Medusa Hop Pairings

Beer Recipes
1

The time has come when I want to try something different again, so I grabbed some Medusa hops from the local shop (4oz) and want to make something with them.  I’m planning on a pale ale or amber, but I’m not sure what hops I should use with them.  I have a pile of columbus and cascades.  I’m not sure that I want to use the columbus, as I’m not sure if I want to have the sharpness of the columbus in there.  Then again, that might be what makes it more interesting.  I don’t really know what I think the cascade and medusa would be like.

Anyway, grain bill is probably something like

6lb Maris Otter
3lb Pilsner 
0.5lb C40

Or maybe add a bit of roast malt in there for color to make it amber…I don’t know.  I’ll probably use either 1968 (London ESB) or 1725 (scottish) since I have some other english beers I want to make too.

I’m curious as to what others have done with this hop or suggestions that people might have from what they know of it.

I might just get some Perle and bitter with that and just do all Medusa at the end to see what it alone is like.

2

I use 2 schools of thought when blending hop varieties -  balance a hop’s characteristics with something very different, or accentuate the character with a similar, complimentary hop. So given its fruity and wild (neomexicanus) character, a balance of something like Chinook or Simcoe with the Medusa would give some nice piney, resiny notes and balance. But I think using another mid-AA, mid-oil hop like Azacca (peach/mango/light pine), Amarillo, Lemon Drop, Cascade, or Idaho 7 (which has a wild, fruity character of its own) could be nice, too. If you are specifically wanting to use the Columbus or Cascade with it, I’d use Cascade - It’s a universal blending hop in American styles IMO.

3

I’m half looking to use the cascades because I have them,but I have made a lot of cascade beers lately that I wouldnt mind diverging from. Azacca would be interesting if I can get some, but I know they have amarillo and I do love that hop.