A Yakima Original
Amarillo was discovered in the hop yards of Virgil Gamache Farms in Yakima, Washington, as a natural mutation and has been grown exclusively by that farm since the mid-1990s. Because of its single-source exclusivity it has experienced supply limitations, particularly during the height of the American IPA boom in the late 2000s and 2010s.
The name — Spanish for 'yellow' — refers both to the warm, golden character of the hop and to its sunny Yakima Valley origins. It was introduced to the wider brewing community in the early 2000s and quickly won converts with its uniquely floral-citrus profile.
Flavour Profile: Sunshine in a Cone
Amarillo's signature aroma is unmistakable: orange blossom, tangerine, tropical flowers, peach and mild grapefruit. It is more floral and orange-forward than Cascade (which leans grapefruit), and softer and less tropical than Citra. The bitterness is moderate and gentle — alpha acids sit at 8–11 %, and low cohumulone (around 21–24 %) ensures a smooth, non-harsh bittering character.
Total oil content of 1.5–1.9 ml/100g is moderate, but the quality of those oils — high myrcene and high geraniol — creates an extraordinarily expressive and pleasant aroma that performs well both as a late addition and dry hop.
Brewing Applications
Amarillo works at every addition point. At 60 minutes it provides gentle, pleasant bittering. At 10 minutes or flame-out it starts expressing its floral-citrus oils. In dry-hopping it opens up fully, delivering the orange blossom and tangerine character beer drinkers love.
It is particularly effective in pale ales and session IPAs where subtlety is appreciated and the lower-ABV format allows the aroma to shine without aggressive bitterness. It can also temper the sharpness of more aggressive hops when used in combination — a small addition of Amarillo softens and brightens any hop bill.
Classic Pairings
Amarillo + Cascade: the classic American pale ale combination, floral-grapefruit with orange blossom depth. Amarillo + Citra: tropical with a warm, floral lift. Amarillo + Centennial: citrus-forward with elegant bitterness. In single-hop beers, Amarillo showcases one of the most accessible and universally appealing hop profiles in existence — an excellent starting point for hop education.
Why Amarillo Still Matters
In an era of relentlessly tropical and berry-forward hop varieties, Amarillo occupies a distinct niche: it is warm, floral and orange rather than aggressively tropical. This makes it exceptionally food-friendly and approachable for drinkers stepping into the world of hop-forward beer for the first time. It is the hop of long summer afternoons.