Fools rush in . . . and here I am, kicking a 4-1/2 year old thread. But in those years, more new hop varieties, so I'd enjoy reading more here. I'll start by bringing up Idaho 7. To me, this is the epitome of an onion-tasting hop. Any beer I see with Idaho 7, I avoid.
I also want to mention I found this thread when Googling Amarillo. To me, Amarillo hops have always smacked mainly of an orange-y flavor, and I love them. But now this happened. Last Sunday I was at Belmont Station (Portland, OR) and got a fresh hop Pono Earth, which I believe is all Amarillo. Took one sip and declared my love. Then my beer-loving buddy, whom I would describe as a discerning super-taster, tried it and made a horrible face: "It tastes like an ashtray!" I don't know if it is the power of suggestion or what, but now I am getting that, too. I had a Pfriem Amarillo fresh hop on Wednesday and got a mild taste of ashtray from it, too. Much less than the Pono Earth, but it was there. Don't get me wrong, I still loved both beers, but I'm worried that my friend may have started the downfall of Amarillo for me. His latest remark on the subject is, "the Emperor has no clothes!"
Edit: 45 minutes later, this has occurred to me -- it was incredibly smokey all summer in the Pacific NW from all the wildfires. Could that smoke have permeated the hop crops?