Popular hop combinations include Citra & Mosaic and Amarillo & Simcoe, as well as many other combinations of the hundreds of varieties of hops available on the market today. Each of these hops has its own flavors and characteristics, so blending varieties creates complexity.
Keep reading to delve into why blending hops works. In addition, we’ll explore specific pairings, how their characteristics work together, and examples of commercial breweries that use the pairing.
In some cases, rather than using just one kind of hop for a specific flavor, supplementing it with another, complementary hop can really bring out the desired flavors in a way that the first hop couldn’t do alone.
When deciding which hops will go well together, it is important to look at each hops’ characteristics and experiment with how various combinations may complement, boost, or tone down each other.
The woodsy characteristics present in Mosaic can help bring the overall sweetness of the pairing down a notch.
While Simcoe contains enough citrus for both varieties, the floral and pine combo creates a dry yet resiny experience.
Nugget’s popularity as a clean bittering hop in cahoots with Cascade’s fruity and versatile nature means this isn’t a one-trick pony — the two can be used for a variety of beer styles .
Tropical on tropical, yes, but brought down to earth by Mosaic’s woodsy qualities.
Some breweries like to go wild, challenging themselves to cram as many hop varieties as possible into one beer.