Mikkeller Single Hop Simcoe IPA

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

12oz bottle. Long lasting white head. Hard to judge since it’s been so long since I’ve had a hoppy beer, but nonetheless I’m fairly certain this was quite good. Incredibly fresh hop aroma, a little bit of malt sweetness. Peaches. Grassy. A bit piney. Very nice. The perfect large amount of bitterness.

Amber color, clear liquid. A 3 cm slightly yellowish off-white airy head that leaves nice looking lacings. Plenty of grapefruit in the nose. Elder flowers and red currants as well. Pleasant peppery and grassy hops. A nice mix of fruity and floral hops, but the malts are rather anonymous. Plenty of grapefruits in the taste as well, but they are not as distinct as in the smell. Gooseberries, some elder flowers, grass and nice floral hop flavors. Toasty malts with a gentle and semi-sweet caramel character in the background. The finish is peppery with a big bitterness that dominates completely just for a moment. After the initial attack from the bitterness it settles and leaves room for hop resins with somewhat of a perfumy character, pine-needles and a hint of minerals. Medium body, rather crisp. Well balanced carbonation. A clean and simple mouthfeel, nicely attuned to the style. Not a bad IPA, for sure. It’s really hop-forward and showcases the simcoe profile nicely. But perhaps it lacks some complexity and is slightly off-balanced. But all in all, I enjoyed it. Serving type: bottle (Copy of old Beer Advocate review)

Bottle. Moderate malt notes of grain, caramel and roasted, moderate to heavy hops of pine and grapefruit rind, light soap for the yeast, with hints of pepper and dried berry. Head is large, creamy/rocky, off-white with thick criss-cross lacing and is fully lasting. Color is dark orange/tan with a good amount of small particles. Flavor starts moderately acidic and lightly bitter and the lengthy finish is faintly sweet and moderately acidic and bitter. Palate is light to medium, oily with a carbonation between lively and fizzy with a slightly tart finish. A good representation of an IPA that tributes one variety of hops.

11/11/2009: Mikkeller Simcoe Single Hop IPA... Aroma: Wonderful Simcoe bouquet of freshly squeezed tangerine, pineapple, and a tinge of pine. Appearance: Cloudy/murky, dull burnt gold color; lots of debris; dense and rocky beige-colored, lasting head; puffy lacing. Flavor: Lots of pine hops, some citrus, and a growing, lasting, moderately high level of bitterness; unwelcomed slightly cheesy and plant-like leafy hoppiness seem to come and go in both the flavor and aroma as well. Palate: Medium-bodied; mostly smooth; a bit slick in texture. Overall: I really like the aroma and bitterness, but the flavor seems a bit off (better when a bit more warm though) and not very clean; also, I would never buy this again at $6.99 for a small bottle and modest alcohol level when Weyerbacher Double Simcoe is available at what, ~$10/4-pack, 1.5X as much alcohol, and TONS more Simcoe aroma and flavor?!

11.2 fl. oz. bottle ( 6.9% ALC/VOL; 22/10/10 ) from Party Town in Bellevue, Kentucky. Rating #390 for this beer.

Hazy, reddish amber in color with massive yeast sediment in it. Medium head with lingering lacing. Aroma of citrus and pine. Comes strong with the hops, but has a short and sweet finish.

Bottle. Aroma is sweet, sweet simcoe deliciousness. Orange and grapefruit with slight resin. Cloudy orange with a bubbly white head, great lacing and consistency. There is a nice balance between hop bitterness and flavor. Firm bitterness up front and at the end, with a sweet citrus character in the middle. Enjoyable.

Bottle @ Hashigo Zake tasting. Fruity aroma, mostly pinapple. Very sweet with an enourmous bitter finish.

Bottled from De Molen, Bodegraven. Orange-brown coloured, lasting head. Very strong hoppy nose, grapefruit, floral notes, very nice. Very hoppy flavor, initially very bitter, but later on more complex with caramel and fruity notes, some sweetness in finish even. Very nice IPA.