With so many different hops available these days, it's impossible for each homebrewer to brew all of them single-handedly. Jim's Beer Kit is a great place to read what worked for other homebrewers, but it's especially handy when commercial brewers do this "dirty-work" for us. I taste every single-hop beer I can find, and post ratings to Ratebeer, which serves as a handy online resource whenever I need to remember my impressions of a certain hop. It occured to me these thoughts might benefit other nerdy homebrewers on this forum too.
Disclaimer: these are my own subjective opinionated conclusions, based on just one sample, at one specific moment in time. I am frequently surprised by how much another brewer's results differ, even using the same single hop variety. Your mileage may vary, and I certainly don't think my taste buds are superior to anyone else's.
From my Ratebeer rating of Alpha Topaz Pale Ale
Aroma: 6 out of 10, Appearance: 3 out of 5, Taste: 7 out of 10 , Palate: 4 out of 5, Overall: 14 out of 20
Total Score: 3.4 out of 5
Tasted on tap at the brewery tasting room. It poured a nice light golden amber colour with a little chill haze, weak off-white foam and a little lace. Due to extremely high demand, there is a shortage of Cascades hops so suppliers are recommending Topaz as a substitute. Huh? That’s crazy talk, Topaz is NOTHING like Cascade. Even so, Topaz makes for a pleasant APA in its own right: grassy, fruity, hints of melons and other tangy fruits, shares some resiny characteristics with Mosaic and Simcoe. An easy-drinking pint, with a little more complexity than typical grapefruity APAs. Topaz is apparently one of the few hops with adequete bitterness, flavour and aroma all by itself.