Last updated:
Amarillo and Simcoe are two of the most sought-after American hop varieties, both patented, both sometimes in short supply, and both producing distinctive aromatic profiles that have defined the modern American IPA. I’ve dry hopped with each extensively in single-hop and blended trials, and the choice between them is one of the more consequential dry hop decisions in a recipe because they pull in genuinely different flavor directions.
Amarillo vs. Simcoe: key specifications compared
Amarillo: Discovered as a proprietary variety by Virgil Gamache Farms in Washington State, released commercially circa 2000. Alpha acids: 8–11%. Beta acids: 6–7%. Cohumulone: 21–24% (low, clean bitterness). Total oil: 1.5–1.9 mL/100g. Primary components: myrcene (68–70% of total oil, extremely high), geraniol (significant, contributes floral/rose character). Primary flavor/aroma: orange, grapefruit, apricot, tangerine, floral, one of the most intensely citrus-orange American hops. Amarillo’s extremely high myrcene is the source of its intense fresh citrus character, but also means it oxidizes quickly if poorly stored. Simcoe: Developed by Select Botanicals Group (now Yakima Chief Hops), released 2000. Alpha acids: 12–14% (high, dual-purpose). Beta acids: 4–5%. Cohumulone: 15–20% (very low, some of the cleanest bittering of any high-alpha hop). Total oil: 2.0–2.5 mL/100g. Primary components: myrcene (60–65%), farnesene (notable), pinene. Primary flavor/aroma: passion fruit, pine, dank earthiness, citrus, Simcoe is more complex and resinous than Amarillo, with a distinct “dank” pine-passionfruit quality that defines West Coast IPA character.
Dry hopping performance: Amarillo vs. Simcoe
Amarillo for dry hopping: Amarillo excels as a dry hop when you want bright, fresh, citrus-orange aroma that is immediately recognizable and crowd-pleasing. It performs best at moderate dry hop rates (0.5–1.0 oz per gallon), at higher rates, Amarillo can become overwhelming and slightly artificial in its citrus intensity. Amarillo’s high myrcene means it contributes aroma quickly: 3–4 days of dry hop contact is sufficient. Best paired with: Citra (amplifies tropical citrus), Cascade (adds grapefruit to complement Amarillo’s orange), or Galaxy (tropical fruit synergy). Amarillo is the correct choice when the goal is maximum citrus-orange freshness in a NEIPA, session IPA, or pale ale. Simcoe for dry hopping: Simcoe excels when you want West Coast IPA complexity, the dank pine-resinous note with tropical fruit underneath that defines classic West Coast IPA character. Simcoe produces a more assertive, resinous dry hop character than Amarillo and benefits from slightly longer contact time (5–7 days) to develop its full complexity. Best paired with: Centennial (classic West Coast IPA backbone), Citra (tropical fruit complements the pine), Columbus (amplifies dankness for aggressive West Coast character). Simcoe is the correct choice for West Coast IPAs, double IPAs, and any recipe where resinous complexity is valued over citrus freshness. For best results dry hopping: Amarillo-Simcoe blends (50/50 or 60/40 Amarillo-heavy) combine citrus-orange brightness with piney-resinous depth, this is one of the most effective dry hop combinations in American IPA brewing.
Common Questions
Why are Amarillo and Simcoe sometimes hard to find at homebrew shops?
Both Amarillo and Simcoe are proprietary patented varieties, which means only specific licensed growers can produce them, unlike open-access varieties like Cascade or Centennial that any farmer can grow. Amarillo is exclusively grown by Virgil Gamache Farms in Yakima Valley, Washington; Simcoe is licensed through Yakima Chief Hops. This controlled production means supply is limited by the acreage of licensed growers, and demand from commercial craft breweries (which buy in massive quantities) can exhaust supply before homebrewing distributors receive their allocations. In years with difficult growing conditions or strong commercial demand, both varieties can become scarce at the homebrew level from late summer through early spring, the period after the previous year’s harvest has been consumed and before the new harvest arrives. Practical substitutes: for Amarillo, use Citra (more tropical, less orange-citrus) or a blend of Cascade and Centennial (less intense but similar citrus-floral direction). For Simcoe, use Chinook (pinier, harsher) or Columbus (danker, more earthy), neither is a perfect replacement for Simcoe’s specific passion fruit-pine balance, but both maintain West Coast resinous character. Plan ahead: buy Amarillo and Simcoe when available and freeze them in sealed bags, properly frozen hops retain character for 12–18 months.
