Mikkeller Stateside

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

Bottle from Kan and served in my GI IPA tulip: Pours a clean coppery hue with a huge foamy head and left outstanding lace upon the glass. The aroma has notes of resiny piney citrusy hop along with a base of caramel and biscuity malts. The taste is classic hop driving bitterness and citric twang over a base of pale and sweet malt with a nice dash of clove and pepper upon the finish. Really this is more balanced than expected but that could be due to transport from Europe. I am sure it would be more aggressive and fresher on tap in the homeland. All in all I like this and would easily try again.

Pours a slightly cloudy blush orange with a small, frothy white head. Big, juicy, citrus hops make up most of the aroma, has some grapefruit citrus, and light malt notes as well. Very sharp, fresh tasting hops explode on the palate, with a profound hop bitterness lingering in the finish and on the tongue. The citrus does make an appearance in the aftertaste somewhat, mostly the grapefruit, which leaves some semblance of balance in the flavor characters and helps subdue the heavy biterness. Damn solid IPA.

Upon the pour from the 500ml bottle, it appears a slightly hazy amber with a two-fingered creamy white head that fades leaving a complete blanket of lace upon the glass. Nose has a delicious hop floral aroma, followed quickly by the sweet malt, crisp and clean, mouthwatering. Start has a delectable malt presence, hop bitter at the back, somewhat sweet with the top moderate in feel. Finish has a persistent acidity, the hops powerful and spicy, aftertaste is bone dry and the hops stick to the palate, quite a refreshing beer.

Bottle: Pours a lighter copper with a bit of haze. Nice sized creamy beige head. Fresh hops of citrus and pine dominate the aroma with a moderate malty sweetness. Flavor is hoppy with the malt balance taking out most of the bite. Sweet, caramel, and citrus come to mind. Finished soft, without a hop bite. Palate is full and creamy.

Bottle. Head is initially average sized, frothy, off-white, mostly diminishing. Body is light to medium amber. Aroma is lightly malty (toasted grain, cookie), moderately to heavily hoppy (resin, grapefruit). Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, lightly to moderately bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, moderately to heavily bitter. Medium body, velvety texture, lively carbonation, lightly alcoholic. Well, the one-dimensional hop-driven aspect is certainly accurate, so it does indeed smell like an American IPA. I was hoping for more old-world finesse and charm, but you can rarely have it all when it comes to this style. Good for what it is, but doesn’t stand out in any particular way from the glut of other examples out there.

From the bottle this pours a bright (at least, when I hold it up to the light) amber body with a tall head, both well sustained and heavy lacing. The aroma is strong on floral hops with a touch of grapefruit and, when it works its way out, some sweet caramel. There’s just enough malty sweetness in the flavor to support a sturdy hop bitterness - floral/herbal/citric/piney. The finish is dry and bitter, kind of like my ex, although this is pleasant in a beer. Well done.

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Bottle from Secret Santa. Pours amber with a nice lingering head. Lots of herbal floral hops in the aroma with a touch of caramel malt. Has a very appealing aroma! The flavor is somewhat similar with floral, herbal, and earthy bitterness backed by a touch of malty sweetness. Up front bitterness with a nice light balance. Dry and resiny on the palate. Almost chewy. Damn good stuff! Thanks Slob.

From bottle : Pours a clear amber color on the dark side, with a finger of rocky white head. Nose is big beauitiful and powerful floral hops, i can smell them from a couple feet away even. Taste is good, floral hops again, with a malt backbone that makes the hops not to overbearing. Citrus notes begin to ring in the mouth after a few seconds. Not much bitterness, but a little bite when it first hits the tongue. Pretty clean palate, medium bodied. A very nice tribute to the American Micros if i say so myself.