Simcoe Single Hop IPA - Mikkeller ApS

shanblur

Indiana

3.35/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Recently purchased at the liquor locker Weinbach location in Evansville, IN. Grabbed the last one. I was shocked to see this in Evansville. Had a date of October last year so I had reservations, but I think the quality was still as intended. Poured from 12 oz bottle into a tulip.

A - Cloudy orange and brown hues with a thick head of fluffy foam. Extensive lacing.

S - Nice hop aroma, but definitely more piney than citrusy

T - Nice piney hop flavor as is expected from the simcoe hops used. Not overpowering

M - Has a very slick mouthfeel with a gentle carbonation.

I am glad I got the chance to try this. These beers are intended to educate on the flavor and aroma profile of certain hop varieties. As a relative newbie to craft beer I appreciated the opportunity to sample a beer using only one hop varietal. I would not hesitate to try the others if offered.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 20:50:30 | More by shanblur

Dope

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Very dark amber pour with a huge fluffy off-white head. Sticks around forever and sticks to the glass well too.

S: Smells exactly like cat urine. Though, somehow in a pleasant way. I'm not sure how I can quantify that but if you've ever smelled cat urine, simcoe just jumps out at you.

T: Spicy and citrusy at the same time. Aftertastes lasts a long time and never really seems to fade much between sips.

M: Pretty medium bodied. Pretty smooth beer. As mentioned above, bittering aftertaste sticks around quite well.

D: Not bad. I think I might put this one second after the Citra single hop version. Simple but an intriguing experiment - this one (like the Citra) could almost stand on its own as a normal IPA.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 05:43:18 | More by Dope

tlazaroff

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: I didn't read the bottle and therefore didn't know it was bottle conditioned. Needless to say I ended up with a lot of floaties. Other than that it looks good. A thin white head tops a hazy dark orange beer. Little visible carbonation.

S: It has a nice sweet scent backed by some little pine and floral characteristics.

T: Oh yeah. The bitterness is right upfront and lingers nicely. It is sweet, not dry; it also has a good citrus flavor of tangerines.

M: Moderate carbonation and medium bodied.

D: Easily drinkable for almost 7% ABV beer. I like this one quite a lot.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 03:55:56 | More by tlazaroff

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

csiewert

Oregon

3.68/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a hazy caramel color with a finger of off white foamy head that retains well. The aroma has sweet malty notes and, you guessed it, simcoe hops! The taste starts sweet malty and then becomes spicy and hoppy bitter. The mouthfeel is nice an balanced and clean. Overall a pretty decent IPA.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 02:56:19 | More by csiewert

Cavery

California

3.85/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Foggy Honey orange, a beach sunset in a glass. Just enough clarity to see the beer horizon. About a finger head with modest lacing.

S: Zesty! Bold citrus favoring grapefruit. Orange makes an appearance with tangelo juiciness. There's a party in the orchard, and Mikkeller is buying the drinks.

T: Deliciously smooth and spicy. A light hop bitterness that is suggestive of steamed dark veggies. Dark Veggies that are zested with a copious amount of citrus. Drink to your health!

M: The mouth dissipates pretty rapidly. I will give it the benefit of the doubt and say "low carbonation". It's there, I just have to give it some thought. It definitely could have used the help of the mouth to make this a really consistent experience. Oh well, the orchard party must go on! Despite the zephyr of a mouth-feel.

D: Overall this beer is at is says "simcoe single-hop". Not dynamic, but it's not trying to be. There is a deliciousness here, but it is not an evangelist. No one will be converted, but the simcoe choir will sing its praises.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2011 05:04:56 | More by Cavery

Klym

California

4.08/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Stone nonic

A: Brownish amber with a pretty two finger head. Lacing is nice and foamy.

S: Tropical fruits smell on a bed of slight citrus and melted sugar. Smells unusually sweet. Nice level of aroma, not a punch in the nose but you don't have to go searching for it.

T: Surprising taste. Starts off sweet with peach and orange coming through then transitions into a short lived but surprisingly boozey flavor, and the finish gets bitter and lingers with a combination of the tastes. Aftertaste actually reminded me of Arrogant Bastard (stone)'s initial taste.

M: Carbonation doesn't stick out much in the mouthfeel but I don't think it's to the detriment of the beer. A nice viscocity and smooth drink; leaves the mouth feeling soothed.

O: A nice and interesting IPA from Mikkeller. I'm not sure I would pick it up again but for people with special interest in IPAs I must admit the uniqueness of this one. Seems to avoid the generic categories of IPA mouthfeels and flavors, and seems to bring something different to the game with its diverse multi-staged flavors.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2011 02:36:34 | More by Klym

ehammond1

California

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle (2011)

Holiday Wine Cellar
Escondido, CA

A deep and dark amber with lots of haze throughout. Off-white head. Some lacing down the glass.

This beer is potently aromatic! Incredibly powerful aroma! Wow! Huge citrus bill, specifically grapefruit and biting lemon, some grassy and pine elements, and some sweet, sticky caramel notes as well. Hugely aromatic!

The flavor is a lot like the aroma, but not quite as dramatic. Lots of citrus, lots of marijuana and pine flavors, along with a sticky and sweet caramel malt backbone. This beer is dank!

Thin to medium bodied.

A delicious and powerful Simcoe IPA. A great idea and a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 02:01:30 | More by ehammond1

Florida9

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Blind BIF #5 Tasting:

A: Deep reddish amber in color and a bit hazy. Forms a beautifully fluffy, cotton candy looking off white head. Good retention with some moderate lacing. 4.5

S: Aromatic. Bready malts and a blend of citrus and, to a lesser extent, pine scented hops. Maybe a little bit of hop spice as well and a smell I can only describe as “gamey.” Not necessarily bad, but different. 3.5

T: Not surprisingly, the taste is much like the aroma. Bready malts dominate on the front end before fading to a moderate to strong bitterness and a blend of spicy and pine-flavored hops. The bitterness hangs strongly on the tongue. Luckily the gaminess does not carry over into the flavor. Turns more herbal as it warms. 4.0

M: Medium in body. Appropriate carbonation. Slightly chewy. Noticeable bitterness. 4.0

O: It’s got good flavor, an appreciable bitterness, though the smell is a bit off for my likings. Believe it or not, I feel this one may have been over-hopped as I feel I was getting a lot of green herbalness that are overpowering Simcoe's citrusy qualities. 4.0

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2011 02:52:58 | More by Florida9

pburland23

Pennsylvania

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

Picked up a single bottle at State Line Liquors. On sale for $3.99.

Poured from a 11.2 ounce bottle into my Harpoon IPA glass.

Beer pours a hazy burnt orange with about a finger or so of white head that lingered lazily on top of the glass and produced some really nice lacing.

Really intense citrus hops nose. Very one dimensional. There is almost no malt presence in the nose. In any case, the hops work really well. Smells amazing.

Taste follows suit. The hops are the star. The beer is intensely bitter with loads of citrus flavors. It's a full put attack on your taste buds. Intense. Delicious.

Mouthfeel is sticky, medium bodied and well carbonated. The bitterness lingers through each sip with the citrusy notes of the Simcoe hops balancing out the taste.

Overall, a beer for hop heads, without question. I really enjoyed it and will try to pick up some more of the Mikkeller single hop beers in the future.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2011 01:49:58 | More by pburland23

WesWes

New York

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

The beer pours a cloudy amber color with a thick frothy off-white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a malt forward scent that boasts of pale, crystal, and biscuit malts along with a mild Simcoe hop aroma. The hop character is relatively muted by the malt aroma. The taste is good as well. It has a well balanced flavor that focuses on a complex malt bill that boasts of caramel and biscuit malts. The Simcoe hops are present, but don't dominate like I would hope. It's citrusy with a touch of "cat pee" aroma. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium/full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a tasty brew, but not what I was hoping for. I appreciate the maltiness, but it's hard to concentrate on a single hop character when there is such a rich caramel malt presence.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2011 00:50:10 | More by WesWes

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a perfect pint

A- pours a very cloudy shade of dark orange with a one finger offwhite head that is pretty solid and sticks around for awhile. Tons of sediment is floating around, and is really unappealing to look at.

S- mmmm....simcoe. It's the smell of citrus with a little bit of a tang to it. In other words, delicious. Only downside is that the smell is a little weak

T- that slightly bitter citrus that comes out is just lovely. Freshness was apparently an issue...this puppy has been refrigerated for months, but that couldn't save it. Still pretty faded, which is a disappointment

M- it's actually got a hell of a body to it. Pretty thick for a single hop IPA.

O- I'd love to try it fresh, because I bet it would be amazing. A little too malty with some age on it, but still solid overall

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2011 19:29:18 | More by bigfnjoe

PhageLab

Virginia

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

I was initially weary of the price tag, but went for it anyways, and I am glad I did. Worth every penny and then some. Poured into a nonic pint.

A - Deep, hazy orange coloration. Produced a violent head, had to slowly pour this one. Retention and lace were quite nice.

S - Sweet aroma with some citrus notes, and an obvious amount of hops.

T - Full on assault of hop bitterness. Brutal and intense as all Hell. My taste buds were numb within moments.

M - Dry medium body with a moderate carbonation level. Finish is slow and the taste resonates for some time.

D - Phenomenal. Looking forward to trying other Mikkeller brews now, as this was my first.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 03:18:07 | More by PhageLab

b3shine

Ohio

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

Bottle to tulip. This IPA is deep in color. And the taste matches its depth. VERY HOPPY! I love it (although it's expensive). No complaints here; just make sure to get it while it's fresh. I'm excited about trying the other Mikkeller single hop IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 20:43:03 | More by b3shine

petacutlasaurus

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A fine ol' beer from Mikkeller that emphasizes the Simcoe hop. Inevitably, I compared it to Weyerbacher's Double Simcoe IPA, which I think is a pretty great staple beer. Now, Mikkeller's Simcoe single-hop is about $3 more/bottle, and I would say that that $$$ comes through in the taste, but not to the degree it should. The Mikkeller is a more subtle, and less biting take on the simcoe hop. But I don't know if it should be. It's smooth and downplays the bitterness of the tastes. But I think that bitterness and the hard bitter caramel malt is what makes the hop come alive. Here we see that hardness giving way to this fruitier, more raisin-y sweetness. It's an interesting approach, but this one's doesn't nail the hop the way, say, the Nelson Sauvin does.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 22:20:21 | More by petacutlasaurus

cjacobsen

Illinois

1.4/5  rDev -65.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

(A) Poured into a snifter. Sat a brown, earth toned orange and decent amount of sediment. I've seen mop buckets with more attractive looking liquid.

(S) Really faint hops. It has a weird citrus-like smell, almost as if you were smelling a wet rag that was used to wipe up orange juice...a week ago. Smells like wet grass.

(T) Tastes a bit malty, but mostly that week old grass clippings that have been fermenting in the garage waste bag. If I drank the brown juice from a 2 week old batch of lettuce, I would imagine it would taste like this.

(M) There is little to no life to this despite the fact that it was decently carbonated.

(O) Simcoe is no stand alone hop. Dank brew and needs a lot of work. Cool to experience, would turn it down if offered again. I don't know why so many people have liked this.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 17:15:11 | More by cjacobsen

sweemzander

Illinois

1.7/5  rDev -57.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

11.2oz bottle poured into a tulip. Thanks to cjacobsen for sharing!

(A)- Pours a cloudy sediment-filled brown amber color. Produced some off-white bubbles.

(S)- A bitter dry oaky pine presence. Very resin-like aspect driven too. Hints at raisin and caramel.

(T)- Very bitter yet sweet. Lots of dry oaky bits with raisin and caramel malts. Not what I would expect from an IPA.

(M)- A good carbonation level. Very bitter with poor hop presence. Very disjointed and strange.

(D)- This is a fail in my opinion. Very dank and bitter with alot more malt presence that anything else. Its almost like a brown ale parading around as a IPA. Glad we split this cause I am having trouble finishing my part.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2011 00:00:40 | More by sweemzander

kbnooshay

New York

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

I love Weyerbacher Double Simcoe. Lets see how this compares!

Pours a super murky orange brown color with lots of floaters in it. The head is a frothy masterpiece. The 2 inch tall rounded head shrinks down while leaving a huge hole where i poured the beer. The head holds shape too, which I have never experienced like this. I picked up a, inch and a half wide ball of this marshmelloey goo and held it in between my fingers. SO WEIRD!!! Nice ringed lacing.

Aroma is super fruity and yeasty. Nicely hopped and piney to the nose. Tastes Simcoey. But with a weird off taste. Weird malt? Lightly fruity and quite piney. This is very drying to the lips. Feel is creamy and oily. Kinda sticky also. Moderate amount of tingling from the carbonation. Pretty drinkable, but slightly hindered from the dryness.

Not as fresh and juicy as Weyerbachers Double Simcoe. Now I only wish i could get a hold of the other beers in Mikkeller hop series. Such a cool concept. Being able to focus on the unique characteristics of one hop style. A great way to learn about the different hop varieties.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 01:06:01 | More by kbnooshay

shambeano

Australia

4.22/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

shared with a mate, and poured into a tulip.

A- Pours an ambery brown with about an inch of fluffy head. touch of lacing.

S- some malt sweetness, and then a bunch of piney hop comes through. theres a touch of grapefruity citrus in there as well. nice.

T- straight up theres the sweet raisiny malt, the hops follow, a whole bunch of piney, a nice bit of grapefruit as well. Very Nice.

M- pretty thick and full, resiny on the tongue, the bitterness hits the back of the mouth, and there is a nice length, but not as much as the amarillo. pretty damn nice.

D- i could easily sip on a couple, but not more than that.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2011 12:03:34 | More by shambeano

metter98

New York

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is cloudy light copper in color and poured with a finger high off white head that quickly died down but consistently left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface. A moderate amount of carbonation is visible.
S: There are moderate aromas of grapefruit hops in the nose along with some notes of pine resin.
T: Like the smell, the taste is filled with citrusy and piney flavors; hints of caramel and toasted malts are noticeable. There is a moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and crisp on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
D: The beer is easy to drink and the alcohol is well hidden from both the taste and smell.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2011 01:12:06 | More by metter98

htomsirveaux

Texas

3.48/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle tried 4 Jul 2010 in the midst of our weeklong July IPA blowout. Poured in a SN Celebration shaker pint.

Large cream colored head. Well carbonated. Some floaties, hazy warm copper color. Aromas of grape, crisp apples and tomato leaf. Tastes initially of grass and fruit punch, relatively sweet. Some grapeiness (A). Becomes slightly bitter towards the middle and finish, along with a touch of tomato leaf. A little bit of basil in the finish. Light body. Moderate ethanol. Grapeiness disappears as it warms.

As with the 10, good to try but would not get it again for $0.50/oz.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2011 21:21:19 | More by htomsirveaux

thecarster1

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a- bottle poured into a snifter, hazy golden brown color, one finger fades to cover layer of lace and trailing on glass.

s- nice, very piney hops here, lots of citrus - i'm a fan of the simcoe.

t- very citric, nice lingering hop bitterness here, loads of sappy pine, this is a tasty ipa, i'm enjoying this one better than the nelson sauvin single hop.

m- medium, very slick.

d- really nice, this is a nice offering from mikkeller, i like the opportunity to try a beer with only one hop variety to get the real flavor that each individual hop has to offer.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2011 22:56:20 | More by thecarster1

gopens44

Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Hazy copper with a thin foamy head

S - Straight up grapefruit. Awesome.

T - Earthy with a lot less grapefruit than I would have imagined given the smell. Pleasantly bitter and slightly sweet.

M - Dry finish. The wonderful taste kind of falls apart at the end of the gulp. Just thins out a bit much

I'm excited to try all the single hop offerings from Mikkeller, but I really enjoyed this one. A touch pricey, given the glut of comparable IPA's out there, but well worth the price IMO.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 13:57:49 | More by gopens44

Kkottonmouthkngz

Massachusetts

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

cap dated 16/12/11
pours a thick murky looking brown amber with no chance of seeing through. head is two finger and beige and dissipates fairly quickly.
smells as thick as it looks, resin, pine. really does the beer and the hops justice without even tasting it. theyre potent yet subdued, very pleasant.
this is a very well brewed and balanced beer. the hops make their presence known but dont brutalize the palate. god i love simcoe hops.
its a fairly oily brew, creamy when you swish around in your mouth, and sticky as it lingers afterwords. the more i drink, the more i enjoy. definitely recommend.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 02:29:00 | More by Kkottonmouthkngz

birderbeerer

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Light copper. Pours a three finger head. Long-lasting lace.

S: Hops and malt but nothing exceptional. It takes a long sniff to detect any citrus. The hops do not fly out of the glass.

T: Pretty standard pale ale. This is very evenly balanced. The malt tempers but does not overtake the hop. It is a clean and crisp beer, obviously well made. Neither the hop nor the malt dominate.

Nothing exceptional, but perhaps that reflects the simcoe hop more than the beer itself. It doesn't present an overwhelming citrus or pine flavor. This beer doesn't attempt extreme but aims for a well-made single hop beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 01:28:33 | More by birderbeerer