Amarillo Single Hop IPA - Mikkeller ApS

TheBeerCarl

Idaho

2.55/5  rDev -35.8%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Deep orange-brown amber color and completely hazy and opaque. The beer was poured with a cream colored head that had good retention and tiny bubbles. The reason for the 3 was that the style should have a lighter color and less haziness.

S: Next to no nose. Some caramel and heat with a very slight hint of citrus acidity.

T: Nice bittery hoppiness with some earthiness and a slight citrus flavor. Lingering notes of maltiness.

M: Light bodied, almost watery with sharp carbonation.

Overall this beer lacks body and the typical strong citrus notes associated with the amarillo hop variety. Also the lack of a strong hoppy nose defeats the purpose of creating a single hop IPA. If you want to display the characteristics of a hop variety, try and bring out the hops aroma, flavor and bitterness. This beer failed at 2 out of 3.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2012 07:31:11 | More by TheBeerCarl

quirkzoo

Colorado

2.78/5  rDev -30%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

I picked this one up with the Mikkeller Citra IPA as they were new in stock in a store that gets good turnover, but they didn't taste very new, alas.

Pours a nice dark orange with two fingers of sticky off white head that lingers as a thick cap. The smell is pleasantly fruity, it took me a moment to place the smell but when I realized it was lychee that was all I smelled. The taste was merely bitter with an alcoholic bite, all the sweet tropical fruit from the nose has dissapeared. The mouthfeel was strange, bubbly and flaccid. Overall the unique lychee smell on the nose was pleasant but the poor taste and drinkability of this beer made it not worth finishing.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 04:55:06 | More by quirkzoo

mrand01

New Jersey

2.88/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Review from 6/22/10

A: Copper, amber color. Opaque, with an unrelenting head.

S: Citrus/grapefruit, maybe a little coriander(?)

T: Bitter & pretty hoppy

M: Incredibly carbonated, not very enjoyable.

The carbonation really hinders the ability to enjoy this beer too much. I've never had an IPA that was so frothy. Perhaps a bad bottle?

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 19:22:02 | More by mrand01

DocJitsu

California

2.88/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.75

Pours a dull, very cloudy orange amber color. There are bits of vegetable matter floating thoughout the beer. A light caramel colored head appears. Foamy lace streaks the glass through the entire beer. There is always at least a 1/8" cap of suds sitting on the top. Quite disappointingly, the aroma is indicative of an overly aggressive grain bill. Toffee with little pick up of any lovely amarillo. The mouthfeel is akin to a good wee heavy. Smooth and full, with just a scratch or two of carbonation on the top middle of the tongue. The flavor is nothing but flat sweet wort. Where's the amarillo?? You'd barely know this beer was hopped at all if it weren't for the floaties and the slight hop hotness on the back of your throat. Why are Mikkeller's beers so grain-heavy? Not a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 03:19:47 | More by DocJitsu

jbphoto88

Texas

3/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The single hop Amarillo IPA from Mikkeller is a dull orange beer. The color is muted and the liquid is hazed giving it an all around desaturated look. The head is the best part of the appearance as a vibrant tan with a sticky consistency.

The nose is a pungent hop scent that starts out earthy and pine like. There is amongst a sweet toasted malt an almost apple cider scent. I'm thinking that this one isn't as fresh as the Columbus bottle I just tried but since there is no bet by date I can only guess as to the freshness.

The flavor is like a malty tea with an earthy herbed presence. Gone are the pine allusions and in fact most of the hop profile is not present in the taste. Again this could be an old batch or mis handled. On the pessimist side this could just be a lackluster beer.

Even the mouthfeel is average with not much hop astringency. There is some pinch there but again muted. After the Columbus single hop this Amarillo is poor by comparison. I like the hop and use it in home brewing but never on it's own. I would try this one again just to dispell the thought of it being a bad batch but as of now this is a simple average beer and one I would pass in the stores.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 22:28:52 | More by jbphoto88

danieelol

Australia

3/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Nice golden colour with real healthy head and lacing.

Smell is faint. Melony hop with malt but just not very potent. Also some hair dye.

Again taste is too subtle and lacks the required hop bite. Really just a faint melon again.

Finally get some bitterness when it hangs around in the mouth, however it's not really integrated with the other flavours, more of a watery afterthought. And yes, the mouthfeel is watery. Dunno what went wrong with this one.

Having experienced some classic American examples of the style recently this underwhelmed me. Did not seem as good as the previous two Mikkeller Single Hops I had either, Citra and Tomahawk.

Preferred 4 Pines Amarillo Pale Ale to this by a fair bit.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 07:07:47 | More by danieelol

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.05/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours caramel with a thumb of tan head. Good lacing & head retention

S: Leafy hops, apples

T: Pears, leafy & herbal hops, some woody notes & green apples up front. More green apples & woody hops as this warms along with a bit of lemon zest & grapefruit in even smaller amounts . Finishes with woody & herbal hops, a touch of pears & not much else

MF: Medium bodied, slight carbonation, okay balance

Easy enough to drink, but this doesn't really make me think Amarillo Hops, may be an old bottle, but the dating code is too f-ing cryptic for me

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 03:04:15 | More by russpowell

Seakyden

Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

opened the bottle and poured it into a tulip glass. smelled nice, subtle, not an overpowering hop smell. nice golden color. thin head. tasted good, nice subtle hop flavor. had the feeling of a lager, a little thin for my taste. really tastes like a european brewer trying an american style. it was good, not great. has an aftertaste that sits on the back of your tongue long after you finish the glass.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 23:21:15 | More by Seakyden

heygeebee

Australia

3.41/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

FroM Jim's. BB into 2014... Hmmmm.

Pours a a hazy bronze. One finger head stays nicely. Clumpy lace.

Aromas are of citrus, and some odd notes, nutmeg maybe?

Taste is well into APA territory. Some lychee notes, a little citrus, and moderate rather than overpowering lifted floral hops follow. As the beer goes down, the hop finish fades and overall sweetness takes over. Odd for style.

Mouthfeel is creamy, medium bodied, also at odds with style.

Unsure about single hop IPAs but this is a welcome learning experience. Wont buy again, but....

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 09:36:34 | More by heygeebee

mdfb79

New York

3.43/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at Churchkey in Washington, DC.

a - Pours an orange/amber color with one finger of white head.

s - Smells of citrus hops and soap.

t - Taste is floral and citrus hops. Also a little sweet malt.

m - Light to medium body and low carbonation.

d - Ok, but not the best IPA. Wasn't the biggest fan of the floral and soapy smell this one had. Would try another Mikkeller Single Hop IPA over this one.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2010 02:00:28 | More by mdfb79

trxxpaxxs

New York

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Yeah, yeah, yeah... I know... It's old. But it's been in my fridge for over 2 years (first batch).

A: Ohh yes... another amber colored single hop beer. This one, again, has about one full finger of off-white head that settles into a rocky layer along the top of the beer.

S: Sweet caramel malt, some musty grapes, a bit or orange peel, and just a dash of spice.

T: It starts out sweet, with some of the must and orange coming through in the middle. The finish is pretty bitter, but not over the top. The hop profile on this one seems really subtle.

M: Medium bodied beer. Sweet, but not cloying. The finish is bitter, but doesn't linger for too long.

O: Again... a decent beer, but this one is fairly forgettable. The flavors are really subtle and nothing jumps out at me. I'm happy to have tried it, but I would pay for this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 01:05:18 | More by trxxpaxxs

Ninjabrew

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Good beer. Poured in to a DFH pint glass. Poured a copper color with a big, sturdy and lasting head that was thick enough to shape.

S Grassy not super pungent but the one and only scent was that of grass.

T Like an english IPA, balanced not a hop bomb.

M Mouthfeel is not watery but slightly thin. Not a very sticky hop but a clean one.

O Good beer, not sure I would call this an american IPA, its maybe slightly east coast. But I think its more of an English ipa.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 01:26:36 | More by Ninjabrew

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This had a date on the cap of 04/4/11 so I am hoping this is a relatively fresh sample. The color is orange witha good head that laces the glass. The smell is odd, hoppy but I can't pinpoint a specific aroma. The taste is bitter like aspirin with a hint of lemon and a decent malt going on. This was interesting and better than the Simcoe single hop I had previously from Mikkeller.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2010 02:35:31 | More by ArrogantB

wnh

Missouri

3.58/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

11.2 oz. bottle poured into a wine glass.
Part of a 9-beer tasting, including eight of the single hop beers plus Mikkeller Ten.

Aromas of pine resin and green berries. Musty and pungent.

Decidedly woody and woodsy on the palate, big on green leaves. High-ish on bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2010 22:13:47 | More by wnh

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

11.2oz bottle from the Potsdam IGA for 6$

Appearance - Hazy copper colour with a huge size fizzy beige coloured head. There is a low amount of carbonation and there is some fair lacing. The head lasted for around 5 minutes and there appears to be some particles floating around.

Smell - Malts, caramel, hops, grapefruit

Taste & Mouth - There is a higher amount of carbonation and I can taste hops, malts, and caramel. There is also some light pine and some buttery notes with a hint of grapefruit. It ends with a malty sweet aftertaste with a bit of a lingering hop bitterness.

Overall - The best before date on the cap had rubbed off.. so I'm not sure how fresh this is, but I'm assuming its a little older. The flavours aren't very vibrant and there isn't much of a punch. For the price, I'd reach for some fresh somewhat locally made IPA's next time.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 00:08:43 | More by spinrsx

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From a 330 ml brown bottle, abv. listed at 6.9%. Pours out a hazed light amber hue, tall spongy white head with excellent retention.

Mild toasty grains on the aroma, floral and perfumey notes, fresh hay, tangerine, pomelo, dry pith.

That malt sits lightly in the background of the flavour, hinting at toast and caramel, while the Amarillo delivers with dried spicy orange rind, floral notes, and dry, astringent pith. A spike of sweet orange punctuates the last traces of the finish, while the dry citrus continues on into the aftertaste.

Medium-light bodied mouthfeel, slick texture with moderate carbonation.

Now then, Amarillo are one of my favourite hop varietals, and on their own are quite good, however it's when they are partnered with other certain types of hops that they truly excel, by enhancing and accentuating the combination. That being said, in this single hop IPA they're enjoyable, but are only capable of going so far on their own, which means this IPA is decent based on the hop content alone, yet nothing noteworthy beyond that.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 04:04:23 | More by IronDjinn

Vengeance526

Louisiana

3.63/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark golden orange color with a 2-finger off-white head that retains nicely and leaves some good lacing.

Nice fruity aroma of pineapple and orange with a little pine and caramel.

Taste is very floral with some pine and grapefruit noticeable throughout. A slight caramel sweetness comes in at the end.

Medium body and medium carbonation, the mouthfeel may be just a little thin. Not bad but nothing special either. One of those times when smelling it was more exciting than actually tasting.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2010 03:51:31 | More by Vengeance526

tronester

Oklahoma

3.65/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a cloudy burnt orange, with a super rich creamy light tan head. Aromas of minty hops, and a bit of dried fruit. Taste is some apricot up front, then some citrusy floral hops. An earthy bitter finish. Mouthfeel is rich. Overall quite a good IPA, but for the price, it falls a bit flat.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 22:35:31 | More by tronester

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a perfect pint.

A- pours a slightly dark shade of orange with a very puffy 3 finger offwhite head. Love the head...looks great. Really great lacing too.

S- not a whole lot on the nose...what I'm getting is pine, mostly. Maybe some slight citrus hints too. Not much going on here.

T- piney and bitter, but not too the point where you pucker, though it does stick around for awhile...really nice.

M- its pretty thin, but I don't want it to be thicker with how bitter this is. It would absolutely kill you

D- definitely a sipper. Really bitter. Total palate killer

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2010 23:18:35 | More by bigfnjoe

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.68/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On draft at Churchkey in D.C.

The beer is orange hued with a substantial white head. Decent retention and lacing. The aroma consists of citrus hops and fruits, particularly orange and a hint of pineapple. The flavor is a balance of hops and malt, with some caramel sweetness. The finish brings some bitterness and residual sweetness. I liked the Mikkeller Citra IPA more, though this was a decent beer. Worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

08-06-2011 17:22:00 | More by Huhzubendah

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle poured into a 13.5oz tulip.

A - Big foamy, slightly off-white head; definitely bottle conditioned. Hazy bronze-amber body. Typical looking Mikkeller IPA. Thick, frothy head retention with sticky webs of lace.

S - Smell is a little subdued. Mainly floral hops, with a touch of bright fruitiness, pine needles, and spice. Mild bready malt, but not much balance. It's got this slight acetone character to it, sort of sterile, but it's light.

T - Opens up surprisingly malty, with toasty caramel malt, earthy spice, and dank woodiness. The finish is grassy and herbal, with mild bitterness. Alcohol is oddly detectable, but nothing too abrasive. Minimal pine, citrus, or tropical notes, with a bigger focus on earthy herbal hops and malty balance. The slight acetone-like quality from the aroma also shows up in the taste a bit.

M - Surprisingly low carbonation, but what's there is fine bubbles providing a nice smoothness. Medium bodied feel, with a finish that's slightly dry.

D - A decent and drinkable IPA, but Mikkeller didn't quite bring out the highlights of the Amarillo hop like Phillips did in my review from the other day. The hop profile is also a lot different in general here. The lack of depth from only using one hop also shows a bit. An average IPA.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 00:57:12 | More by Converge

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep amber-orange colour with a very thick white head. Smell is of fruity pine hops and some caramel. Taste has a lot of bitterness to go with an oily pine hop flavour. Some sweetness too. This seems a little bit one dimensional and while it is tasty, it isn't as good as some other single hop IPA's from Mikkeller.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2010 19:19:16 | More by kwjd

ms11781

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours an orangish amber color with a 2 finger, off white head. Head sticks around for a while but eventually ends up being a foamy white cap. Great lacing left down the side of the glass right down to the bottom.

Nose is a good balance of hops and malt right almost all the way though. The aroma is floral, with some citrus a well, to go along with the sweet malts.

Taste is stronger than the nose. Same floral and citrus notes from the hops. Sweet caramel malt flavors come through as well. There is also some spiciness to go along with a good lingering bitterness in the dry finish.

Medium body with carbonation to match. Just enough carbonation to give it a bite when combined with some spicy and bitter hop flavors.

Easy drinking IPA but probably another one and done. It serves its purpose in showing off the Amarillo hops but I'd most likely rather move on to another in the series than have another one of these.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 19:22:42 | More by ms11781

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.73/5  rDev -6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours orangey amber with the large off-white persistent head I'm used to seeing with the Mikkeller IPA's. Many rings of lacing.
Nose shows lots of juicy fruits, confectionary, oranges, lemon, resin and peach blossom. Underneath is noticeable caramel malty goodness. This is great!
Flavours include more resin, peach and loads of caramel. Bold bitterness quickly asserts itself (overshadowing most of the other characteristics in the process) but is unfortunately slightly metallic.
Carbonation seems a little high, cuts the sweetness that I would have liked to last through the finish.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2010 11:44:32 | More by CrazyDavros

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

3.73/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Hazy copper with a thick tan head leaving a small layer of foam and streaks of lace.

S - Juicy fruits with sweet caramel malt and citrus.

T - Bitter with sweet caramel and candied citrus fruit. Citrus fruity hops linger.

M - Medium body with decent carbonation.

D - One of the first Mikkeller single hops I have tried that actually showcase the hop but still not as tasty as other all amarillo beers i have had.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 01:30:58 | More by brewcrew76