Nelson Sauvin Single Hop IPA - Mikkeller ApS

clayrock81

Virginia

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a hazy, cloudy orange with two finger frothy head that stayed with the beer and left spider lacing all down glass. A great sweet base in the aroma, the caramel and sugar stick out more than usual; strong citric, piney hop aroma as well. Crisp but smooth medium body containing not only a good amount of sweetness (excellent balance), but the hops are really strong - I'm getting citric notes as well as a touch of tartness and there is a pronounced grape taste yet the hops don't overpower rest of beer. The well-balanced brew is easy to drink and finishes clean; an excellent IPA and even sessionable.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2011 16:41:49 | More by clayrock81

eric5bellies

Australia

4.43/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Drank on Tap at Sail and Anchor Fremantle, 21st Feb 2011

A - Pours a nice copper colour with a two fingered creamy head that laces and styas the distance.

S - Striong aromas of mandarin and pine, very impressive.

T - Very nice balance between sweetness, spice and bitterness. Pefect. Flavours of white grapes and pine cone through very nicely. Finishes with a balanced bitterness.

M - Medium body and low carbonation.

D - Absolutely loved this beer and will be trying more of the single hop IPA's in future.

Serving type: on-tap

02-23-2011 01:39:32 | More by eric5bellies

david18

New York

3.3/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I've had many of these beers, both in bottles and on draft, and in general i'm very impressed with them. I was at Rattle n Hum this weekend and had a twelve ounce draft of this. It was not my favorite among the single hop selections but quite good none the less. Very good color, ok aroma. A little light on the flavor buy a very good beer none the less.

I liked it and will have again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2010 20:31:32 | More by david18

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

4.4/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: On tap at the Lion's Pride in Brunswick, ME. Slighlty nicely chilled and allowed to cool over about 45 minutes.

Appearance: Hazy orange to bright yellow in color with a one and a half finger, white and pillowy head.

Aroma: Big pine notes are the main thing I'm getting here. Some nice herbal backing with some lemongrass notes in there too.

Taste: Lots of in your face pine and herbal notes here. Not the typical American IPA. The pine and lemongrass are really crisp and refreshing. I don't know if I would call this balanced, but it is definitely enjoyable.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and crisp. Very refreshing.

Drinkability: The ABV is pretty reasonable, especially for a beer with this flavor. However, the flavors are strong and it would be tough to drink more than one or two of these.

Overall, a really exceptional IPA that has a great and unique flavor profile. More herbal than tropical. Definitely a really refreshing beer through and through though.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2010 20:57:13 | More by Gosox8787

Durge

Connecticut

4.6/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A wonderful offering at the Lion's Pride in Brunswick, Maine, this hoppy brew shows a beautiful hazy amber color with a healthy thick, near oatmeal colored head and very robust lacing. The aroma immediately hits you with a uniquely sweet piny hop that hangs over some malted grainy goodness. Just marvelous and decidedly unique and edible. The flavor rings true to the nostrils and brings along delectable banana and maple nuances in a solidly mid-bodied brew, a hint of resinous feel, with tastefully complementary carbonation. This is a unique marriage of grain and hop that hits my wheelhouse without a doubt! One of the best IPA type brews I've had in a while. What a great surprise and what a thank you I owe to the staff at the Lion's Pride for this free sample from the mysterious beer gods (wasn't on the board this night). Thank you!

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2010 01:59:20 | More by Durge

BretSikkink

Mexico

3.65/5  rDev -9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Golden orange color, nothing terribly special about the appearance once its been served. There's a fair amount of rockiness and stick to the head that inclines me to tip the score up just a hair. Hoppy nose alludes to the idea of the hop focus behind this beer. I can imagine some grape-like vinous character into this aroma without too much trouble. There's also a little citrus and a bit of funkiness in there.

Aggressive hopping does a number on the generally modest malts. Backbone of toast and maybe some peanut meat alongside the requisite caramel and toffee notes. The Sauvin Nelson hops are slightly bitter, bringing a little pine resin along with grapefruit pith and an odd twist of maybe pineapple.

Not my favorite beer overall. There's a good reason that most beers blend different hop strains. Kind of a one-trick pony, and I found this one to be a flat, syrupy drinking experience on draft. Not terrible and overbearing, but far from elite.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2010 03:43:30 | More by BretSikkink

coryking

Missouri

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | 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...

My first experience with this hop. I really like its uniqueness!! Being a wine salesman, Im really familiar with the region that these hops are grown, and its amazing how many characteristics these hops share with the grapes grown in the same region!

Great fruity grape, S. Blanc like, aroma. Wine like sweetness from the hops. Low bitterness, high sweet/fruitiness. Very unique and I think I like it!

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2010 15:24:34 | More by coryking

zeff80

Missouri

4.3/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out a clear, orange/amber color with a small, off-white head of bubbly foam. It left thin patches of lace on the glass.

S - A very potent aroma of grapefruit and pine. It overwhelms any caramel or malt aroma that might be present.

T - Good bubblegum and grapefruit flavors from the hops. Also, quite bitter with mild caramel sweetness.

M - It was crisp and sharp with a fairly dry finish. A medium-bodied ale that drinks easy despite its ABV.

D - This was a treat to try on tap. I've had a few Mikkeller single hop beers from a bottle but trying this fresh on tap was quite delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2010 20:51:09 | More by zeff80

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap @ Armsby Abbey.

A: Big fluffy Belgian style pillowy head overflowing the top and sides of the glass, which fades slowly over the very hazy and cloudy woody brown with a little reddish orange color.

N: Lots of fresh hop aroma, despite being all NS hops, it still adds some depth with some spicy and musty fresh hops, some chewy hop aspects, a little citrus, and all that with a light sweet malt backbone.

T: Fluffy with a nice light malt taste, almost like Belgian pale malts which brings a touch of sweetness. More chewy hop flavors with a hint of nougat, spicy hop characteristics, with some fresh musty astringent hop bitterness and some orange peel and citrus. Somewhat bitter overall. There's also a slight juicy flavor.

M: Medium body with decent carbonation.

F: Somewhat bitter still, nothing overpowering which is good for just a single IPA. Gets a little astringent with more of that musty hop resin taste here as well but its manageable. Lingering bitterness with more chewy and slight citrusy hop flavors also lingering. Somewhat dry too which accentuates the bitter profile a bit. Tasty beer, but as there are so many good IPAs out there it doesn't stand out much as great, but good nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2010 18:30:10 | More by jlindros

dirtylou

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on-tap, brasserie V, side by side with east kent golding and cascade - this was the favorite of the 3

appearance: served in la chouffe glass - bright orange body, delicate beige head

smell: fresh green hops, tart white grape, evergreen, citrus

taste: all 6 of the mikkeller ipa's i sampled this weekend were pretty strong, but this may have been the most memorable...nelson sauvin hops are unique and provide a great white wine fruitiness. nice hits of evergreen, pineapple and citrus compliment the strong malty base of this beer

mouthfeel: fresh and lively

drinkability: good

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2010 20:54:53 | More by dirtylou

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.2/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

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)

The nose has a bright orange character with plenty of white grape character and some light caramel. Nelson Sauvin is a great aroma hop. The palate opens moderately fruity and grape-like with just a little chalk? Citrus character is quite excellent. Mild malt sweetness is noticeable, and the finish is drying. Moderate carbonation is present on this medium-light bodied beer, with a long lasting bitterness. Juicy and quite excellent, this was my favorite.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2010 03:32:04 | More by DefenCorps

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.88/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Max's today.

The beer pours a clear, amber orange color with OK head retention and lacing. Don't get a whole lot on the nose, but what I get is attractive. The beer is very citrusy, with orange and grapefruit overtones. The flavor profile replicates the nose, though I get considerably more flavor then I was expecting. The beer has a moderately malty, sweet mid palate, but then finishes with a pretty long, dry, bitter finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, and the beer finishes well. Drinkability is pretty good, with the alcohol barely noticeable.

Very nice, very solid IPA from these guys.

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2010 22:00:32 | More by johnmichaelsen

deereless

Colorado

4.13/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Deep gold to orange in color, thin layer of frothy head, sticky spots of foam all along the interior of the glass - 4.50, S: Crisp and dry, aromas of grape juice, slight woodiness, definitely aromas of the white wine that the Nelson Sauvin hop is known to impart - 4.50, T: A truly unique palate, the wine flavors are quite distinctive, very dry and spicy, also a solid dose of grapefruit pith on the tail - 4.25, M: Mediume bodied to thin - 3.75, D: An extremely interesting and very drinkable IPA, like nothing I've experienced in terms of hops - 4.00

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2010 00:29:22 | More by deereless

ToasterChef

Maine

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from my notes. Served in a flight of three Mikkeller single hop IPAs. This beer, made with New Zealand hops, has a deep burnt orange color. It's capped by a thin head of tiny tan bubbles. The liquid appears hazy and opaque. The aroma is crisp and cool and full of citrus hops. The first thing I taste when I sip the beer is a toffee malt flavor. It quickly gets overcome by a sweet bitter pine taste. The finish is a subtle but sharp bitter aftertaste. It has a medium body and average carbonation. The coat is sticky but isn't overly sweet. It feels fuller that it actually is. This beer is more of a sipper than the Simcoe Single Hop IPA, due to its heavier body. I still find it to be quite drinkable. I wouldn't want to more than on 12oz pour in a row, though.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2010 13:41:58 | More by ToasterChef

blackie

Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

a: medium amber in color, topped with a creamy head with quality retention

s: moderate caramel body - nice level of malty sugars, but well balanced with a rich pine and tropical hop nose

m: smooth, creamy carbonation, medium body

t: sweet, moderately caramelized barley sugars, pine and tropical fruit hops

d: easy, a really nice ipa, my favorite between this and the Warrior

snifter, ChurchKey, DC

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2010 01:18:40 | More by blackie

gford217

Georgia

4.58/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

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

No different than the rest of the appearance front - light hazy amber, small cream-colored head, little bit of lacing.

Unlike most of the others, the aroma is distinctive and complex. There is a light grape-like fruitiness with some other juicy citrus. There is also a solid earthy spiciness in the nose and some toasted malts as well.

The taste is more of the same. Quick shot of citrus hops up front but with a dry, herbal twist. The finish is the most wine-like of all the IPAs - dry, fruity with a bit of spice.

The mouthfeel is crisp, clean and well-carbonated. It's got a dry spiciness on the palate.

This was the winner of the day for me, the most complex of the IPAs, very drinkable and outstanding all around. It's the only one that I tried today that stands up to the top IPAs out there.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2010 03:15:05 | More by gford217

drabmuh

Maryland

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
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.

Never brewed with this hop either...WHOA! STRONG pineapple aroma, tons of fruit in here. Beer is really smooth too, overall bitterness is low, which is kind of a bummer and it has an odd aftertaste. I think this would be a great aroma hop for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2010 18:14:34 | More by drabmuh

plaid75

New York

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Blind Tiger, NYC.

Poured a murky medium copper hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a sweet malt and a lightcitrus hop.

The taste consisted of a sweet malt and a spicy, yet sweet hop.

The mouthfeel was typical of the style.

Overall a very tasty single hop.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2010 19:07:36 | More by plaid75

TallSaint

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.08/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

May 11th, 2013.

Pours a slightly opaque, light autumnal brown with a healthy finger of head.

Juicy gooseberries, white grapes and citrus in the nose with a touch of pineapple. The malt body shows a bit here with a touch of caramel.

On the palate Nelson is fresh, juicy and clean upfront with lots of citrus, a touch of grapefruit and raspberry. However, gooseberry, fresh red fruits and citrus dominate. As it moves into the mid-palate, a piney-ness shows. In the back it finishes bitter with a bit of herbal-ness.

The malt body does not intrude that much until the mid-palate and back of the mouth. It was a bit more present than I would have thought but it doesn't detract at all, it adds a touch of balancing sweetness along with the bitterness in the back.

Mouthfeel is decent, solid carbonation for an IPA, maybe the slightest touch too effervescent.

A really great IPA (or should I just say hop?). Nelson Sauvin has layers and layers of flavors that are extremely impressive. It's a great American-esq hop with a nice berry and winey influence to it. It's also a very noticeable hop, the juicy berries really pop out and it is easy to pick out in certain brews; I think having had it on its own I will now be able to single it out in certain other brews with more frequency.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 22:44:18 | More by TallSaint

kojevergas

California

2.71/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

11.2 fl oz brown glass bottle with no-frills purple label and standard white pressure cap acquired in a trade with Duff27 (thanks, 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 my favourite brewer but this series is mostly an experimental educational type of thing, not an attempt to brew great beer. The cap reads "5561010." Not sure what that means. Imported by the Shelton Bastards. 6.9% ABV confirmed.

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

A: Pours an impressive head; the glass is 80% foam. The head is beige in colour with nice thickness, decent cream, and very good retention (~9 minutes). Body colour is a hazy translucent nontransparent caramel-copper. No yeast particles are visible. Fairly vibrant. No bubble show. Light thin even lacing clings to the sides of the glass as the head recedes.

Sm: Heavy caramel. Biscuit malts. Floral hop notes; lightly soapy. Caramel is dominant. It's more malty than hoppy. Some bubblegum. Candylike. Not nectary or citrusy; I expected more from Nelson Sauvin. A moderate strength aroma. No yeast or alcohol is detectable. Not great for an IPA, but passable and different. The hop character could definitely be better.

T: Heavy caramel malts. Floral hops. Noticeable hop bitterness - the cardinal sin of an IPA. Light hints of bubblegum. Vague tropical hop notes. It's not all that well balanced, but it's decent for what it is. If this is showcasing the nelson sauvin hop, I guess I'm none too impressed. Built badly for an IPA, but as an educational experiment it accomplishes its aims.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Decent thickness. Undercarbonated. Suits the flavour profile decently. It's passable.

Dr: Drinkable but underwhelming. I appreciate what Mikkel's doing, but this isn't great. I wouldn't get it again. Apparently Nelson Sauvin isn't my favourite hop. Hides its ABV well. Forgettable and pricey (thanks to the Shelton Bastards).

High C-

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 01:45:24 | More by kojevergas

kvgomps

New Mexico

4.19/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Picked up a bottle of this recently. I noticed the 2011 bottlecap stamp at the check out counter and the vendor threw it in for free. Not sure how age might affect this but I've disclosed.

The pour is really nice with a good 1-2 inch head. Oddly, this beer looks and smells like a wheat beer. Really hope those are the only similarities. The nose is some kind of fruit and tart with a good bit of funk. This reads like a saison so far. I wonder if this hop variety can have that much of an impact.

Wow. IPA is not what comes to mind but there's a lot going on with this beer, mostly good. There's a mix of citrus (not sure what kind) and a faint cardboard flavor. The latter is pretty mild and really hard to distinguish from the funk on the nose. May or may not be related to the age. Either way it is mild and sort of complements the hop profile. Sort of like a pallete cleanser between the onset and finish. Kind of reminds me of the finish of the Stone VE 2010. Did not like that beer but I don't care for white wine either.

I have no idea what to summarize for this beer. I guess that I've never knowingly tried anything with Nelson Sauvin hops but that this beer is good and worth it. A lot going on with this hop variety that you don't often find in American IPAs. Would love to try this again fresh.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 02:47:31 | More by kvgomps

mgironta

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brew poured with a generous two finger tan head that dissipated very slowly and left lots of lacing on my pint glass. The body was a cloudy, burnt amber color with moderate carbonation. When I got to stick my nose in the glass, I really didn't know what to expect. I don't think I've had a beer that featured this hop before. The nose was very floral with some tropical fruits. Very interesting. The taste was much of the same. It started with a very intense floral hop note, then went to grapefruit and then tropical fruit, which I assume is the "passionfruit" that was mentioned in the trivia. After a few sips, I also picked up a bit of white grapefruit. This hop varietal was very unique and very well suited for a single hop IPA. The body was towards the thicker side with a little less than moderate carbonation. The finish was long and sticky and very floral. This was a very interesting IPA. It's not one that I think I could have a bunch of, but one that I was glad that I tried.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 02:53:48 | More by mgironta

danieelol

Australia

3.45/5  rDev -14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance is a nice orange with great head and lacing.

Smell is grape and citrus, big English IPA-style malt character though. Remind me a bit of old-ish Lucky 13.alt. Baked bread, doughiness.

Taste is more grape and leaves, Ribena-esque. More English malt-funk.

Mouthfeel is nicely carbed but not too bitter.

Overall hard to judge this beer. It's enjoyable but not too IPA-like. I suspect it's quite old but the BB is 28/09/13 so it's hard to be sympathetic. Still enjoyable and interesting.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 12:41:08 | More by danieelol

dansmcd

Australia

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Big fluffy white head caps the jarrah coloured body. Excellent lacing adorns the glass.

S - Grape, citrus and mango, not particularly bitter in the aroma. Nice depth.

T - Hop forward as you would expect, follows the nose with the particular fruity flavours. A little pine and wood.

M - Medium in body and moderately carbonated.

O - One of the better of single hop series. Loving the concept from Mikkeller.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 04:18:11 | More by dansmcd

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From a 330 ml brown bottle. First came across this hop varietal while judging homebrew competitions several years ago which caught my attention at first, and soon turned me into a fan. Curious character to this hop, a sort of puckering gooseberry flavour, which makes sense if you are familiar with the white wines that New Zealand also produces. Something in the soil seems to be developing this characteristic.

Pours out a hazed, almost cloudy, amber hue, with a massive rocky off-white head at first, which slowly settles.

Major citrus on the nose: notes of lemon, red grapefruit, mandarin and tangerine. Very bright and fresh. Hints of gooseberry in the background. Lots of layers considering it is a single hop, and one that pushes all my right buttons at that.

Bready and biscuity malt backbone starts off the flavour, followed by mellow grapefruit rind, getting more acidic towards the finish, herbal and tart puckering character. Dry pith in the aftertaste.

Medium-bodied mouthfeel, grainy texture, with moderate carbonation.

Fairly decent as an IPA by its own merits, this one really is for those who appreciate this type of hop, although I think it has enough to offer even beyond that--but then again I'm biased towards it.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 09:27:46 | More by IronDjinn