Anyone have some beers where their happy with the use of Sorachi Ace? I’ve got a pound of them and I’m unsure how to use them. Sounds like some people pick up a distinct dill taste when they are used solo so maybe it is best used with other hops? I see several using them with a Saison but I’m not a big fan of Belgian yeast driven styles.
Would take input on Nelson Sauvin too, same issue as Sorachi, got a pound and not certain how to use them. Also sounds like they can have a pretty dominant flavor when used solo.
First of all, everyone’s palate is different, and hops can vary significantly from year to year and grower to grower. If you can easily do a quick 1-gallon batch of pale ale, then I would highly recommend it just to test out how these hops taste to you.
I don’t have a heck of a lot of experience with Sorachi on its own yet, but I’m a big fan of Nelson. To my palate, the vinous aroma from Nelson can overwhelm the flavor of other hops, so it is well-suited to a single hop brew. Unlike the dill from Sorachi or the garlic from Summit, I find this vinous character to be quite desirable. It is a great IPA hop, as it has that classic west-coast grapefruit flavor/aroma to go with the white wine.
I’ve also dry-hopped a cider with Nelson, which ended up with an amazing aroma similiar to a sweet German Riesling. You could even possibly simulate aging in a white wine barrel by using oak and dry hopping with Nelson. Nelson holds a lot of possibilities for the adventurous brewer.
I have grown particularly fond of a simple IPA with the following combo: Sorachi, Centennial, Summit, and Citra.
The Tsunami IPA…FWH with an ounce of Sorachi.
Then hopburst and stand with .5 ounce of each at 15 10 5 0 Stand.
Dry hop with copious amounts of each…