Choose Amarillo or Simcoe for dry hopping by the aroma you want and the lot you can identify, rather than a claim that one is always “best.” Both have citrus in their supplier profiles. Simcoe’s profile also emphasises pine and woody character. A useful comparison keeps the treatment consistent and records what those particular lots contribute.
How their supplier profiles compare
Yakima Chief Hops’ Amarillo profile identifies VGXP01, discovered by Virgil Gamache Farms, and describes citrus and grapefruit character. Its broader aroma list also includes herbal, spicy, stone-fruit and woody impressions. The Simcoe profile identifies YCR 14, developed by Yakima Chief Ranches and released in 2000, with citrus, grapefruit and wood alongside fruit descriptors.
| Decision | Amarillo | Simcoe |
|---|---|---|
| Variety identifier | VGXP01 | YCR 14 |
| Useful starting question | Does this lot suit the citrus-led aroma I want? | Does this lot suit the citrus-and-pine direction I want? |
| What to compare before buying | Origin, crop, lot, form and current supplier information | The same identifiers and specifications |
| What the descriptions cannot decide | The best dose or contact time in your beer | The best dose or contact time in your beer |
These are supplier descriptions and editorial selection questions. They do not report a BrewMyBeer sensory trial. Both varieties have overlapping descriptors, so the name alone is too little evidence for a promise about the finished beer.
A lot report is more useful than one universal number
The Amarillo brand site publishes an example analysis for lot 18AMT90223, issued in March 2019. It identifies a T90 pellet, 7.8% alpha acids and 0.8 mL total oil per 100 g, with a lot-specific sensory chart. This is a historical example of an analysis format; it is not a certificate for a current purchase.
Yakima Chief’s Simcoe page gives a typical alpha range of 10–16% and an oil range of 0.5–3 mL per 100 g. Comparing a historical Amarillo lot against a broad Simcoe range cannot establish which current packet has more oil. Ask for current lot information instead of copying an old value into a recipe.
Total oil also does not provide a ready-made “aroma strength” conversion. It describes a quantity, not an identical mixture or a guaranteed outcome under your yeast and process conditions. Use it as one reference alongside the actual lot and treatment.
Set up a dry-hop comparison that answers one question
Begin with a shared base recipe and two clearly identified lots. Choose one product form and one treatment for the comparison, following the product and process guidance. Keep temperature, contact conditions and handling consistent. A comparison between whole cones and a concentrated hop product changes more than the variety.
Record the addition rate in grams per litre. For an arithmetic example, if a selected trial plan uses 2 g/L, a 3-litre sample needs 3 × 2 = 6 g. A 4-litre sample needs 8 g. These are scaling examples for an assumed plan, not recommended doses for either variety.
Use neutral sample codes and write observations before reading the labels. Record both what you like and what you do not like. If you compare a blend, keep the total hop rate constant so you are testing the blend rather than simply adding more hop material.
Plan a blend without losing the comparison
An illustrative 5-litre sample at 2 g/L has a total 10 g addition. A 60:40 Amarillo-to-Simcoe split uses 6 g and 4 g. A 50:50 split uses 5 g of each. The ratio is an experimental choice; it does not establish that either blend is superior.
If the recipe also changes an early bittering charge, calculate that adjustment separately with the actual alpha-acid values and the bittering substitution calculator. A bittering ratio is not a dry-hop aroma equivalence.
How long should the hops stay in contact?
The cited variety sheets do not establish universal three-day Amarillo or seven-day Simcoe rules. Contact time is part of the process you need to specify and evaluate. Use a documented process, retain its conditions and observations, and follow fermentation and packaging checks. A calendar deadline alone does not verify that a batch is ready.
Likewise, a single unavailable product listing does not prove that Amarillo has disappeared globally. The cited Yakima Chief page concerns a specific German-origin entry. Check current supplier stock and regional shipping directly; this guide does not claim a current price, an approved affiliate offer or universal availability.
Quick challenge: scale the blend
Your chosen comparison uses 12 g total hops with a 75:25 Amarillo-to-Simcoe split. How many grams of each do you need?
Answer: 9 g Amarillo and 3 g Simcoe. Multiply 12 by 0.75 and 0.25. This defines the test blend; it does not predict a sensory winner.
Save your lot information and coded results in your beer lab notes. For choosing a replacement beyond this pair, use our hop substitution guide.
Editorial note: sources checked 5 October 2026. No claimed hands-on tasting, patented-status conclusion, guaranteed blend or universal dry-hop schedule is carried forward from the earlier article.