It’s nearly impossible to find a craft brewery that doesn’t include Citra hops in at least one beer. Citra hops are a delicious hop variety, a large reason why it’s become such a popular hop to brew with. Like Mosaic hops, Citra hops are good for IPAs, especially those of the juicy and hazy variety.
Let’s take a look at Citra, a hop that’s good for IPAs in different ways.
What Are Citra Hops in Beer?
Citra hops are a type of hop variety that brings a juicy, citrusy punch to beer. They’re one of the most widely used hops in craft brewing today, and there’s a good chance you’ve already tasted Citra hops without knowing it.
Brewers tend to use Citra most in East Coast IPAs and hazy IPAs because of the soft, fruity quality it adds, but you can sometimes find it in West Coast IPAs and pale ales, too.
One benefit of Citra is that it works well alone and with other hops. Citra can be used alone in a beer as a single-hop style, where the whole point is to let the Citra flavor shine, or it can be blended with complementary hops like Mosaic, Galaxy, and Amarillo to create something even more complex.
Where Do Citra Hops Come From?
Citra hops were developed in Yakima, Washington, around 2007–2008, a result of decades of hop breeding done by hop scientist Gene Probasco. Up until its public release in the late 2000’s, Citra was going by the incredibly catchy name “BHC 394.”
Upon its release, brewers across the nation started including it in IPAs. As IPAs became more and more popular, so did Citra. Today, Citra is the #1 most grown hop variety in the United States, and it has been ever since it overtook Cascade hops in 2018.
What Does Citra Taste Like in Beer?
Citra hops have a bold, tropical flavor and aroma. Oh, and it tastes a lot like citrus, hence the name “Citra.” Think of fruits like mango, orange peel, passion fruit, grapefruit, lime, and peaches.
Citra brings a lot of flavor, but the flavors you taste depend on how the brewer uses the hop. Regardless of the style or blend, expect a bright, juicy beer that’s incredibly easy to drink. Citra also has an alpha acid content of around 11-15%, meaning it does bring some bitterness as well. However, this isn’t the bitter flavor that people associate with old-school West Coast IPAs, and it provides more balance to the sweet fruity flavors than anything else.
What is a Citra Beer?
When you see a beer at your local brewery with a name like “Citra IPA,” “Citra Pale Ale,” or anything else Citra-themed, there’s a pretty good chance that Citra hops are the main hop, or the only hop, included. Brewers do this to show off what a single hop variety can do, and Citra is popular enough to carry a whole beer on its own.
But Citra shows up in plenty of popular beers without being named in the title. Psuedo Sue by Toppling Goliath is a famous example of Citra on display, as is Three Floyds’ Zombie Dust. For my West Coasters, the Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing is a Citra-dominated brew.
Most craft breweries include information on the hops they’ve included in their beer, so next time you’re looking at a menu, you might notice just how many IPAs take advantage of Citra.
What Beer Styles Use Citra Hops?
Citra is best in beers that showcase hop flavor over malt, so don’t expect to see Citra hops in a Vienna lager or Pilsner. You’ll most commonly find it in:
- Hazy/New England IPAs
- West Coast IPAs
- American Pale Ales
- Double IPAs (DIPAs)
- Occasionally in Blonde Ales and Wheat Beers
Why are Citra Hops Popular?
Why is Citra so popular? A combination of timing and flavor.
Citra came along right as the craft beer boom was really taking off, and it gave brewers a juicy, fruity hop that was incredibly accessible for people just getting into drinking beer. The hop also has enough complexity to not be one-dimensional, so the resulting beer was bound to be interesting.
When hazy IPAs exploded in popularity in the 2010s, it cemented Citra’s place as a go-to hop. The soft bitterness and juicy fruit character is exactly the flavor brewers were looking for in a hazy IPA.
The hop is also versatile enough that it works for brewers at every scale, from your local brewer to gigantic craft breweries. Its range of flavor, consistent quality, and popularity among beer drinkers (whether they know it or not) are all reasons brewers continue to buy and use Citra hops.
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