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El Dorado and Azacca are two of the newer American hop varieties that pushed tropical fruit character in a different direction from Citra and Mosaic, both produce intense tropical stone fruit notes that are distinct from the citrus-tropical of older varieties, and both have become go-to hops for brewers who want something different in their hazy IPA hop bill. I’ve used both in single-hop pale ale trials and the tropical fruit fight between them is genuinely close, with different strengths depending on what you’re building.
El Dorado vs. Azacca: key specifications compared
El Dorado: Developed by CLS Farms in Washington State, released 2010. Alpha acids: 14–16% (high, dual-purpose). Beta acids: 7–8% (high beta, good for bittering stability). Cohumulone: 28–33% (moderate). Total oil: 2.5–3.0 mL/100g (high). Primary components: myrcene (75–80% of total oil, among the highest myrcene content of any commercial hop). Primary flavor/aroma: watermelon, pear, stone fruit, candy, El Dorado’s extremely high myrcene produces an intense, almost candy-sweet tropical fruit character that is uniquely its own. The watermelon and pear notes are El Dorado’s signature, no other hop variety produces them with the same clarity. El Dorado’s high myrcene also means it contributes aroma quickly in dry hopping (3–4 days sufficient) and oxidizes faster than lower-myrcene varieties. Azacca: Developed by the American Dwarf Hop Association, released 2012 (named after the Haitian god of agriculture). Alpha acids: 14–16% (similar to El Dorado). Beta acids: 4–5.5%. Cohumulone: 38–45% (high, produces harsher bitterness; best used in late additions and dry hopping only). Total oil: 1.6–2.2 mL/100g. Primary components: myrcene (40–55%), geraniol (notable, contributes floral/rose character), alpha-terpineol. Primary flavor/aroma: mango, tangerine, orange, tropical fruit with subtle piney undercurrent, Azacca is more orange-mango focused than El Dorado’s watermelon-pear profile, with more citrus influence and a slight resinous edge that El Dorado lacks.
Tropical fruit fight: El Dorado vs. Azacca
El Dorado’s strengths: El Dorado wins on unique fruit character, watermelon, pear, and stone fruit notes that no other hop produces. In NEIPAs and hazy pale ales where surprising, distinctive tropical character is the goal, El Dorado adds something genuinely different. Its high alpha acid content and high beta acids also make it suitable for bittering additions where you want some fruit carry-through from the bittering hop, El Dorado at 60 minutes contributes mild fruit character to the finished beer that Magnum or Warrior wouldn’t. The candy-sweet character can be polarizing: some brewers find it too sweet; it works best when balanced with more bitter or piney hops (Simcoe, Columbus) that provide contrast. Azacca’s strengths: Azacca wins on versatility and fruit complexity, the mango-tangerine-citrus profile is crowd-pleasing and blends better with other American tropical hops than El Dorado’s more distinctive watermelon character. Azacca works well in any American IPA or pale ale style where you want tropical fruit intensity without El Dorado’s candy-sweet direction. Azacca’s geraniol content means it biotransforms during active fermentation similarly to Galaxy, adding additional tropical complexity when used as a dry hop during active fermentation rather than after terminal gravity. Important note on Azacca bittering: Azacca’s high cohumulone (38–45%) means it produces harsh, rough bitterness when used at 60-minute additions. Unlike El Dorado which can serve as a dual-purpose hop, Azacca should be reserved for late additions (15 min and under) and dry hopping. Using Azacca at bittering in significant quantities will produce noticeable bitterness harshness.
Common Questions
How do El Dorado and Azacca compare to Citra and Mosaic in a NEIPA?
El Dorado and Azacca occupy different positions in the tropical hop spectrum from Citra and Mosaic. Citra produces intense citrus-passion fruit; Mosaic produces complex tropical-blueberry-earthy; El Dorado produces watermelon-pear-stone fruit; Azacca produces mango-tangerine-citrus. In a NEIPA dry hop blend, the four complement each other well because they cover different parts of the tropical fruit spectrum: Citra contributes brightness and citrus, Mosaic adds depth and blueberry-mango, El Dorado adds watermelon and stone fruit sweetness, Azacca adds tangerine-mango-citrus complexity. A four-hop NEIPA dry hop blend of equal parts Citra, Mosaic, El Dorado, and Azacca at 0.5 oz per gallon each (2 oz total per gallon, or 10 oz for a 5-gallon batch) produces one of the most complex tropical fruit profiles achievable in homebrewing. For a simpler two-hop approach: El Dorado + Citra (watermelon-citrus contrast) and Azacca + Mosaic (mango-blueberry tropical complexity) are both excellent combinations. El Dorado and Azacca pair poorly with each other at high rates, both are intensely tropical in different sweet directions, and combining them in large quantities can produce an overwhelming, unbalanced sweetness without the balance that piney or earthy hops provide.
