Amarillo
Amarillo is the orange-citrus and floral hop of classic American brewing — a variety with an unusual origin story, having been discovered growing wild rather than deliberately bred. It is a longtime fixture of the West Coast IPA and a frequent partner to Simcoe and Centennial.
#Variety Statistics
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Alpha acid | ~8–11% |
| Origin | USA (Washington) |
| Year released | ~2000 (commercialized) |
| Breeding | A chance discovery — a wild seedling found in a hop yard by Virgil Gamache Farms |
| Key oils | High in geraniol; myrcene-forward |
| Flavor descriptors | Orange, lemon, grapefruit, floral, melon, stone fruit |
| Typical styles | West Coast IPA, American IPA, Double IPA, pale ale |
#Character
Amarillo's signature is orange — sweet citrus zest more than the grapefruit of Cascade — laced with floral and melon notes. It owes much of this to an exceptionally high geraniol content. Geraniol is also a prime substrate for yeast Biotransformation, which can convert it into citronellol, subtly shifting Amarillo's character during fermentation.
Amarillo, Simcoe, and Centennial together produced the aroma of an entire era of West Coast IPA brewing, including Russian River's Pliny the Elder and Three Floyds' hop-forward catalog.
#Use in IPA
A dual-purpose hop, Amarillo can bitter but is valued for its bright orange aroma in late and dry-hop additions. It blends beautifully, lending a juicy citrus lift that smooths the piney edges of hops like Simcoe.
Amarillo is trademark-protected and grown only under license by a limited number of farms. Supply has historically been tight and inconsistent — a classic case study in Hop Contracts and the Hop Supply Chain. Brewers sometimes substitute geraniol-rich alternatives when allocations fall short.
#Continue Reading
- Simcoe — frequent partner hop
- Centennial — the third of the classic trio
- Biotransformation — how yeast reshapes Amarillo's geraniol
- Hop Variety Index — Amarillo in context