Simcoe Single Hop IPA - Mikkeller ApS

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

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

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

jayhawk73

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On draft at Pizzeria Paradiso:

Pours a light orange/gold color with a nice thin white head. Nose is nice- grapefruit, pineapple, tangerine, pine, and some malt. Simcoe is definitely one of my favorite hops, therefore I love the taste of this beer. The taste is the same as the nose, but takes it up just enough for the higher score. Just really clean, clear, crisp, and refreshing. Medium feel w/ good carbonation and a slightly fruity finish. I didn't get any of the 6.9% abv at any point. Overall, a great IPA that I would definitely have again. Cheers.

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2012 22:13:46 | More by jayhawk73

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap in a tasting glass at Bangers & Lace. Tettnanger, Palisade, Cascade, Galena, Super Galena, and Simcoe were all tasted side by side.

Appearance The appearance of the single hop series does not really vary from beer to beer. Each one is a golden caramel color with a fluffy whit ehead that displays good retention and leaves a web of lace down the glass.

Smell: Sticky sweet pine resin is noticeable right up front. Some pine sap, honey, and bready sweetness are noticeable in the back. A bit of grapefruit citrus as well.

Taste: The sweetness comes through first, with a growing bitterness gradually replacing it. As the pine flavor comes into focus, some light mint, spice, and citrus are present in the back. The finish is moderately bitter.

Mouthfeel: The body and carbonation are medium, with slightly less of a smooth feel due to the prickly pine sensation in each sip.

Overall: I will give the score a little extra bum here sisnce Simcoe hops seem to stand fairly well on their own, as compared to the other single hop varieties I have had thus far.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2011 23:45:38 | More by KickInTheChalice

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.63/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On draft at Churchkey in D.C.

The beer is orange with a finger of white head. The aroma offers a combo of earthy malts, pine, and resin. The flavor could stand to feature the hop character much more than it does. Unexciting and typical of the Mikkeller single hop series. A terrific idea, but I can think of a hundred different IPAs I would rather have.

Serving type: on-tap

08-06-2011 17:30:42 | More by Huhzubendah

vandemonian

Maryland

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this at ChurchKey where they had 10+ Mikkeller single hop IPAs. It was interesting to taste the characteristics of this hop without interference from other hop types. I sampled about 8 of them and this was my favourite.

A: Orange color and 3 mm head that fades to good lacing. 4

S: The aroma was flowery and sweet. That lovely hoppiness you get with from Simcoe hops. 4.5

T: The flavour was mild with some... butteriness. There was also some metallic bitterness in the aftertaste. 4

M: Pretty thick and reasonably carbonated. 4

O: This was a really nice IPA, but honestly, I prefer the Weyerbacher double-Simcoe. 4

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2011 03:47:30 | More by vandemonian

dbossman

Nebraska

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

A: Deep amber with a slight orange and woody hue; head is thick and holds fairly well; lacing is solid at top and intricate as the beer empties from the glass

S: Grapefruit and citrus rinds sit on top of a sweet, toasty nuttiness; still fairly subdued though

T: Hop bitterness is well balanced with a toasty maltiness; grapefruit and citrus actually blend perfectly with the biscuity malts; there is also an oily quality that is pleasant

F: Creamy and yet oily with a nice, even mouth coating--sits on the back of the tongue forever

D: A great, subtle but tasty American IPA--very smooth, balanced, drinkable, and delicious

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2010 00:33:28 | More by dbossman

lordofthewiens

Maine

4.47/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at The Lion's Pride.
A beautiful beer. In a tulip glass it was a hazy orange/red color with a thick tan head. A sheet of lace.
Intense floral aroma. Sweet.
Resinous pine taste, a little grapefruit, sweet malt.
The flavors all work well with each other, making this a very balanced and smooth beer.
A wonderful beer. Maybe my favorite IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2010 00:43:16 | More by lordofthewiens

MrMcGibblets

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: served in a flight of their 4 single hop ipas. orangey deep gold, slight chill haze, really nice dense lasting head and lacing.
S: i get kind of an oniony/garlicky thing from simcoe, which i'd like in food, not beer. red grapefruit in there as well.
T: i like the malts they use in this, mostly palish, lightly sweet and bready. bitterness is nice and smooth, finishing dry.
M: well-carbonated, frothy, medium-bodied.
D: simcoe ain't my favorite.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2010 14:33:45 | More by MrMcGibblets

regspeir

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Draft into a snifter at Teresa's
Pours a orange amber with a small head which dissolved into a film. Lacing was thin but lasting. Nose is hops, grassiness, very floral and a little funky? Taste was slightly bitter, tropical citrus and some sweet caramel-like undertones. Mouthfeel is light to medium with good carbonation and some rough graininess that was a surprise. While I liked this beer, even at it's reasonable ABV I couldn't session it. Not sure if it's the simcoe but it just tires me enough to want to move on.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2010 22:32:01 | More by regspeir

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a pint glass ($7.25)

A: 2 finger foamy, creamy head. Dull light tan. Not dense. The body is a murky tawny color. The head begins to stick as the above average retention depresses. Thin cratered film much like the moons surface. Lacing continues in barely interrupted fashion. Excellent. The color of this brew is dragging the appearance rating down as all other aesthetic considerations are impressive.

S: The nose is unmistakably simcoe, although Mikkeller's brew is earthier and danker than I imagined it would be. Maybe it's the yeast contribution that gives the impression. Plenty of bitter white grapefruit pith, fresh sappy pinewood and faint orange. Toasted, woody, caramel (or faint toffee) malts. Lightly yeasty.

I could be convinced of a better aroma score.

T: Starts out at a 4. Closing in on room temperature however, this brew becomes a 4.5. Simcoe is not as autonomous as it should be. That is to say, a superior single hop simcoe IPA would be the Double Simcoe by Weyerbacher, who has managed to highlight the beauty of simcoe with greater success. I believe Mikkeller's yeast strain does not marry with the other flavors as well as Weyerbacher's.

M: The mouthfeel is SPOT ON. Great carbonation level with a lingering dry and bitter finish. Only a very light sweetness from beginning to end. The light sweetness balances the hop bitterness just enough in my mind, Extra medium body. Long, lingering finish. I can't think of anything that would improve the mouthfeel.

D: Drinks extremely well. Yet another single hop brew for Mikkeller to be proud of. These guys are on a mission.

Serving type: on-tap

06-02-2010 01:44:18 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

coryking

Missouri

4.18/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed at the International Tap House Mikkeller Single Hop night.

Recipe from Mikkeller:

6.9% ABV
67% Pilsner, 11% Cara, 11% Munich II, 11% Oats
Hop additions were at 60 minutes, 15 minutes, whirlpool, then dry hopped for 100 IBUs.
1056 yeast
Started at 1.063, finished at 1.010

Since the malt in all of these beers are the same, Im going to focus just on the hops...

All pine nose. Only pine in the aroma. Resinous pine with a grapefruit rind flavor. I prefer the flavoring and aroma of the Simcoe, over the bitterness that it adds.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2010 15:26:41 | More by coryking

dirtylou

Washington

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on tap at the malt house, 6 of these single-hop varietals on tap this week at Malt House/Brasserie V...my goal for the weekend is to drink them all

cellphone notes

appearance: served in an unbranded chalice, hazy apricot body, light beige ring with minimal retention

smell: definite simcoe IPA - lush tropical fruit, apricot, floral and fresh

taste: apricot, tropical fruit, fresh floral hops, grapefruit citrus, sweet toffee...nice ipa - love the simcoe varietal

mouthfeel: fresh, prickly

drinkability: good

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2010 01:53:59 | More by dirtylou

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

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

On tap at Capone's on 4/17/10.

A - Hazy, sunset orange liquid with diminutive but resilient head that held on with steadfast ambition until it finally receded to a thin patch, but meanwhile deposited a canopy of lace around the glass reminiscent to constellations in the evening sky.

S - Smack of pungent grapefruit with a slight whiff of catbox and a hint of pine. Overall, the aroma is rather sweet and citrusy, with a caramel malt character balancing the intense hop nose.

T - Ultra bitter up front and throughout with a penchant for grapefruit and citrus juices. A moderate catbox character also seeps into the mix, but doesn't get too out of control. Sweet caramel malt provides a nice counterpart to the assertive hop presence.

M - Medium bodied with an extremely oily yet smooth texture and soft carbonation. Finishes with a hefty hop bitterness on the palate.

D - Simcoe hops = YUM! Nice flavor and complexity for a brew utilizing only a single hop variety. This is up there with the Nelson Sauvin IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2010 11:53:07 | More by ffejherb

DefenCorps

Oregon

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

On tap at Max's today. My buddy and I split all 9 single hop Mikkelers they had on.

Mildly hazy orange-amber with a dense white head with great retention and lacing, this is a great looking IPA (as were the 8 others)

Pungent cat pee for a while, that fades leaving some tropical fruit with papaya and mango most noticeable. Some grapefruit too. The palate opens moderately bitter, moderately resiny and moderately fruity with some tropical fruit. Solid stuff. Drying on the finish with a nice, lingering bitterness, this is great stuff. My #3 of the series.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2010 03:51:02 | More by DefenCorps

jgasparine

Maryland

1.73/5  rDev -57.1%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Sampled the Nugget, Amarillo, Chinook, Tomahawk, Simcoe, Kent Goldings, and Warrior side-by-side. All draught pours at Max's in Baltimore on 4/22/2010.

A- All have a very similar appearance. All with some form of a thin off-white head and some touches of lacing. The Simcoe exhibited nothing more than a haze layer. The body was a cloudy copper color, with no visible carbonation.

S- Initially, not much of an aroma... most likely due to them being served cold. With the Simcoe, you're getting a pale and vienna malt base on the nose, along with a horrible aroma of body odor. I understand that Simcoe can sometimes come across unpleasantly- like cat urine. This is definitely the case... pungent and unapproachable.

T- This thing tastes like body odor and gym socks. For the record, I have never tasted a dirty armpit, nor a gym sock... but this beer tastes just like how I would envision that experience. I have considered this being a bad keg, but a National BJCP judge suggested that this offensive flavor very-well could be attributed to the Simcoe.

M- Thin to medium in body. Highly attenuated with a soft carbonation. Not bad... not great.

D- The Simcoe Single Hop was awful as far as my tastes go... I might try it again, in a vain attempt to experience a better use of the hop.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2010 21:18:49 | More by jgasparine

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

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

At Max's today. Obviously, I must love simcoe... this beer is just outrageous.

The pours a fairly light, peachy orange color with very good head retention and lacing. The nose is all simcoe goodness, with a pungent aroma of wet tobacco, pepper, and dry, hoppy bitterness. Flavors replicate the nose pretty closely, with just a hint of malty sweetness to balance the avalanch of hoppy bitterness and dank earth. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, but with plenty of flavor. There's a lean-ness to the mouthfeel that I attribute to the dry, hoppy bitterness, but I can't say I mind it. Drinkability is good, though the tidal wave of bitterness tires the palate a bit. Still, this is an excellent single hop IPA from Mikkeller. As good on tap as it was out of the bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2010 22:15:30 | More by johnmichaelsen

DoubleJ

California

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

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ, on to the beer:

Orange colored beer, but has a little tin of brown coloring, almost bronze. Great head retention and lacing on top of this beer. Mango and subtle tropical aromas in the nose, along with light crackery malt. The taste is like the aroma: mangoes all around, mixed tropical flavors, and notes of rye. The aftertaste lingers of dry crackery malt and pleasant hop bitterness. The body is smooth and creamy, which is really nice.

So this is what a Simcoe IPA tastes like. Great to see a Mikkeller beer on draft here in the US. $7 for the pint, but $5.99 for 11.2 ounce bottle from a store...weird pricing.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2010 21:34:43 | More by DoubleJ

ToasterChef

Maine

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from my notes. Served in a flight of three Mikkeller single hop IPAs. The beer has a hazy orange/amber color. It's opaque and has a thick white foam head. The aroma is sweet and has plenty of dry hop scents. It tastes very dry with a slight bitterness in the finish. Otherwise, I can taste some amber malts. It has a medium body but feels a tad watery. There is not much carbonation to be felt. It is very drinkable though, and very refreshing. I could see myself enjoying a few glasses of this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2010 13:35:33 | More by ToasterChef

drabmuh

Maryland

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had 10 of these side by side on draft at Churchkey the other night -- nugget, amarillo, cascade, warrior, simcoe, chinook, eat kent, centennial, tomahawk, and Nelson Sauvin. It was a great experience to get all 10 of them side by side. Thank you Mikkeller for this great experiment in single hop IPAs. My reviews of these 10 beers may seem slightly redundant but they are different.

Beer was orangish and slightly burnt color. There is an overall slight haze to the beer. Carbonation is moderate and there forms a white head of medium to small bubbles that leaves a lot of lacing on the glass.

I know hops can affect head dynamics but the heads on these beers were really consistent until I get here. This head is tighter, thicker, has smaller bubbles and more staying power. This is also the beer that had the most pine aroma, some tropical fruit aromas, best aroma so far but the bitterness on the palate lets me down slightly. Its a great beer though.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2010 18:11:32 | More by drabmuh

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