Centennial (homegrown) + Citra (not homegrown) = magic.
No real surprise there, right? At least some commercial beers have demonstrated the divinity of this pairing (saving a bottle of Summit's 25th Anniversary Ale for a special occasion ... like tonight. When I get home. And sanitize my Beer Gun.).
Both hops stand on their own just great, but there's some nasty, nasty (and I mean that in the best possible way) humulene alchemy that happens when these two kids get together in your wort and hopburst. The treble notes of Centennial fruit and the mango funk of Citra ... it becomes armpitty and catty (and I mean that in the best possible way), pungent and earthy like a freshly-dug rhizome on a cloudy spring day.
What's your favorite hop combo?
I'm pretty partial to Columbus/Cascade. Used the combo on a whim in an IIPA I brewed early in the summer and it's been one of my favourite brews to date.
ReplyDeleteAmarillo and Mt. Hood. Nice blend of old and new, a bit more subtle.
ReplyDeleteI like to do the full c-hop combo. Columbus, chinook, centennial, cascade. I've used them together to great effect in my alpha king clone:
ReplyDeletehttp://noblesquarebrewing.blogspot.com/2009/08/omega-king-recipe.html
Palisade and Cascade make for a killer pale ale.
ReplyDeleteAs of late I have been brewing single bittering charges. Though I just brewed a 1.071 OG pumpkin ale a couple days ago using an once of cluster. I think it would benefit from a late hop with a nice spiciness to it. Any Ideas?
ReplyDeleteoh and to truly answer the question.....I like liberty paired with cascade.
I think I might like Big Star even a little more than I love Citra + Centennial
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