I used fresh tips from some towering Norway spruces besides my house--picked in early May (with the help of my kids), then frozen until used in an APA-like brew in the summer and an amber ale in August. They add a clear floral/fruity flavor--my wife compared it to apple juice, but that's not quite right: it is lighter, more flowery. See Gordon Strong's Brewing Better Beer for a very helpful discussion of how to harvest, prepare, and use the tips.
For the APA-like brew, I wanted to highlight the spruce flavor, so I put in a quart of tips (for 5 gallons) near the end of the boil (last 15 minutes) and kept the hops mild--East Kent Golding. The spruce is very noticeable on the first couple of sips but then not so much. Very refreshing taste.
For the amber ale, I used only 3 oz. to allow the tips to add a background floral/fruity touch--in fact, I'm drinking one right now as I write. The spruce is just a tad too much, so when I do it again next year, I'll back off to maybe 2 oz.
Anyway, I'm sold on spruce tips--and I recommend them if you think a floral/fruity dimension would work for your recipe.