Mikkeller Hop Series Cluster

Mikkeller
Formerly brewed at De Proefbrouwerij
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Copenhagen, Denmark

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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It’s a solid IPA. The low "overall" rating for this is that it’s not nearly as well-made as other single hops. The hop profile is kind of muddy and not all that distinctive.

2nd of the Mikkeller hop series that I’ve tried (1st Challenger). Pours similarly honey, slightly darker, and equally hazy. Head less frothy, almost minimal. Very floral and citrusy hop aroma. Taste is minimally sweet up front finishing pleasantly bitter. Slightly sticky on the palate with moderate effervescence. Moderate to heavy bitter finish. Very likeable.

From the bottle with the cap stamped 8261109. The pour is a foamy capped medium amber with good clarity. The aroma is vaguely smoked with an inviting, mild hoppiness. The body is medium. The taste has a moderate bitterness at the end with a good acidity balance. I simply liked it.

Tasted from bottle into snifter glass. Poured a thick, medium amber color with truly astounding head retention and lace. Seriously, I gave up waiting and just drank through the foam, and it still persisted long after the beer was gone. As far as the grainbill and resulting malt-sweetness are concerned, the aromas and flavors are typical of well-crafted American IPAs, which is to say: bready, toasty, caramelly, delicious. Obviously, the main point here is the hops profile. It had a pleasing, spicy, flowery aroma, very nice. Flavors of tart green apple skin, tangy, citrus-rind bitterness, but much less-so than trendier American super-alpha hop varieties, and definitely not grapefruity like Cascades. More layered than smooth, per se. Somewhat wilder and rougher than noble hops, but despite many detractors claims (who I insist have never observed any undesirable effects of Cluster for themselves, but simply perpetuate the diatribe) there was certainly no skunk, cat-piss, ammonia, etc. I’d describe these hops as "manlier" than those sissy European aromatic flowers. Cluster was the main, some would say only, bittering hops grown in the USA for generations. Since American macro beer was often badly brewed, badly packaged, spoiled by age, oxidation, ultraviolet, and so on, the hops component has been unfairly accused as a nasty perpetrator. This beer disproves that falsehood. Medium body, surprisingly full, even "chewy" mouthfeel, sparkling carbonation. Lasting fruity, bitter aftertaste which eventually faded to dryness. I love the single-hop concept, the cool way they isolate the hops variable, enabling us to refine our palettes. I like the simplicity of the name and label. In every way, Mikkeller’s presentation reveals his homebrewer DNA. Even if Mikkeller Cluster wasn’t part of a gimmicky experiment, but was marketed as a standalone strong IPA brand, it would be one of my favorites in the style. Malty and hoppy, complex, tasty. Great with a meal, holds its own against bold, rich food. Highly recommended.

Draft at Ginger Man in NYC. Pours a lightly hazy, dark, golden-orange amber color. A small, smooth, off-white head of foam is quick to fade, leaving skinny trailing flares and tiny spots of lacing behind. Aromas are based in lightly sweet, toasty malts, hinting at caramelized marshmallow, with hop notes that suggest of candied mandarin orange. Flavors are largely similar, showing biscuit and toast in the malt base, countered by oily orange peel. Together, they make for a marmalade-like profile, falling on the sweet side of balanced. same biscuit w orange marmalade, toast, oily orange peel, sweet side of balanced. The palate is substantive, even somewhat syrupy at points, but a zippy, peppery carbonation does a nice job of cutting through. The finish is slightly drying. Overall, it’s a pretty decent brew, but it’s a little too sweet for my liking.

Bottle from Kihoskh, Copenhagen, shared with Bergen Beer Geek Tasting Crew. Pours a dark orange body with a medium white head. Aroma is cat piss-like herbs, white currants, hints of grass and pine. Taste is grass, wet leaves and hints of cat piss, herbs and pine. OK, but not fantastic.

Bottle 330ml @ igniztion
Pours hazy deep golden with a off-white head. Aroma has notes of malt, caramel, fruity and alcohol. Taste is medium sweet and light bitter. Body is medium, texture is thin to oily, carbonation is soft.

Bottle 330ml courtesy of Meilby. Pours hazy amber with offwhite head. Aroma has notes of alcohol, slight fruitiness. Taste is light sweet, medium bitter. Medium body, thin, average carbonation.

UPDATED: MAR 12, 2012 Beery in aroma with grains, yeast and spice in there as well. The flavor is sort of subtle, with citrus hops nicely balanced by a good maltiness without being too sweet. Although not the greatest in aroma for an IPA, otherwise this was good a IPA.

Draught from Ginger Man. Poured a nice oragney brown, mild to medium head. Soil, wood, etc....good stuff.