Simcoe Single Hop IPA - Mikkeller ApS

Crosling

Colorado

4.4/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pros: Bottle conditioned, Excellent look, with a dark orange color and a massive and lasting cream. Terrific aromatics showcase the Simcoe hop at its core. Terrific feel in the mouth. Very strong, full, concentrated, intense. A big dose of hops.

Cons: Not a single flaw in this beer. It's hard to imagine a better simcoe IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2009 06:08:51 | More by Crosling

IPeteA91

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%

05-12-2013 23:03:53 | More by IPeteA91

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

jklecko2

Missouri

4/5  rDev -0.7%

05-06-2013 19:18:26 | More by jklecko2

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

Kenai4

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%

04-22-2013 12:09:37 | More by Kenai4

mishtif

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%

03-19-2013 13:40:12 | More by mishtif

BuddyE

Louisiana

3.5/5  rDev -13.2%

03-19-2013 03:53:23 | More by BuddyE

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

saeh

France

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%

03-16-2013 18:20:12 | More by saeh

sendbeer

Georgia

4/5  rDev -0.7%

03-04-2013 16:56:21 | More by sendbeer

deac83

Texas

4/5  rDev -0.7%

03-02-2013 04:29:33 | More by deac83

IanSpindler

Alberta (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%

02-26-2013 22:02:50 | More by IanSpindler

JavierGC

Spain

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%

02-16-2013 17:46:38 | More by JavierGC

tswater

Colorado

4/5  rDev -0.7%

02-08-2013 23:19:02 | More by tswater

KillaB

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -13.2%

01-29-2013 05:55:11 | More by KillaB

Sunnanek

Sweden

4/5  rDev -0.7%

01-26-2013 20:00:59 | More by Sunnanek

bluetrevian

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%

01-25-2013 01:24:31 | More by bluetrevian

spycow

Illinois

4/5  rDev -0.7%

01-12-2013 20:12:13 | More by spycow

virinow

New York

4/5  rDev -0.7%

01-12-2013 12:19:07 | More by virinow

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

jk3

New York

3.5/5  rDev -13.2%

01-01-2013 19:15:24 | More by jk3

SDG1070

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -13.2%

12-31-2012 01:28:40 | More by SDG1070

Sunn

Iowa

4/5  rDev -0.7%

12-23-2012 16:07:11 | More by Sunn

t0rin0

California

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%

10-29-2012 01:49:20 | More by t0rin0