If you have drunk an IPA in recent years and noticed that burst of lime, mango, passion fruit or grapefruit before even bringing the glass to your lips, there is a good chance what you were smelling was Citra.
Citra hop is probably the most influential variety in modern craft beer. Not the oldest, not the most technically complex, but the one that has most defined the flavour of an entire generation of craft beers. Understanding what Citra is means understanding why today's IPAs smell the way they do.
What Citra hop is
Citra is an American hop variety developed by the Hop Breeding Company and commercially released in 2007. Its name is no accident: it comes directly from citrus, the botanical genus of citrus fruits, and describes its main aromatic profile quite precisely.
Technically, Citra has an alpha acid content between 11% and 13%, which makes it powerful enough to contribute bitterness. But its real value is not there, but in its essential oil: an exceptionally high concentration of myrcene, linalool and geraniol that produces the explosion of tropical and citrus fruit that has made it unmistakable.
What distinguishes Citra from other citrus-forward varieties is its simultaneous intensity and complexity. It is not just lime or just grapefruit: it is both at once, plus mango, plus passion fruit, with a floral background that appears at the end. It is a hop that smells of more things than you can name on the first sip.
Why Citra came to dominate craft beer
When Citra reached the market in the late 2000s, the American craft scene had spent years looking for varieties that went beyond the resinous, piney profile of classic hops such as Simcoe or Chinook. Cascade had opened the door to the citrus world in the 80s, but Citra took that concept to another dimension of intensity.
American breweries leading the IPA movement - Other Half in New York, Trillium in Boston, Tree House in Massachusetts - quickly adopted it and made it the star of some of their most iconic beers. Other Half's Double Citra Daydream, for example, is one of the most-rated beers on Untappd in the world and has built its reputation almost entirely on what Citra can do at double dose.
The rise of the New England IPA - hazy, juicy, softly bitter and overflowing with aroma - was in large part the rise of Citra. The style was designed to maximise exactly what this hop brings: tropical fruit on the nose, soft body, clean finish.
How Citra is used in beer
Citra can be added at different points in the brewing process, and each point produces a different result.
When added at the start of the boil, its alpha acids isomerise and contribute bitterness. It works, but this is not where it shines.
When added at the end of the boil or during the whirlpool - the hot wort spinning phase - more aromatic oils are extracted with less bitterness. This is where its character starts to show.
Where Citra truly takes off is in dry hopping: added directly to the fermentation or cold maturation tank, with no heat to evaporate its essential oils. The result is the purest and most intense tropical aroma possible, without additional bitterness. The most aromatic NEIPAs and Hazy IPAs on the market use Citra in heavy dry hopping, sometimes in quantities that would have seemed absurd twenty years ago.
Many breweries combine Citra with Mosaic - earthier and more complex - or with Galaxy - more passion fruit and strawberry - to create more elaborate aromatic profiles. Citra alone tends toward pure citrus; combined, it can become something much harder to define in words.
What to expect when you drink a beer with Citra
If you see Citra on a beer label or description, you can expect:
On the nose: lime, grapefruit, mandarin, mango, passion fruit. Sometimes lychee. A floral background that can recall jasmine in softer versions.
On the palate: it depends heavily on the style. In a West Coast IPA it will be drier and more bitter, with citrus integrated into the finish. In a NEIPA or Hazy IPA it will be juicy, soft, with almost no perceptible bitterness and a sensation of freshly squeezed fruit.
On the finish: clean, with citrus lingering for a couple of seconds. Versions with generous dry hopping have a floral aftertaste that can last quite a while.
An important warning: Citra is very sensitive to oxidation and heat. A beer with Citra that has spent months on a warm shelf will not smell like the same beer freshly brewed. If you can choose, always drink the freshest one.
Beers with Citra hops you can buy now
You do not need to travel to New York or queue at a Vermont brewpub to drink well-kept beers with Citra. There are European and Spanish breweries that work with this variety with real judgement.
In our shop we have an updated selection of beers brewed with Citra hops, all stored cold from the moment they arrive until they leave for you.
See all beers with Citra hops →
The question everyone asks: Citra or Mosaic?
It is the most recurring debate among fans of modern IPAs. Both are new-generation American hops, both dominate contemporary craft beer, both appear together on many labels. But they are not the same.
Citra is more citrusy, more direct, cleaner. Lime, grapefruit, mango. Easy to identify, almost always recognisable on the first sip.
Mosaic is more complex and harder to define. Tropical too, but with earthy nuances, darker fruit notes, hints of blueberry or passion fruit that appear and disappear. More mysterious.
Together, they are the most common combination in the best NEIPAs in the world. Citra provides the initial explosion, Mosaic provides the depth that keeps the beer interesting until the last sip.
Want to explore more hop varieties? Read our complete guide to hops in craft beer and discover what each variety does. [Read the guide →]
