - Hallertau, Hersbrucker, Tomahawk, Cascade and Centennial
Ballast Point Sculpin - Mash hops: Simcoe, Boil: CTZ, Chinook, Cascade, Northern Brewer, Centennial, Galena, Amarillo, Dry Hop: Amarillo & Simcoe. For a 5 gallon batch dry hop with about 3 oz of each.
Bell's Hopslam - Hersbrucker, Centennial, Glacier, Vanguard, and Crystal in the kettle, and then dry hopped with Simcoe.
Bear Republic Racer 5 - Chinook, Cascade, Columbus, Centennial
Captain Lawrence Captain's Reserve - Columbus, Chinook, and Cascade
Cigar City Jai Alai - Kettle hops: Ahtanum, Columbus, Cascade, Amarillo, and Centennial. Dry hopped with Simcoe.
Coast The Boy King - Citra, Chinook, Nugget, Cascade, Centennial and Columbus.
Firestone Walker Double Jack - Bittering: Warrior, Columbus; Late Kettle: Cascade, and Centennial;
Dry Hops: Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, and Simcoe
Fat Head's Head Hunter - Simcoe, Columbus, and Cascade
Firestone Walker Union Jack - Bittering: Warrior, Simcoe; Late Kettle: Cascade, Centennial; Dry Hops: Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Simcoe
Flying Fish Exit 16 - FW: Citra, Boil: Columbus, 5 min: Cenntenial: 3 min: Simcoe, WP: Citra, First DH: 50% chinook, 50% Citra, Second DH: 75% Citra, 25% Columbus
Green Flash West Coast IPA: Simcoe, Columbus, Centennial, Cascade
Hill Farmstead Abner - Chinook, Citra, Columbus, Simcoe, and Warrior
Hill Farmstead Ephraim - Centennial, Chinook, Columbus, Simcoe, and Warrior
Hill Farmstead Double Galaxy - Galaxy
Kern River Citra Double IPA - Nugget to bitter, Citra in the kettle, and Citra and Amarillo dry hop
New Belgium Ranger IPA - Chinook, Simcoe, Cascade
Russian River Pliny the Elder - Kettle hop extract, Simcoe, Columbus, Centennial. Dry Hop Simcoe, Columbus, and Centennial.
Russian River Pliny the Younger - Bittered with extract, Amarillo and Simcoe (plus others?) in the boil.
Dry Hop Schedule
DH 1 Simcoe, Amarillo, Centennial for one week and remove
DH 2 Amarillo, Centennial for one week and remove
DH 3 Simcoe for one week and remove
DH 4 Simcoe, Amarillo Dry Hop in Keg
Sierra Nevada Celebration: Cascade, Centennial, Chinook
Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye: Bravo, Chinook, Citra, & New Proprietary Variety
Sierra Nevada Hoptimum: Magnum, Simcoe, New Proprietary Variety
Sierra Nevada Torpedo: Magnum, Crystal, Citra
Smuttynose Big A IPA - 2008: Nugget, Cascade, Centennial, Crystal, Chinook, Sterling. 2006: Warrior, Cascade, Centennial, Crystal, Horizon, Amarillo, Ahtanum
Smuttynose "Finestkind" - Bittering: Magnum; Flavoring: Simcoe, Centennial, Santiam; Dry hops: Amarillo
Southern Tier Unearthly IPA - Kettle Hops: Chinook and Cascade, Hop Back: Styrian Golding, Dry Hopped: Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook
Stone IPA: Columbus, Chinook, Centennial
Stone Ruination: Columbus & Centennial
Surly 16 Grit/Abrasive - Warrior, Citra (Previously CTZ bittering extract, Amarillo, and Columbus. Before that, kettle hopped with CTZ extract, Amarillo and Glacier hops. Twice dry-hopped with Glacier and Amarillo).
Surly Furious - Warrior, Ahtanum, Simcoe, and Amarillo
Three Floyds Dreadnaught - Warrior, Simcoe, Centennial, and Cascade
Three Floyds Zombie Dust - Citra
Town Hall Masala Mama - Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, and Mt. Hood