Centennial Single Hop IPA - Mikkeller ApS

TheBeerCarl

Idaho

3.03/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: The beer has an orange-amber body and pours with a yellow-white head that has good lace and retention.

S: This has one of the most prominent noses of all the single hops with a registerable amount of caramel and floral notes backed up by heat.

T: This IPA has a rich caramel sweetness balanced well by light bitter and earthy hop character.

M: The beer rolls on the palette with medium body and a carbonation that compliments the hoppy character.

Overall this is one of the best single hop IPAs in Mikkeller's lineup but compared to other IPAs it is just decent.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2012 09:21:00 | More by TheBeerCarl

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.63/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours amber with a fading head.
Nose shows piny resin and grapefruit, along with a fair bit of crystal malt.
Aggressive pine and resin as flavours, with some sweet clean malt balancing things out a little. The bitterness seems a bit sharp and almost solvent-like.
Nice mod-high carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

09-30-2012 11:02:02 | More by CrazyDavros

merc7186

New York

3.9/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer on tap at Blue Monk in Buffalo NY, served in a tulip glass.

A: Hazy Orangish/Amber Hue, Passes Mild Light, White Head, Decent Lacing

S: Floral, Mild Oranges, Mild Milk Chocolate

T: Milk Chocolate, Oranges, Floral

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Dry, Mildly Bitter

Overall, I know this sounds dumb but I kept getting a milk chocolate taste (which was confirmed by someone else) but a decent single hop IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2012 05:50:11 | More by merc7186

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a tumbler at The Tribes.

The Accidental Highway to Hell Tour continues! This stop pours a clear light amber topped by a finger-and-a-half of off-white foam. The nose comprises light toffee, light greens, flowers, and light lime. I'm not sure if things were just faint or if there was just a kinda sad aroma here (there is a difference, trust me...). The taste holds notes of dark greens, toffee, light powdered sugar, very light black pepper, and very light cilantro. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation, a very lightly syrupy feel, and an almost dry finish. Overall, a generally alright IPA, but this one is thus far the weakest of the Single Hop brews I've yet tried (I'm up to seven or eight now).

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2011 04:30:14 | More by TMoney2591

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Max's today.

The beer pours a copper amber color with pretty good head retention and good lacing. The nose is interesting, consisting of dry citrus, wet leather, and a hint of malt. On the palate, I'm just not digging this all that much. There is some noticeable alcohol, which blends oddly with the wet leather and malt combination. At least for me, this beer could use a lot more hoppy bitterness to balance the rest of the flavor profile. Mouthfeel is pretty good... the beer is medium bodied wiht a fairly long, moderately bitter finish.

Mehhh...

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2011 20:17:14 | More by johnmichaelsen

jsanford

Georgia

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Distillery in Savannah, GA

A - Amber-copper with a creamy white head.
S - Caramel malt and bitter grapefruit hops.
T - Sweet caramel malt, candied orange peel and grapefruit.
M - Creamy with a medium body and moderate carbonation.
D - Good drinkability, solid, well-crafted IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

12-25-2010 18:51:05 | More by jsanford

benclimbs

California

4.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

had on tap at st. james infirmary reno.

super interesting series from a great brewer. pours golden pale with a beautiful thick head and some nice lacing.

smell is thick, not citrussy, some nice pine character, with rich fruitty goodness in there. smells pretty epic actually.

taste is very east coast/euro ipa in the sense that it isnt hop-dominated, but then it kicks with a brutal, but kind bitterness. more fruit and light brown sugar malts compliment the hops.

overall its a very nice ipa - very interesting to taste just centennials, not nearly as noticable as cascades, subtle, bitter and nice.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2010 02:26:17 | More by benclimbs

champ103

Texas

3.23/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a copper/orange color. At first a two finger white head forms, but recedes in a minute. Light lace is left behind.
S: The aroma is a little light. Some citrus hops and sweet toffee is dominate. A light lingering grapefruit bitterness.
T: Light and thin hops up front. Some light citrus flavors. Mostly a grainy, sugary, sweet malt flavor. I am not a hop head at all, but this is thin on the hops even for me.
M/D: A light to medium body. Thin and watery. Easy to drink. I finished my pint with no problem.

Not a bad IPA. Though nothing special. Just a little thin IMO. You can do a lot worse, but Mikeller has done much better in their single hops series.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2010 03:40:17 | More by champ103

jrallen34

Illinois

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at Plan-B in Copenhagen.

Medium see through copper, off white head that is very creamy, good retention, great lacing...Aroma is very sweet hops, come caramel, but fresh wet hops on the finish...The taste is super matly, almost too malty with a light floral hop finish. As you swallow it is very bitter, ok feel.

This is pretty decent, easy to drink, tasty, not a world beater.

Serving type: on-tap

07-14-2010 02:06:32 | More by jrallen34

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I had this on tap at the Local Option in Chicago, side by side with the East Kent Goldings version. The Centennial was much darker than the EKG version, making me suspect a higher proportion of darker malts in the bill. Very hazy with a thick off-white head.

The beer smelled citrusy and piny, all the great things Centennial is capable of, but maybe not as strong as I'd liked. Or maybe the caramel malts beat the hops dominance down too much. Yeah, probably that. This gave the aromas of Centennial but also caramel malts.

The flavor was a little bit of a let-down, at least compared with the EKG. At first I tasted grapefruit or orange zest, but it was tempered nearly immediately by malty sweetness, although the aftertaste was pretty bitter. This was maybe a little thicker bodied than the EKG, again I think the base beer (minus the hops) is not identical, which is kind of a shame.

The steep price ($9 per pour) stopped me from wanting another, but otherwise it was enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2010 00:37:46 | More by TurdFurgison

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.33/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Likely my favorite in the Single Hop Series. The high fragrance and flavor of the hops combined with the soft bitterness of its acids make for a great balance without compromise.

Like all other Single Hop beers, this one has the classic hazy orange/rust color with great head formation of lightly yellowish foam, great staying power, and an ordinate amount of lacing. A good look though a bit much on the haze.

Aromas of citrus dominate the firm caramel malt backdrop. Leading the way are scents of grapefuit, orange zest, and pineapple. Soft resins of pine and fresh cut grass give a bit of complexity, but this beer is all about the citrus notes.

Flavors of those caramels malts are quickly swamped by the ruby red grapefruit, fresh orange zest, and softer pineapple flavors. Juicy and inviting, these Centannial hops are very seductive and alluring. Balanced by the bitterness of 70 IBU's, the beer finishes decidedly bitter and dry.

While creamy and firm early, the beer soon gives way to a dry hoppy finish with moderate alcohol and minty warm/cooling.

As expected, the Centennial hops prove its 'all-purpose' job with ultimate aroma and flavor of citrus but with the bitterness that rivals the most aggressive beers, except with smoothness and roundness.

Serving type: on-tap

06-22-2010 02:47:48 | More by BEERchitect

delap009

California

4.68/5  rDev +20%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Wow! I had this beer for the first time last night. I had it in a punt glass that I never rotated. It retained a zebra strip pattern until we left the table.

Supreme aroma! Dip your nose into the glass and you can smell the hops as if your at the farm of the inception. One of the most natural earthy smells I have ever experienced.

Color was basic, yet exactly what I'd expect and prefer. Taste was a balance that rivels Stone Ruinition. Nothing was over the top and it whisked accross the tounge like a silky wave of happiness.

Needless to say I am a fan. Great work out of Denmark and good work of Stone getting a keg

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2010 05:33:26 | More by delap009

coryking

Missouri

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

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...

Floral, citrusy aroma, with some nice melons blended in. This is juicier than some of the other single hopped beers. Carries over into mangoes and grapefruit rind. More pleasant floral and citrus bitterness than the others. Nice..

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2010 15:15:09 | More by coryking

ToasterChef

Maine

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from my notes. Served as a part of a flight of three Mikkeller single hop IPAs. It has a great copper color with amodest tan head of medium bubbles. It settled down to barely a skim of foam on top of the liquid, but left behind a good lace coat. The aroma is mostly forest-like pine hops, but there is also a it of sweet malt to the nose. The beer starts out slightly bitter, but it grows in intensity until there is a very bitter aftertaste. The hops here are pine like. The coat that is left behind gives the impression of dry and rough hops. Personally, I would prefer to see more bitterness up front in this beer, not just in the finish. Despite this opinion, I still find the beer tasty. It has a medium body and a sweet and bitter coat. It's a good mouthfeel for the style and fairly similar to other members of the single hop IPA series. It's pretty drinkable. It isn't my favorite of the series (that title still goes to Tomahawk), but I certainly wouldn't pass one of these up.

Serving type: on-tap

04-26-2010 12:50:40 | More by ToasterChef

glid02

Georgia

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Brick Store.

Pours a hazy copper color with a one-finger off-white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of bright citrus hops with good amounts of somewhat harsher pine aromas. Backing everything up are sweet malts and very mild amounts of leafy hops.

Tastes good. A combination of pale and caramel malt flavors kick things off and are overtaken quickly by loads of hops - the pine has a bit more sway in the flavor profile than it does in the nose. Citrus hop flavors are still present in good amounts, coming in midway through the sip, and carry through to a solidly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a solid thickness with moderate carbonation.

Drinkability is good. I finished my glass without a problem and could have another.

Overall this wasn't quite the citrus/grapefruit bomb I was expecting however it's not all bad as the added complexity was nice. Worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2010 05:18:56 | More by glid02

gford217

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap as part of Mikkeller Mayhem at the Brick Store.

Pours similar to the others - a light hazy amber with a small cream-colored head that receded slowly with minimal lacing.

Not surprisingly for a C hop, it's all about the juicy citrus in the nose with pineapples and grapefruits emerging, complemented by a bit of toasted caramel. Still, the pungent citrus dominate the nose.

The taste isn't quite as big as the aroma suggested. There is a bitter citrus kick up front with grapefruit and oranges. The malts are present but don't get in the way of the hops too much.

The mouthfeel is sticky with citrus hops, seems a little fuller than some of the others with strong carbonation.

I was looking forward to this one and it didn't disappoint. Not as good as the Nelson or Chinook for me but still in the top half of the 10 single hop IPAs.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2010 02:48:50 | More by gford217

drabmuh

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | 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.

This beer had the strongest of all the pine aromas. This was also one of the most bitter beers. I really like this hop personally but seriously, this was a great great IPA. Drinkability high, mouthfeel good, the bitterness and the pine play well together.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2010 18:18:59 | More by drabmuh

mpensworth

Oregon

4.13/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark amber with nice 2 finger head. Great lacing.

S - Citrusy hops, lots of grapefruit aroma.

T - Really nice hop flavor, big on the citrus. Finishes nice and dry bitter.

M - Medium body, good carbonation, bitter and dry back end.

D - Pretty good, I could probably drink 1 or 2 in a night and then swap to something else. Overall a great tasting IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2010 17:07:15 | More by mpensworth

CHickman

New York

4.33/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a hazy amber copper color with a huge foamy 2 finger tan head that didn't move and faded very slowly, leaving excellent foamy lacing coating the sides and foamy rings as it goes down. A fine looking IPA with tons of tiny bubbles in the head, collapsing like the Grand Canyon as it dissipated – another looker from Mikkeller.

Smells of grapefruit, orange peel, toffee, caramel, pineapple, sweet citrus hops, light malt, wheat bread, brown sugar, piney hops/pine cones, maple syrup, mango and light booze; the Centennial hop makes for a great smelling beer: this is so potent it smells like fresh hop juice in the glass.

Tastes as good as it smells, but the malt is not the backbone but the initial flavor which then gets washed away by the grapefruit, orange peel, citrus hops, pineapple, mango or even starfruit, piney hops/pine cones, grains, brown sugar, caramel, tea leaf, grass, tobacco leaf, candy like Razzles or Skittles, wet wheat bread and very light booze like a rum shot; so complex and sweet for a single hop, it is very tasty, with nice balance oddly enough, and waves of citrus hop flavor that make the sweetness slightly bitter and yet delicious.

Mouthfeel is smooth with mild fizzy carbonation, a medium chewy body and a bitter citrus finish that is fruity and sweet; the hop flavor never lets up but is not aggressive, making for an excellent American IPA.

This was an expensive 12 oz bottle, but so well made and flavorful that it justified the cost ($7 per 12 oz bottle). A very high recommendation for any hophead.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 02:46:26 | More by CHickman

heygeebee

Australia

3.68/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5

From Jim's. No BB.

Pours hazy amber, two finger head dies to filmy spotty lace.

Aromas are of citrus, and also like a creamy smooth apricot. Words not easy on that one!

Taste is smooth, I suspect storage may be an issue, not too much hop bite going on here, until almost the very end when it catches up. Again the smooth sweet apricot/passionfruit notes come through. Makes you understand the component hops of other beers. Nice idea.

Mouthfeel a let down, not enough carbonation for style.

Well made nice, nice distinct flavours. No way does it taste nearly 7% tho :-)

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 08:41:44 | More by heygeebee

sfprint

Germany

3.73/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

exp: Oct 6, 2013

A: Massive soda head. but little rising carbonation. Just a bit of haziness, a medium maple syrup color with a drop of yellow/green.
S: Very nice! Sweet piney Christmas, quite similar to Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. Very nice but only moderately strong.
T: Christmas-y but not so wowing. Tame,
M: soft with a sting at the end.
O: A decent IPA. Nice spicy qualities, but not mind blowing.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 02:31:09 | More by sfprint

DoktorZee

Alberta (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 333ml bottle into a tulip. The cap had a best before date of 26/04/14 on it (or at least thats what I presumed it was)!

A - it pours a cloudy orange amber, with a fuzzy, thick lacing that hangs around for about 3 minutes then ends with a thin rim around the edge of the glass. Very little lacing left on the edge of the glass.

S - a little more subtle than I would have expected; it hits some floral and citrus notes but also has a slight bready malt notes as well. The floral > citrus on the nose.

T - initial attack is a lemon, juicy hops bitterness; the juiciness tends to follow the initial attack and endures for a while along with some residual bitterness. The finish is only mildly bitter, and the malt tends to show itself slightly near the end. Still remains balanced.

M - mouthfeel is medium to medium-high body with moderate carbonation. No obvious oiliness or alcohol warming. Finishes fairly juicy but not rich.

Overall it's an interesting single hop beer; less of the traditional IPA citrus (orange/lemon) and more of a floral character on the nose, and then lemony and juicy on the finish. Solid.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 22:42:23 | More by DoktorZee

kojevergas

California

2.68/5  rDev -31.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

11.2 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap and green label acquired at KnB wines for $6.49 and served into a Uinta pilsner glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, California. I'm celebrating a success at work. Expectations are high; Mikkeller is me favourite brewery but his brighter beers tend to pale in comparison (excuse the pun) to his darker ones.

Served straight from the refrigerator and consumed cold. Poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a luscious six finger beige/light khaki colour head of great frothy smooth cream, good thickness, and fantastic retention (we're talking a solid seven or eight minutes). Great clingy lacing as it recedes. Body colour is a dark murky dull nontransparent copper. Opaque. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Dig the head, don't dig the body.

Sm: Fresh floral centennial hops. Cream. Clean malts. Toasted malt character. Caramelization. Some tangy fruity note - maybe tangerine? A touch earthy. Notable grapefruit zest. Somewhat dry. A mild strength aroma. Generally appealing. No yeast or alcohol are detectable.

T: Clean, caramel, light toffee, pale malts, and toasted malt character. A bit of earthiness blended with a touch of grapefruit zest. Tangerine, sure. It's also somewhat oily. The notes don't ring distinct, but sort of blend together. A bit imbalanced in this regard. Hop bitterness is minimal. Lacks a solid body or foundation. A bit dirty. I don't like the earthy character at all. Built okay. Not particularly fresh.

Mf: The finish is quite light and tingly compared to the earlier acts. Smooth and wet all around. As thick as it needs to be. A bit too light. Structurally imbalanced. Doesn't suit the flavour all that well.

Dr: Drinkable but unimpressive, especially at this price range (and for this brewer). Mikkeller is capable of far better. A passable IPA, but fairly pedestrian. I wouldn't get it again. That said, it's probably about as good as a single hop IPA can be with centennial. As an experimental brew, or as an educational lesson in hops, it's a success. Unrefreshing. I wouldn't recommend it.

C-

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 05:41:34 | More by kojevergas

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle poured into tulip 13/9/12

A dark amber, looks thick with just enough clarity to see a little carbonation but I think there's more then I can see because of the massive three finger beige head, great retention and my glass is covered in spider web lacing with a few thin rings going through the webs

S big citrus and toffee with some biscuit, faint pine but more tropical citrus and caramels then anything

T lime rind is added too the nose with just a little brown sugar, pretty nice not a whole lot going on but simple can be good

M medium-full with a creamy feel from the bubbles and fairly slick after the fact

O solid stuff and one of the better ones I've had from the series, I can see why this hop is put in so many beers. this one isn't lacking in any areas and went down in minuets

on its own its pretty good but a little straight forward, I love this series and still need too track down a few as I want too try them all.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 05:12:21 | More by wordemupg

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

330ml bottle, with an updated label, one strewn with new-agey hop imagery.

This beer pours a hazy, dark apricot amber hue, with two fingers of tight, foamy, silky pale beige head, which leaves a few grotesque arches of lace around the glass as it evenly subsides.

It smells of bitter grapefruit pith and orange peel, sweet toffee and caramel malt, a bit of more astringent pine resin, and a soft dark fruitiness. The taste is biscuity caramel malt, tart orange and lemon citrus rind, a mildly sweet orchard fruitiness, and some further herbal and edgy pine hop notes.

The frizzy carbonation is a tad catchy on the palate at first, but evens out well enough, the body medium-light in weight, and a bit halting in its smoothness. It finishes just barely off-dry, as the hops are still hitting on all of their multi-toned cylinders.

It's not surprising to see why this particular hop is so prevalent in American-style IPAs - it is such a workhorse, providing citrus, pine, and herbal bitterness - in aroma and flavour. Maybe the fruitiness suffers a bit, but, hey that's what friends and co-mingling are for.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 02:00:35 | More by biboergosum