Mikkeller Single Hop Cascade IPA

Mikkeller
Brewed at De Proefbrouwerij
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Copenhagen V, Denmark

Bottled. Orange to brown with thin lasting head. Medium to full bodied but a lot closer to medium than full. Aroma of caramel and the wild citrus (grapefruit but also orange, and lighter lemon) expected. A boozy taste brings these same big hop citrus (promised by the brews name) and caramel along with added cream (kind of odd vanilla maybe something else creamy though). Palate creates that oiler and stickier palate I know and love. Finish is again creamy, long and biting with a floral tinge to finish that i didn’t expect...can’t say enough about this wonderful brew other than I"m going out to buy a case tomorrow.

Pours a slightly hazy orange/brown with a moderate head that fades to a lingering film. Nose is of soap and grapefruit. Flavor is bready and woody and bright with hops, an interesting combination. The hops are sharply bitter without being overpowering and taste a bit like pine, if anything. This beer lacks some malt character and the hops aren’t particularly interesting, but the flavors are quite pleasant, and it’s easy to drink. Thumbs up.

New Years Day: Deep amber hue with a frothy big head and very good lace. The aroma is juicy fruit and resiny hop, slightly herbal and spicy, crystal and biscuity malt, some metallic esters. The taste is aggressive resiny hops with light grapefruit tones. Grainy biscuit and toasted malts with a subdued spicy and metallic hop finish. The mouth feel is lively and sharp. Nice but as is the case with most single hop brews, it is a tad one-note.

Bottle. Always look forward to the single hop series. Deep orange color, slightly hazy, big foamy head on initial pour. Flavor is caramel malts that are mildly sweet followed by the Cascade hop wallop, which is pine like, very mild citrus, and an astringent finish. Well balanced and easy drinking.

11.2oz bottle via secret santa trade. pours a murky, reddish-copper with a creamy white head and solid lacing. aroma is is very nice with definite tropical fruit notes of melon, pineapple, and papaya with citrus notes of orange, pink grapefruit, and apricot and hints of soap, spicy pine and earth. flavor is quite tasty as well with a big, tart, citrusy hit of grapefruit and orange initially with unique herbal and piney hop notes coming through late with hints of vanilla, yeast, and crystal malts leading into a quite bitter, herbal, citrusy finish. palate is medium bodied with bright carbonation although it is a bit creamy on the tongue. overall, a unique and solid ipa.

Hazy golden pour with a thick, sticky, white head. The nose is very fruity and tropical. Lots of fresh grapefruit as well as a touch of light apricot/peach. There is a soft sweet maltiness with a little bit of spicy yeastiness as well. Grapefruit and a bit of light citrus. There is a touch of bitterness on the back of the palate. There is something distinctly fruity about all of these Mikkeller Single Hop beers that I can only assume comes from an atypical yeast strain of some sort. It’s quite yeasty but it’s probably my least favourite to date.

11.2oz bottle. Pours a cloudy, deeper orange-copper colored body with an inch thick, tight, creamy, beige head that dissipates slowly and leaves a good amount of sticky lacing. Aroma is a light tropical fruit, citrus, melon mixture with a mild caramel, light crystal sweetness. Fresh and clean with some light florals and grass. Flavor is very balanced with a light to moderate, leafy bitterness. Straightforward, mild caramel malt keeps the citrus, tropical fruitiness in check. Mixture of earth, herbs, and florals with a light pine. Somewhat grainy and resiny with a bit of a brighter lemon and some biscuit. Finishes with a firm bitterness and a moderate aftertaste. Light to medium body, smooth, and dry. Overall, a nice showcase of the cascade hop. The timid caramels leave lots of room for the brighter, clean, leafy/herbal/earthy/piney/floral hoppiness. I think this single hop beer stands as an example of how dynamic the cascade hop can be; especially when paired with others. It seems to go best when complementing or being complemented by other hops. Despite my opinion on the hop in general, this was a solid beer.

Bottle shared with tashi at my "All my US bottles from GBBF need drinking" tasting, 16th Aug 09. This bottle came from the Cracked Kettle in Amsterdam though. Amber with a lacy white head. Distinctive cascade flavours - dusty, earthy almond dryness and good balance. Nice weight (surprisingly light) and not too strong/evident alcohol. Piney hop aroma and a long finish with resin at the top of the mouth and lasting dryness at the bottom.