Hop
Amarillo
A softly floral American hop with orange and apricot character, gentler than most of its contemporaries.
Amarillo was discovered as a chance seedling rather than bred, and is a proprietary variety grown under licence. Its orange-blossom and apricot profile sits between the grapefruit of Cascade and the tropical intensity of Citra.
Aroma and flavour
Descriptors are impressions rather than analytical results. BeerHQ rates this characterisation as well established.
Belongs to
Analysis
| Alpha acid | 8–11% |
|---|---|
| Cohumulone | 21–24% |
| Total oil | 1.5–1.9 ml/100 g |
| Purpose | aroma |
| Origin | United States |
| Storage stability | moderate |
The name is a registered trademark rather than a plain variety name, which affects what a label may say and who may grow it.
How it is used
- Whirlpool / hop stand. Steeped below boiling after flameout. Extracts aroma and flavour with limited additional bitterness.
- Dry hop. Added after the boil, during or after fermentation. Contributes aroma and flavour with essentially no isomerised bitterness.
- Late boil. Added in the last few minutes, retaining more aromatic oils while adding modest bitterness.
If you like Amarillo
Hops with comparable character. Similarity and substitutability are different questions, so each entry says which it is: a hop can smell alike and still change the beer if its alpha acid is far off.
Centennial 10–12% alpha · editorial
More intense but broadly the same territory.
Not the same: brings pine and resin that Amarillo does not; lacks the stone fruit of Amarillo.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Cascade 5–7% alpha · editorial
Comparable citrus at similar restraint.
Not the same: brings pine and resin that Amarillo does not; lacks the stone fruit of Amarillo; 3 points lower in alpha acid, so a like-for-like weight swap would change the bitterness.
Smells alike, but the alpha acid differs enough that a like-for-like swap would change the bitterness.
Palisade 6–10% alpha
Shares floral, stone fruit with Amarillo; an aroma variety though it bitters more gently.
Not the same: brings grass that Amarillo does not; lacks the citrus of Amarillo.
Smells alike, but the alpha acid differs enough that a like-for-like swap would change the bitterness.
Harlequin 8–11% alpha
Shares citrus, stone fruit with Amarillo; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings tropical fruit that Amarillo does not; lacks the floral of Amarillo.
Comparable alpha acid, but a different aroma — a bittering substitute rather than a character one.
Mandarina Bavaria 7–10% alpha
Shares citrus, floral with Amarillo; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Not the same: brings tropical fruit that Amarillo does not; lacks the stone fruit of Amarillo.
Close enough in both aroma and alpha acid to swap in a recipe.
Straight substitutes
Close enough in both character and alpha acid to swap at a similar weight. Substitution is directional and imperfect — these are the nearest available options, not equivalents.
- Centennial — More intense but broadly the same territory.
- Mandarina Bavaria — Shares citrus, floral with Amarillo; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Southern Passion — Shares citrus, stone fruit with Amarillo; an aroma variety at a comparable alpha acid.
- Comet — Both lead with citrus; a dual-purpose variety at a comparable alpha acid.
Used in
- American pale ale
The beer that defined American craft brewing: clean pale malt under bright citrus and pine hop character, balanced rather than extreme.
- American IPA
The defining modern craft beer: intense citrus, tropical and resinous hop aroma over a lean malt base, finishing firmly bitter.
- Session IPA
IPA hop intensity at a strength you can drink several of — lean, dry and aromatic, with the malt kept minimal.
- White IPA
A hybrid of witbier and IPA: wheat and Belgian yeast spice underneath American hop aroma.