Top 10 Hops for Brewing a Dank IPA

We could have an entire discussion about what really constitutes a “dank IPA.” But for the purposes of this list, I focused on hops that bring the piney, resiny, earthy, herbal, woodsy notes to the table.

Some will argue that the fruit characteristics of hops can play an important role in a dank IPA. And I would not disagree with that. But there are plenty of IPAs out there that really bring the fruit with none of the dank.

A dank IPA is primarily distinguished by the nose and the aroma needs to have the piney, resiny, earthy, herbal, woodsy notes to be “dank”, in my humble opinion.

With that said, here are the top 10 hops for brewing a dank IPA:

1. Apollo – Resinous, piney, citrus, specifically grapefruit. Typically used for bittering, but great as a dry hop.
2. Chinook – Spicy, resiny pine, with grapefruit. Some would say earthy and herbal, as well.
3. Columbus – Resiny, earthy, spicy, with subtle citrus.
4. Comet – Resiny, grapefruit, grassy, “wild American” (this is a buzz-term people love to use for this hop – I think its something you know when you smell/taste it). Generally a bittering hop, now being used more for aroma in late additions and dry hop.
5. Simcoe – Earthy, citrus, pine, stone fruit, herbal (some would say cannabis).
6. Mosaic – This hop is quite complex. Mango, pine, citrus, tropical and stone fruit, some earthy notes, at times grassy or herbal.
7. Nugget – Spice, herbal, woodiness, with some pine and peach, as well. Another traditional bittering hop now being used in later additions.
8. Centennial – Predominantly citrus with some spice, but also resinous pine with floral and herbal notes.
9. Idaho 7 – While there is lots of juicy tropical fruit and citrus, there is also distinct resinous pine character with some earthy, tea-like notes as well.
10. El Dorado – This one just squeaks into the list, as it is mostly fruit (stone fruit, citrus, watermelon). But there are some spice, woodsy, resinous notes in there that make this an interesting choice for adding to your dank IPA.

I’m sure I’ve missed some hops that would be great in a dank IPA. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and the ones I missed.

Note: For a commercial example of a dank IPA, look no further than The Waldos’ Special Ale, a seasonal release from Lagunitas.