Simcoe Single Hop IPA - Mikkeller ApS

kojevergas

California

3.18/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

6.9% ABV confirmed. Imported by the Shelton Bastards. 11.2 fl oz brown glass bottle with white standard pressure cap and red no-frills label acquired in a trade from Duff27 (thanks again, buddy!) and served into a Uinta pilsner glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are above average; Mikkel is me favourite brewer but this series hasn't had many winners.

Served cold, straight from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a six finger light khaki colour head of good cream and thickness, nice frothy texture, and rather good (~6 minute) retention. Light thin even lacing as the head recedes. Body colour is a respectable vibrant copper; clear and translucent. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Looking pretty solid for an IPA overall. I'm excited to try it. No notable flaws - just room for improvement.

Sm: Caramel, dry resins, pine. A hint of bubblegum. Musty. Floral and tropical. I didn't realize simcoe was so complex. A bit candy-esque. Caramalts and pale malts comprise the unobtrusive body. An interesting aroma, but not ideal for the style. Still, I'm excited to see where this one goes. A mild strength aroma.

T: Bubblegum, candi sugar, caramel, and some floral character. The bubblegum is dominant. Where's the pine from the aroma? The sticky malty sweetness is more interesting than the hop character. It's a pretty simple brew all around, but it is more complex than most of the other beers in this series that I've had. It speaks a lot to simcoe's complexity, but it's definitely not a hop that can lead an IPA. Imbalanced overall. Built decently. It's not bad, but isn't notable.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Pretty good thickness. Slightly undercarbonated; it works here. Suits the flavour profile well. Not all that creamy. Pretty soft.

Dr: Drinkable but largely forgettable. An interesting experiment, but not a beer I'd get again. Convinces me simcoe is a solid background hop, but it can't dominate the hop profile of a successful IPA. Hides its ABV well.

C+

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 00:30:20 | More by kojevergas

Howler89

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I wish I could review more beers. Studying the law has put me in a position where I can drink beer or write about it, but not both. I need to shout out StonedTrippin for an amazing sunday real quick. He made the best rack of ribs I ever tasted and even let me carry some things and juice some apples for the apple juice hot tubs we created for stage 3 of 4 of the all day smoke sesh that went down. It was elite dog. Your the man. I encourage anyone and everyone to check his reviews for valuable education on any of 1680 beers currently reviewed at his page.

Now on to more pressing matters. Mikkeller has created some of the finest beer to ever grace my palate, and thus, I was disappointed to realize that this beer had been sitting on the shelf at littles for months and I hadn't tried it. It pours into a tulip glass a foggy apple juice color with a stiff white head. The smell of this beer seems to give away the entire experience. The hops are very fresh. Far from a hop bomb, reminding me more a tropical island getaway, coconuts, pears, and oranges. The taste is very much the same. Fruity with mild to medium bitter right up front. Doesn't linger for long but unique none the less. The Simcoe Hop must have more subtle intentions when it comes to my heart, but I always have gone for the mystery girl anyways so it is what it is. The brew is nice and weighty in the mouth. A respectable beer, and another success among many for MIkkeller.

Solid B unless you are looking for something more classic, then a B-.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 05:04:18 | More by Howler89

JohnQVD

New York

3.3/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Pours with a thick, foamy head and active carbonation. The head never quite dissipates, but does thin out to about a third of an inch. It has kind of a murky, light rust color, much like the citra but a little clearer. Clean smelling, and mildly creamy. Taste is flowery and bitter with a lightest bitter aftertaste. Mouthfeel is very light, and very lightly carbonated. The malt is not as pronounced as the citra, which is surprising because I think this bottle is pretty old. This is pretty decent, but would probably be better if it was fresh.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 17:44:26 | More by JohnQVD

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

4.01/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Serving type: 330 ml (11.2-ounce) bottle. Numbers are printed on the cap but I doubt they are anything close to a freshness date.

Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is cloudy amber with copper tones. There is a lot of sedimentation floating around; there are some pretty sizable chunks, too. Two fingers of dense, fluffy, eggshell-colored head dissipated slowly, leaving a billowy head and trails of foam along the glass.

Smell: Smells like an actual west coast IPA. Orange and lemon citrus, as well as the usual pine. There are also scents of sweet caramel, honey, pale malts, and toffee.

Taste: The single-hopping gives it a very distinct character. The citrus and pine are there but not overpowering. I get the sense it is missing something. The hops provide a decent bitterness but it is no hop bomb. Much like the aroma, there are also flavors of sweet caramel, toffee, and honey.

Drinkability: This edition of the single-hop series is much more like a finished IPA. It is missing the oomph, though. It would be one hell of an IPA if it had it.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 04:51:56 | More by TheQuietMan22

MadScientist

New York

4.48/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: An orange hued light amber with excellent clarity. The persistant, creamy and rocky off-white head leaves a little bit of lacing on the glass.

S: A moderate hops aroma of grapefruit, pine and citrus hops aroma with a clean malt sweetness. There is some grassiness from dry hoping. There is a mild fruit ester, mostly orange and a little bit of alcohol.

T: A moderately strong hops flavor tasting of grapefruit, citrus and pine. There is just enough malt to support a strong hops bitterness that only gets a little rough on the tail end of a long bitter aftertaste. The balance is firmly bitter with a dry finish. There is a touch of esters.

M: Medium bodied with moderately-strong carbonation. A very faint astringency that seems to be derived from the high hops bill. There is a some creaminess and no warmth.

O: An outstanding IPA with a spectacular flavor. I don't really want to pair this one with food, I just want to enjoy the out of this world hops flavor. I want a bigger punch of hops in the nose though more aroma hops would make me very happy but would happy buy this again and again. I just which it was a little more affordable at $5.99 for 12 ounces and with no bottling date this will be a rare treat.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 00:16:58 | More by MadScientist

vfgccp

New York

3.9/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Hazy apple cider.  Nice white head with a mixed bubble structure.  Nice lace, ok retention.

S - Deep malt tones with surprisingly little hops. Fresh breads, caramel, and a touch of yellow raisin.

T - Rich, sweet, caramel malt escalates steadily into a bright woody hop crescendo.  

M - Medium/light body.  Low carbonation.

O - A really interesting, malt-forward IPA with a solid hop backbone and a unique flavor profile progression.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 01:45:59 | More by vfgccp

ThePaleRider

California

3.73/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Amber with a two finger egg shell head. Fairly big bubble with not much lacing. Not sure if this is a filtered ale, but there was a very high amount of sediment floating around in there.

S - Obvious scent of Simcoe hops. I think this hop really has a defined scent that is easily identified. A little bit of malts in there.

T - Very nice hop/malt balance. Not as bitter as it smells, but the bite from the hops is nice. Sweet aftertaste and very smooth.

M - light and very carbonated. Possibly from the amount of sediment floating around in there.

O - Great drinking beer, and I'm a big fan of their single hop series. Only downside is the fact that it's a little pricey for a 12oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 06:55:12 | More by ThePaleRider

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from session notes.

Murky brownish-orange color with a reasonable two finger cream colored head with great stability and lacing qualities.

Smells like mint, oregano, mild onion and garlic (surprisingly mild), a bit of biscuit malt and a healthy dose of marijuana aroma once it warmed up somewhat.

Tastes like mint and oregano as well but has a much larger portion of pine resin that swells up in tandem with the onions and ganja to take the forefront of my palate. It definitely can be brutal on the palate, this one. An odd vegetal note pops up along with the biscuit malt as the glass warms up, as well as a semi-dry sort of "caramelized onion" flavor.

The same medium body and carbonation levels, creamy texture as all the others in the single hop series session thus far.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 22:11:26 | More by WastingFreetime

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 3oz pour at Atomic Coffee, Moorhead, MN (July 27, 2012). From notes.

Hazy orange brown nice head and retention. Limited hops on nose surprisingly until swirled, then an earthy dankness with hits of the cat pee I have heard so much about from this hop coming through. Surprinsingly not offputting though.

Cactus flesh comes through in the hop profile within the beer with a fruity nature and dank earthy notes behind it. Bracing bitterness with very little residual sweetness or malt character. Interesting beer that was actually quite nice, but a definite palate wrecker. Made my Furious pour seem subdued.

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2012 18:03:29 | More by kjyost

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.85/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

my fourth or fifth and easily my favorite of this series. pours a nice golden color with some yeast floaties and a massive thick white head that hangs on the whole time. smell is sweet to me, these simcoe hops give off a very fresh sent, not sticky ganja fresh, but a more subtle essence. also, like all of these so far its more balanced than expected, with some nice english malts in the nose and flavor. flavor is quite similar to the nose, with the hops being very up front. they kind of fade off at the end, no bitterness really at all here. feel is good, thick enough on the body and mildly carbonated. overall im not sure i understand the simcoe hops very well yet, even after this beer. they always seemed to be mixed with more assertive varieties i had a hard time trying to place them here. i like the hop on the front end though rather than on the back end. nice change of pace.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 19:30:03 | More by StonedTrippin

brentk56

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours out with a hazy amber color; the rocky head sticks nicely and leaves more than an ample amount of lace

Smell: Resinous and piney, with hints of passion fruit and papaya, but not as bold and aromatic as I would have liked

Taste: A bit of toffee, up front, with a developing tropical fruit character (passion fruit and papaya); the piney bitterness builds along with a catty spiciness, after the swallow, keeping the malts in check

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Not sure of the age on this bottle but that may explain why the hops are understated; still, this is quite a nice IPA and I like the way the hops keep the malts in check

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 01:04:41 | More by brentk56

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle poured into a 16oz tulip. As far as I know this brew should be fresh.

A - The pour yields a murky, rusty-copper brew with a great big head of bubbly off-white chunks of foam. The head eventually settles to a creamy cap that has a big chunk of foam sitting in the middle. Lots of foamy suds and sticky lacing.

S - A bouquet of fruity hop aromas. Tangerine, passion fruit, orange, grapefruit and a mild floral pine presence. A touch of spice to it as well. Malt is definitely on the lower side, with some subtle toasty caramel malt adding just a touch of balance and variety. A remarkable aroma here, especially for a single-hop brew.

T - Less citrus and tropical fruit and more spicy and floral here. Oily hops dominate upfront, with ripe mango, fresh pine, orange rind, and a minty undertone that I really enjoy. Notes of bitter grapefruit and some dank earthiness come through as well. Malty balance is minimal, with some light toffee and toasty caramel malt just peeking through. Extremely drinkable and very complex for just a single hop. The last sip full of foam gave me a firm dose of mildly spicy onions.

M - Rather fizzy at first, but soon mellows out. Fitting mouthfeel for a 7.0% ABV IPA, slightly oily, a little sticky, medium bodied and an assertive bitterness in the finish. Slightly drying.

D - Insanely drinkable and surprisingly complex for a single hop IPA. It seems you never know what you're going to get with Mikkeller, some of their beers are big misses, and some hit the nail right on the head, and this was definitely the latter. Plus, I found out I like Simcoe hops way more than I thought I did!

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 00:29:49 | More by Converge

endovelico

Portugal

4.38/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a rusty orange brew with a frothy sizeable head that holds a bit too well, if i'm honest. Great lacing. Medium perceived effervescence.

Smell: Mild aroma (in part due to the foam barrier) of pine, evergreen, mint and grapefruit on the front with some biscuit and caramel on the back. Orange and polen on subsequent sniffs.

Taste: Very mild with resin, herbal, biscuit, caramel and evergreen of the hops. I was a bit underwhelmed to be honest, until... i let it warm a bit. Then it developed a charming bubble-gummeish grapefruit character that made me change up the score.

Mouthfeel: Medium to medium high bitterness. Medium full bodied. Long lasting, earthy, herbal, fruity taste.

Overall: Very well done, so incredibly drinkable once given time to warm a bit. Very complex, and it does have something different from the other AIPA i've had. Its hard to imagine only one hop went into this.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 20:47:00 | More by endovelico

SLeffler27

New York

3.43/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours cloudy, honey gold on the brownish side with a slight head that leaves a coat of lacing.

Nice pop of pine with a malty background.

Light bitterness with some grapefruit and no real finish.

A full-bodied beer with some alcohol, a wooly texture, and ample cleansing carbonation.

Simcoe was enjoyed as part of a self-training exercise to distinguish between the varieties of hops but would still make a fine component of a meal.

Sampled from a pint glass alongside the Palisades Single Hop IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 21:27:15 | More by SLeffler27

washburnkid

New York

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: bubbles from the bottom; off-white, half-inch head, golden brown, translucent.

S: Oranges and grapefruit from simcoes hop; honey malt backdrop; it smells awesome.

T: citrus dominates, bitter floral notes, and a caramel sweetness backdrop.

M: moderate carbonation, thin mouthfeel. bitterness left behind on the palate.

D: one or two of these would be perfect. i can imagine pairing this with a roasty/crunchy salad. well done, mikkeller.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 20:49:23 | More by washburnkid

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The nose on this one opened up after a while. The flavor profile is hearty and deep earthy citrus. There is a bright kind of character to it, but it's still deeper and fairly earthy. I got turned off to Mikkeller quite some time ago, but after the Nelson Sauvin Brut and the single hop beers I have had, things are looking better and I am more willing to drop the higher amounts of coin on the breweries beers. (Though I am still a bit leery of Mikkeller overall.)

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 06:15:55 | More by RblWthACoz

joecast

Australia

4.53/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pint at the New Sydney.

Bright light orange/amber/copper color. Like the hop oils are adding some kind of inner glow. Head is just off white with that milky resiny stability.

Well, um, smells like Simcoe. A bit of sweetness from the malt but mostly hops. Spicy, floral, slight citrus. Not sure if Simcoe originates from a blend of other signature US hops, but it sure seems like it. Not the one dimensional character of Cascade or Amarillo, though these are all enjoyable.

Great balance. Big, bold, bitter. It's got it all. Finish is clean showing what a well made beer this is. All you're left with is a lingering hop bitterness which requires more beer to wash it down. A nice problem to have if you ask me.

Totally blown away. Had no idea this was on and the barman insisted I try it. Great idea. Only one keg so glad I got to have one. Will be sad to see it go.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2012 12:12:46 | More by joecast

Beerenauslese

California

3.93/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Body and head are par for the series.

Spice and pine on the nose.

Tastes spicy, with pine oil and some bitter grapefruit rind, a west coast style hop.

Body is medium as is carbonation, slightly fizzy mouthfeel.

The bitterness is fairly high on this, not altogether balanced by the malt, but no doubt is a good expression of the Simcoe hop.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 04:37:15 | More by Beerenauslese

Durge

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another yellowish-amber brew from this neat series of American IPA’s. It has a decent off-white head and decent lacing. The aroma brings mild grass hops and pungent pond-malt. A combination I like, but may not suit everyone. Flavor-wise I get lemony wheat and yeast-bread ideas that provide a nice herbal hop theme. Medium light bodied with a smooth, somewhat frothy feel. Like the rest if these Mikkeller American IPA’s this is highly drinkable and highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 03:19:26 | More by Durge

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.23/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Yeah, yeah, yeah... I know... It's old. But it's been in my fridge for over 2 years (first batch).

A: Pours a murky amber, verging on brown, with about a half finger of white head. There is a good amount of lacing that lingers on the glass as it drinks.

S: The nose is big malt and some tropical fruits. Yup, that's about it.

T: It's big on the malt, and very short on the tropical nature of this hop. It's blatant that time has effected this beer severely.

M: Medium bodied beer. It's sweet, syrupy, think, and lingering. Not too much lingering bitters, just solid flavor.

O: This beer is old, and it's not all that good. BUT... I've had this fresh many times, on-tap, and it's usually delicious. This review is based on an old bottle, but the score I'm giving it is from a fresh pour. It's confusing, but it's only fair. Typically, this is a really solid brew, maybe the best of the single hop beers.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 23:11:47 | More by trxxpaxxs

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

330ml bottle poured into tulip 5/3/12

A reddish amber with just a slight haze, massive 3 finger cream colored head has great retention slowly falling to an island leaving large chunks of lace well down the glass

S tangerine, passion-fruit, pine, and some grapefruit, smells of hop candy to me

T more rind then one could smell and the big tropical notes are toned down and 'm getting some faint toffee

M has a little bite to it and a long rind finish, just a little left behind in the mouth making my gums feel a little gritty

O I was loving this one from the second I opened the bottle with the smell filling the room, not lacking in any area and excelling in more then one

I love those Simcoe hops and this beer is another most welcome addition to the already stacked shelves here in Alberta.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 06:35:51 | More by wordemupg

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle. Woe are we who must work our way through the onslaught of these new Mikkeller flights of fancy on our local bottleshops' shelves...

This beer pours a cloudy medium golden amber hue, with three solid fingers of tight foamy, chunky off-white head, which leaves a string of inverted gear lace around the glass as it slowly subsides.

It smells of reserved pine resin and saucy grapefruit peel, more than a bit of spiciness inherent in both. The taste is creamy caramel malt, and a slowly resurrected redux of the aroma in the form of warm, bitter citrus, and soft forest floor hops.

The carbonation is once again quite sedate, the body equally smooth, bearing a low-key medium weight. It finishes with a pleasantly warm spiced toffee malt sweetness, and a loitering softened citrus hoppiness.

I do quite like these glimpses into the inner workings of the singular hops that make up the blends so common in the best West coast IPAs out there. Here, we have the spicy citrus side of that complex equation. Good to know, and also rather good to put back on its own.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 04:00:53 | More by biboergosum

dansmcd

Australia

4.3/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - A quite dark amber under a thick creamy white head with good retention and streaky lacing.

S - Yes. Beautiful clean simcoe pungency comes on strong. Grapefruit and orange with pine and sweet malt backing. Love it.

T - All simcoe hops in flavour, very citrusy with just a hint of malt to balance. Strong hop bitterness.

M - Very refreshing. Medium carbonation and body, bitter finish.

O - The best of the single hop offerings from Mikkeller. Top stuff. Don't miss.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2012 01:32:39 | More by dansmcd

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.15/5  rDev +3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 33cL bottle into a BrewDog cervoise glass. Stamped 8391103 on the bottle cap.

A: Noticeable sediment within, even before I open the bottle. When poured, an impressive three fingers of head reigns, and has no intention of giving up its position. Damned impressive. Cloudy-clear amber-gold with copious bubbling and some sediment. Whole clumps of lace cling to the side of the glass, long after they affixed themselves.

S: Piney and astringent. Woody, even. The Oxford Companion to Beer's description of the Simcoe hop really nails it: "...piney, woody, and grapefruit citrus notes mixed with slightly dank and spicy notes of onion and garlic." I don't get the garlic, but everything else makes an appearance. A bit sweeter and fruiter as well, akin to orange juice. Strong and undeniably pleasant.

T/M: Tasty, but not overwhelming. Certainly better than the other (Nelson Sauvin) Single Hop IPAs I've had from Mikkeller. Full and initially fruity, and not overly bitter. I think the theoretical IBU of 95 is overstated. Even creamy at times. The more I drink, the more the wild onion and other herbaceous flavours emerge. The aftertaste is hoppy and bitter (surprise) and rather drying. Nice beer.

O: An excellent single hop IPA whose strength resides -- as it should -- on the hop used. The garlicy nature of Simcoe I know notice lurking in many other beers. I'm glad I had the opportunity to try this one. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 00:13:40 | More by AgentMunky

peacebone116

California

4.18/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 11.2-oz bottle into a Delirium snifter.

A: Cloudy copper body with sediment floating around. The head is hefty with an slightly brown tint to it. There is lots of thick lace.

N: Pine and a touch of tangerine.

T/M: Tangerine citrus and earthy pine-like resin oils coat the tongue with each chewy sip. The caramel malt balances out the sticky simcoe hop.

I really like this beer; t is the first of the hop series that I have tried. Mikkeller's American IPA recipe is very distinguishable with its mouthfeel and malt characteristic, but this hop profile is incredibly well fit for this recipe. The qualities of the Simcoe, with its herbal aromatics & flavors, is perfectly experienced.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 02:38:20 | More by peacebone116