If you love IPA, you have surely come across Citra. It’s so popular that even if you don’t like the style, you have probably heard the name. It’s one of the most famous New World varieties of hops due to its intense citrus & tropical fragrance. As mentioned above, it’s mostly used in American India Pale Ales, standing really well in single-hop beers, although it also does a wonderful job when paired with other exotic strains. The technical name for Citra is HBC 394, but you’ll probably never come across it.
History
Jason Perrault, a hop farmer, selected a single plant of Citra in 1992. Every time a grower creates a new hybrid, it takes years before it can find its place on the market. The first few years are always about crossing & mass, this allows to keep the healthiest crops. After many sorting based on diseases, characteristics & aromas, there’s a brewing evaluation to see how the hop will turn out in the beer. During these tests, if the varietal seems promising, it will gradually gain acreage in the fields. If it goes through all these processes successfully, some homebrewers might have the opportunity to try it & give feedback on it. Then progressively the word spreads out about the recent hop. This the usual route for new breeds & it was the same for Citra. Now it can easily be found in most breweries all across North America.
The hop was designed at first to be used by big industries, although fortunately for us it never caught on. It only showed real interest when it was presented to craft breweries who saw the potential of Citra’s characteristics. Widmer Brothers used it in an award-winning pale ale, the Sunburn Ale that was only available on tap. However, Sierra Nevada made the first bottled beer with it, the Torpedo Extra IPA, which quickly showed interest from its consumers. Like pretty much every other trend in craft beer, several breweries demonstrated enthusiasm for the new hop & Citra was an unprecedented favourite. Nowadays, Citra has a solid foundation in the industry & is often found in many APA & IPA.
Growing
Regions
Unsurprisingly, this exotic varietal comes from the US, where most of the New World strains have emerged. It is mostly grown in Oregon & Washington. Since Citra is prone to suffer from mildew, it is a bit arduous to cultivate it in Oregon where the rainfall is more important. In contrast, the hot & dry region of Washington has much fewer cases of the disease, so Citra can thrive profusely.
Agriculture
Even though Citra are proprietary, it is nice to know how they grow, hoping that someday some rhizomes might be available for the public. They’re recognized as easy to cultivate, fairly resistant to mildew & susceptible to aphids. They grow quite fast but don’t generate great yields. Citra has been patent approved in 2007, given the usual time before a proprietary variety becomes available to the public, you could start searching for Citra rhizomes somewhere in the 2020s.
Climate
Citra grows well in most climates, given that it’s not too rainy & does better in hardiness zone 5 through 8. This means that it can endure extreme cold between -30 °C to -5 °C (-20 °F to 20 °F). Like mentioned previously, its sensitivity to mildew increases its chances of disease in wet & humid climates.
Brewing
Hop Pairings
Amarillo, Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe, Colombus, Mosaic. Those are all great options with Citra depending on whether the goal is to add layers of fruits or pine notes or to use as a bittering hops. Even earthier Old World hops could do well based on the style at hand. However, pairing Citra with varieties that evoke a tropical fruit salad is usually the way to go & all the above are some blends that often appears in craft beers available on the market.
Hop Alternatives
This is trickier since not every hop can work efficiently as a substitute to Citra. As a bittering agent there are multiple alternatives, in fact most high-alpha New World varieties will do the job. On the other hand, as an aromatic hop, it needs to deliver a solid citrus & tropical fruit punch. Simcoe, Cascade, Centennial, Mosaic, Chinook are all good options depending on what aromas of Citra are desired. The best way to go is probably to blend some of the varieties mentioned in order to reproduce something similar to Citra’s profile.
Hop Profile
Hop Characteristics
Alpha acids: 10 - 15%
Beta acids: 3.0 - 4.5%
Co-Humulene: 20 - 35%
Myrcene Oil: 60 - 70% (0.9 - 2.1 mL/100 g)
Humulene Oil: 7 - 13% (0.11 - 0.39 mL/100 g)
B-pinene oil: 0.7 - 1.0% (0.011 - 0.03 mL/100 g)
Caryophyllene Oil: 5 - 8% (0.08 - 0.24 mL/100 g)
Farnese Oil: <1%
Linalool Oil: 0.6 - 0.9% (0.01 - 0.027 mL/100 g)
Geraniol Oil: 0.3 - 0.5% (0.005 - 0.015 mL/100 g)
Nose
As the name suggests, it is pretty common to find some citrus aromas in Citra. The usual are lime, grapefruit & orange. They also lend some exotic flavours similar to mango, lychee, gooseberries & guava.
Taste
Given the high ratio of alpha acids, it’s pretty decent as a bittering hop. In fact it’s a dual purpose varietal, so it’s commonly used to add bitterness as well as aromas. The flavours carry on the palate with its unique citrus & exotic fruit blend.
Popular/Common Examples
US: Pseudo Sue - Toppling Goliath Brewing Co.; Abrasive Ale - Surly Brewing Company; Bright (Citra Version) - Tree House Brewing Company
Canada: Karma Citra IPA - Great Lakes Brewery; SMaSH Citra - Le Trou du Diable
Europe: Ras Soft Citra IPA - Omnipollo; Citra Single Hop IPA - Eight Degrees Brewing
Pairings
Here, the pairing will vary depending on the style of beer at hand. Since Citra is mostly used in IPA and pale ales, the harmony will be based on these styles. However there’s a lot of disparity in those categories, the most prominent being between the West Coast & the New England or North East IPA, therefore, examples of both will be mentioned.
Vegetables & Fruits
In terms of vegetables, pretty much anything can do as long as it leans on fresh flavours. Think peppers, onions, fresh herbs, carrots & corn. Using them raw in salads or slightly sautéed in Asiatic dishes makes a wonderful pairing with NEIPAs while jalapeño poppers or grilled corn with butter is marvellous next to a more bitter example of Citra in a beer. Fruits are quite similar, although easier to harmonize since they share so many flavours with the hop. They match particularly well with citrus such as lime, grapefruit, lemon or tropical fruits like passion fruit, pineapple, mango, lychee, etc. Pretty much anything exotic or citrusy will be a great resonating pairing with a Citra-forward IPA, especially those low on bitterness, increasing the aromatic aspect. Using fresh cilantro, parsley, oregano or basil can really expand the flavour range of an IPA, bringing a greener profile to the match. Suggestion: Chickpea & coconut curry with roasted bell peppers, served with an avocado, lime & cilantro sauce.
Meat
As unsophisticated as it may seem, hoppy beers such as a Citra IPA will go very well with junk food, like burgers, chicken wings, corn dogs, sausages and many more. The reason for this is because of the fat that tends to tone down the bitterness of the beer and vice-versa. Due to Citra mostly being used to bring out the tropical aromatics of the hops, pairing with meat can be great, but won’t necessarily highlight the potential of the variety. However, if meat is served, aim for a maltier IPA like an Imperial West Coast in order to pair the cereal flavours with the browning of the meat. A better option would be to lean towards fish & seafood, as they carry delicate notes that will not overpower the hops & most of the time work really well with citrus aromas like those of Citra. Suggestion: Fish Tacos with pineapple & mango salsa served with an arugula salad topped with lemon prosciutto & a lime, honeydew & avocado oil dressing.
Desserts
Surprisingly, desserts pair really well with aromatic hops such as Citra. A staple of mine is to go with white chocolate or a New York-style cheesecake. The harmony between bitterness, sweetness & fat will be near perfect. Other good options would be with fruit forward desserts, like fruitcakes, lime pies, tropical tart, fruit salads or even candied fruits. Carrot cakes are a known pairing with IPA since the balance is astonishing, although you could swap the carrot for something more exotic in order to bring the match to another level. Suggestion: Passion fruit & lime panacotta served with bits of candied raspberries.
Seasons/Occasions
The best season to drink a Citra forward beer is during summer since most of the time it will be found in styles similar to IPA, which are easily enjoyed throughout sunny days. Every time the weather is hot or dry, a nice kick of exotic flavours & bitterness is the fantastic to quench your thirst. Suggestion: Summer, Spring, by the pool, on a boat, by the lake, on hot & sunny days.
Exploration for the Curious Minds
Like in every other articles, this section is made to expand the horizon of those who already love Citra or to convert some of the people who haven’t tried it yet.
Beers
It’s not surprising that a lot of beers have a similar profile to what Citra hops have to offer. For example, any IPA made with the varietals mentioned in the alternative hop section would be a great comparison to Citra. Those are Chinook, Mosaic, Simcoe, Cascade, Centennial and many others. Those hops all tend to have a somewhat similar profile in terms of aromas possessing tropical, citrusy & piney flavours. The bitterness may vary from one strain to another but the resemblance is sometimes striking. There are also some examples of Witbier that may appeal to those under the spell of Citra. These Belgian-style ales often showcase notes of oranges & spices that are not unfamiliar.
Spirits
There aren’t a lot of spirits that will deliver aromas similar to Citra hops. Some modern or contemporary gins will be made with a focus on citrus flavours, so these are good options. Otherwise, the best way to go is depending on what type of cocktail you might like. Gin Rickeys, Tom Collins, Palomas, Harvey Wallbangers, Sidecars or Margaritas are all drinks that have some sort of citrus as a main component. If one of your favourite cocktails is influenced by Tiki culture, then trying a beer made with Citra hops won’t be a disappointment.
Wines
White wine enthusiasts will be pleased here since Citra often share similarities with a lot of white grape varieties. Those are Sauvignon Blanc with its classic lemony zest & grassy aromas. Garganega from Soave, which can offer a wide range of notes from citrus to passion fruit. Even Grüner Veltliner, a more obscure grape that is often found to possess citrus aromas. There are many more examples of white wines that carry flavours similar to what Citra hops can offer & they’re all good gateway options.
The Reference
Photography by Caffery Photo
Interview with Jason Perrault @imbibemagazine.com
More information @learn.kegerator.com
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