[Iliff Ave]

Can anyone who has used these provide any descriptions? In beersmith, they are described as very bitter and to use sparingly with other hops. Guy at the LHBS uses them all the time and described them as citrusy and great for hoppy beers. I bought only an ounce on his recommendation. I also see that they have an aroma which may be "objectionable". I am getting the feeling that these are not loved around the brewing community...

[dkfick]

Can anyone who has used these provide any descriptions? In beersmith, they are described as very bitter and to use sparingly with other hops. Guy at the LHBS uses them all the time and described them as citrusy and great for hoppy beers. I bought only an ounce on his recommendation. I also see that they have an aroma which may be "objectionable". I am getting the feeling that these are not loved around the brewing community...

Haha yeah I was actually reading up about them a few weeks ago.. Seems they were developed in 1975... and not may people seem to use them.  Might be a telling fact.  A local brewery (Rochester Mills) has been putting on this homebrew event the weekend before National Homebrew Day for the past few years.  They give homebrewers grains, a bunch of hops, and yeast and about 120 homebrewers decend to brew in their parking lot on that day (next Sat).  This is one of the hops they are providing this year.  I'm brewing an American Barleywine with it on Sat... Though only 1oz of Comet... 2oz of Amarillo and 5oz of Experimental Hop 429.  The comet is basically going to be my 60 min addition.

[HoosierBrew]

I read one description that said " lemon, cat, soap, and weeds". A few other similar ones. I agree with dkfick - if it's been around 40 years and almost nobody uses it, especially now when assertive hops are common in American beers - probably a reason for it.

[Iliff Ave]

Haha. The dude told me they were recently given a name after being an experimental hop for a while. He was either thinking of a different hop or is severely mistaken. Crap...now I don't know what to do with it. Don't wanna mess up a batch with it if it is really that bad.

[HoosierBrew]

I definitely wouldn't finish with it, but I doubt very much you'd notice all of that by using it for bittering only, especially in a hoppy beer.

[dkfick]

Haha. The dude told me they were recently given a name after being an experimental hop for a while. He was either thinking of a different hop or is severely mistaken. Crap...now I don't know what to do with it. Don't wanna mess up a batch with it if it is really that bad.

You never really know if it's bad until you try it.  Did you smell any of the hops?  What did you think?  Obviously the flavor/aroma could change when it's used in the beer but I would probably give it a go in a pale ale or something... since you already have the hops and all...

[Iliff Ave]

Right. I don't want to open the sealed bag until I am ready to use it. When I plan to brew with it I will just make sure I have another option on hand in case I get a bad feeling.

[dkfick]

Yeah if you don't have a vacuum sealer that might be the best approach.

[erockrph]

I have some of these in the freezer and they're on the docket for one of the next runs of single-hopped brews i do. The descriptors always seem so good on the website when you go to buy them, but the end results often fall short. We'll see about this one.

[kmccaf]

A local brewery uses them in a few brews, and I have enjoyed them quite a bit. I am not sure at what point in the process they use them, but I get a very dank "hoppy" aroma in those brews.