CTZ

Although genetically different, Zeus, Columbus and Tomahawk are often referred to as part of CTZ. CTZ however is not a specific hop, but instead a name given to a trio of similar hops. The exact lineage of CTZ is unknown, however it is widely assumed that Brewer’s Gold and several undisclosed American varieties played significant parenting roles. It was developed in the 1980s by Charles Zimmerman who had worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture until 1979 and who subsequently held positions with various private hop-processing and trading companies. CTZ is one of the most produced hops every crop year.

CTZ is a dual-purpose hop that can be used in all hop additions throughout the brewing process.

CTZ hops have aroma descriptors that include black pepper, licorice, curry and subtle citrus. CTZ stands for (Columbus Tomahawk and Zeus), which are three slightly different varieties. All have virtually identical brewing values and aromas. It can be used in the boil, whirlpool or via dry hopping.

Some hops just taste better together. We recently analyzed [ 1 ] hundreds of the most popular beers to find which hops are commonly paired together. We found that Simcoe , Centennial , Amarillo & Cascade hops are commonly used alongside the CTZ hop. This is not a complete list, but should give you a good idea of what hops are commonly used together.