Koppi Coffee IPA - Mikkeller ApS

MbpBugeye

Ohio

2.25/5  rDev -40.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured into a Mikkeller wine-style glass. No freshness dating that I can tell, but 7521103 is stamped on the back label.

Appearance
What a muddy looking beer, but I pretty much expected that. The head is amazingly large and the lacing is copious, but the beer itself is pretty nasty looking. It’s a fully muddied, dirty pond water burnt orange. Quite unlike any other beer I’ve seen, which is a good thing.

Aroma
I’ll give this a score this high for accomplishing what this beer sets out to be. Lots of hops build an aroma of a very mediocre IPA. It smells like its going to be pretty hoppy, but also very piney and overly bitter. Coffee is stronger than I expected. I figured either the hops or the coffee would have to suffer. But as far as the aroma goes, neither of them do. There is a spiced tea quality that is formed as two worlds collide. The coffee smells like a fresh brewed cup of black coffee. Said java becomes very aromatic upon swirling. For the most part the earthy roast of the coffee and the pine and citrus of the hops clash in a violent discord, but every other sniff clicks and the citrus matched up with the acidic, fruitier qualities of the coffee.

Taste
This sure is a strange beast. I almost don’t know where to begin. It seems as if the hops lose out to the coffee here, but not without a fight. There is a little bit of raggedy, bitter pine aggressiveness, which is what I’ve begun to associate with hops like Tomahawk. But this hoppiness falls off very fast, making way for a stale, bland, oil coffee taste. Its pretty gross; like the second running’s of day old grounds. Then, as abruptly as the flavors started, they disappear. The finish is hollow, vapid, and ghosted with only notions of past flavors.

Mouthfeel
Expressively carbonated. This stuff fizzes up way to quickly and sharply. The body is thin, made to feel thinner by the fizz. This beer is very dry as the carbonation seems to keep the beer off of the palate.

Overall
Weird, wacky stuff. I’m glad I got to try it, but I wish it weren’t in 750s, and I wish it were cheaper. IPAs seem best when untampered with.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 00:37:09 | More by MbpBugeye

Ricelikesbeer

Colorado

2.25/5  rDev -40.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Really have looked forward to this one and was excited to find it at Argonaut liquors in Denver.

A: slightly hazy, orangish-gold, some light carbonation and light lacing.

S: Burnt, acrid coffee grounds and dirt. Lots of both. earthy, mushroom like hop smell is there too. The slightly musty, citrusy hops are barely there. I wonder what this would be like fresh, but it really isn't pleasant right now.

T: more earthy, burnt tasting, coal and ash. It tastes like chewing on old coffee grounds and some earthy weird hops. Not pleasant by any means. I didn't expect to struggle to drink a glass with my friends. There is some slight malt sweetness there, but that's the only redeeming quality.

M: slick, oily, slightly thin. light carbonation.

O: I really was let down by this. I figured at the worst, it would be weird and not meld well with the hops and coffee. Instead, the coffee character was disguisting, and the ipa character was nonexistent or barely there. What a mess. I know this is difficult to brew or nail, but this was a huge waste of excitement and money.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 20:26:14 | More by Ricelikesbeer

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.38/5  rDev -37.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Whoa, pours orange. . . never had a coffee beer pour orange, was expecting brown. Aroma doesn't have coffee in it, starting to wonder if there was a mislabled bottle or something. Smells just like a pale or ipa without coffee.

Taste, again, where's the damn coffee? Mildly hoppy. This seems neither an ipa, nor a beer with coffee. What the hell? Lame attempt at explanation from shop keeper was that its the mild Ethiopian coffee and our American palates aren't in tune with it. Yeah, I call bullshit.

As the beer warms, you can find the ever so slight coffee nuance. Extremely disappointing. And to pay $12 for this bottle is even more bullshit. Would not recommend. Says coffee & tomahawk hops on the label, you really have to search the palate to find either one.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2011 17:01:49 | More by Beerandraiderfan

BDTyre

British Columbia (Canada)

2.42/5  rDev -36.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Really not sure how I feel about this. Really light, traditional IPA colour with a big white head. Okay - fits IPA, but no trace of coffee in the appearance. Ground coffee, chocolate and fruit in the nose. Really tart, bitter taste with a fruity acidity. The coffee really doesn't translate well to the taste. Acidic, bitter and muddled. Fruits, hops, malts...nothing strong really comes through. Good carbonation, but I really don't think I could stand more than one.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 07:10:55 | More by BDTyre

Gtreid

Florida

2.58/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

750 ml bottle poured into my Stone tulip. Thanks to hoptualbrew for the hookup.

A: Murky deep orange color. A small white head quickly faded to nothing, no lace.

A: Sweet caramel malt, nice citrus notes, and bitter coffee.

T: Sweet and bitter. Almost too bitter, the hops and the coffee create a bitter bomb. They tried to balance the bitterness with the addition of caramel malt, but it was not succesful.

M: Medium to full body, over the top carbonation. Very tingely mouthfeel, not smooth.

O: Interesting, as are most Mikkeller brews, but IMO, not sucessful. Too bitter and too sweet for my taste. Glad I got to try, but will not seek again. Skal.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 00:01:34 | More by Gtreid

rarbring

Sweden

2.65/5  rDev -30.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

The beer is clouded dark amber, has an off-white to tan head with some lacing.

The smell is like old coffee from the brewer, an additional dried pea nuance.

Upfront bread and fudge, then some citric aspects, but the peas and old cold coffee is dominant to me.

Medium carbonation, soft texture and a good body.

I like coffee, warm! I like beer (most of it)! But this combo does not attract me. Coffee stouts are fine. Tasted at a beer sampling at De Klomp, Linköping, Sweden.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 15:21:11 | More by rarbring

DefenCorps

Oregon

2.83/5  rDev -25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

On tap at Max's.

Hazy orange with a dense, off-white head with nice retention and lacing. The nose is dominated by caramel, hop character that makes me think of Centennial hops. There's a subtle coffee character as well, a sweeter, lighter roast. Not nearly as aggressive as I was expecting, given this beers pedigree. Too sweet, but the hop character is nice.
The palate opens with candied oranges and plenty of bitterness. Coffee is obscured, peeking through in the mid-palate and also in the finish. Bitterness is high, as is the carbonation. Too big in body for an IPA, this is not a very enjoyable beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2011 03:19:55 | More by DefenCorps

bark

Sweden

2.85/5  rDev -25%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Odoo Shakiso edition.

The colour is orange-gold-amber. The liquid is hazy like a hefeweizen. The high yellowish head sinks slowly leaving lots of lacing.

The smell is very hoppy with sweet notes of honey and flowers. A grand bitterness that, at times, leaves room for a dry almost harsh and frowsy coffee flavour.

The taste is a blend of sweet mild coffee and a clean bitter American IPA with notes of grapefruit, pine and bitter herbs. The aftertaste is quite mild with notes of old grinded coffee. In the finish, the citric bitterness returns.

The carbonation is medium strong. The medium sized bubbles are very short lasting. The liquid is dry and quite light.

An IPA with added coffee… The main problem is that the two flavour families never marry in my mouth: It is either a bitter IPA or not-that-fresh coffee flavours.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 20:13:12 | More by bark

Koufax21

New Mexico

2.9/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had on tap at House of 1000 Beers in New Kensington, PA.

A - a bit of a haze on this straw colored ale. Nice head retention.

S - muted citrus hops, and a very mild coffee scent. I admit I'm reaching for the coffee smell. Not much there.

T - tastes of sweetness and mild citrus flavors. Once again, not getting much of the coffee here.

M - this a smooth sipping beer. Mellow carbonation and medium bodied.

O - I was expecting a lot more out of this beer. It just didn't live up to my expectations. It tasted like a regular ipa, just a lot more expensive. Glad I got to try it, but will not be purchasing any more of this.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2011 16:34:35 | More by Koufax21

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Tomahawk X Guji Natural - 750mL bottle.

Appearance -- Pours a hazed orange, ruby in the heart, with a finger of creamy beige head. Great head retention.

Smell -- Citrus, grass, bready malt, slight musty dankness. Not a whole lot going on.

Taste -- Lemon and tangerine, prairie grasses, bready malt and caramel sweetness. Hop bittering is moderate, though this may be a matter of freshness. While certainly hop-forward as pales go, it is a very mild sipper. No roast coffee flavor whatsoever, unless that grassiness is coming from the beans.

Mouthfeel -- Medium-bodied with milder carbonation. Alcohol heat was much higher than expected given the abv.

Drinkability -- Drinkable, but not exciting. My only real quip was the alcohol heat. As far as the coffee was concerned, it was nearly nonexistent. Assuming that the coffee was added green or nearly green (see notes below), it added grassiness and some mild earthy dankness. If this is the case, couldn't Mikkeller have conjured up that character in the hopping? Interesting idea, no follow through.

Additional Notes -- I shared this bottle with no less than FOUR professional coffee roasters. They could detect the Guji within the beer, if only slightly, and all were convinced that the beans had to have been added green (unroasted) or nearly green.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2011 07:44:42 | More by yeahnatenelson

TheDTrain

Wisconsin

3.03/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Ok let's break this down..

Appearance: Doesn't look like coffee at all. Hazy orangy with high carbonation.

Smell: Doesn't smell like coffee. Not much here. Light hops, slight lemon and grapefruit, mild earth tones

Taste: Doesn't taste like coffee. Not much to it at all. Very dry and drinkable but nothing special about it.

Moral of the story: Nothing about this reminded me of coffee. Yes a coffee IPA sounds awesome and unique, but don't buy into this one...especially for $13.00 like I did. Live and learn I guess.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 22:45:18 | More by TheDTrain

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

750ml bottle best by date of 8/12/12 poured into a snifter. This brew appears a clear color of orange with 3 fingers worth of white fluffy head. It leaves a lacin pattern on the glass with webbing, lines and patches. A swirl revives more than a finger of large bubbles which forms a yellowish stained froth that holds strong.

The smell of this brew is citrus, grassy hops, some mineral aspect and quite a lot of sulfur. The coffee addition seems to be missing from the aroma, about the only characteristic I smell that is vaguely reminiscent of coffee is a bit of a musty tang to the backend. More sniffs reveal a scent of rindy fruit and pulp.

The taste includes quite a bit of mineral character, sulfur and modest bitterness. There is no coffeeto be found in the flavor of this brew, as I take more sips I struggle to come up with something and it's just not there. Vaguely on the backend is an earthy aftertaste maybe coffee-like with a stetch of the imagination. The majority of this brew's flavor though is citrus hops and other bitter rindy flavors with an increasingly musty aftertaste as the brew warms up beyond ideal temperatures.

This is a medium bodied brew with a very lively level of carbonation that is a bit excessive initially but it calms down. The drinkability of this brew is decent but would not be a selection I would make if I was in the mood for a really good ipa or if I wanted a beer with coffe inclusion.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2011 19:20:41 | More by stakem

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.08/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

750 ml bottle, it's the 2nd batch (Tomahawk x Odoo Shakiso version). Served in a pint glass, the beer pours a murky copper/orange color with a couple inch off-white head after a very slow pour. The head stays around for a long time, and there's a lot of lacing, too. Aroma is mostly citrusy and pine hops, along with some caramel malt and coffee. The coffee aroma was weaker than I expected. However, the coffee flavor is stronger (and gets stronger as the beer warms up). Along with the coffee, I can also taste citrusy hops, caramel malt, and some piney hops. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a little bit creamy, slick and smooth, and is also well carbonated. Too much carbonation for my liking. I'm still trying to figure out if I like this beer or not. I don't hate it, but I don't think it's great either. I guess I'm just not a big fan of the coffee and IPA combination. It's something that's worth trying once, but at $13.99 a bottle I wouldn't buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 00:43:44 | More by bluejacket74

Shadman

Alberta (Canada)

3.08/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

EXPENSIVE! I thought Europe was broke? I'm kidding but @ nearly $6/per this had better knock my socks off.

Looks great! Amber/orange colour. Great lookinng head. Some serious substance and creaminess to it. Enough webs of lacing to make Spiderman blush.

Aroma, for an AIPA is so-so. Certainly some nice coffee hints, but there was an off-putting aroma of rubbing alcohol.

Intersting take on the style. I like the inclusion of subtle coffee flavor, but it comes across as a one trick pony. Some weedy hoppiness makes an attempt at the requeset bitterness, but in the end they come through only imparting a strong herbal character.

Borderline thin on the feel.

as mentioned, an interesting take on the style, but given the price this is a once and done experience for this cat.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 02:33:23 | More by Shadman

vandemonian

Maryland

3.08/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Mikkeller Koppi Coffee IPA is a coffee IPA... I'm still not sure whether that is a good idea or not but this beer was a real failure.

A: Cloudy orange colour and no head. 2

S: Not a strong aroma. Sweet with some citrus. 3

T: Malty and a little oxidised with some citrus flavour. Actually not oxidised, I think that is just the coffee. The hops are subdued. The finish is is dry, coffee favoured and crisp. 3.5

M: Flat pretty much. 2

O: 3

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 02:40:27 | More by vandemonian

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

3.13/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

750ml bottle from Supermarket Liquors in Ft. Collins, CO. $14. Cap says 08/12/12. Into an old school NB Globe.

A: Hazy amber color with a dense tan head that foamed up to about an inch that has collapsed to a cap of bubbles leaving some huge gobs of lacing. Really a nice looking beer.

S: Really getting a lot west coast hops here, not a lot of coffee in the nose at all. Resinous citrus hops and a bit of a caramel malt profile smells like a pretty standard IPA.

T: Hops dominate the overall flavor, but there is a pretty decent malt profile as well, citrusty hops fade into a nice lingering bitterness. Coffee is pretty much non existent. I try and find it, but man there is nothing standing out as a decent coffee note. I get a kind of weird flavor I cannot place, but it is unlike any cup of coffee I've ever experienced. Decent IPA though.

M: Nice amount of body, and the carbonation is spot on, finishes dry. Not bad here.

O: Well, its labeled as a coffee IPA, and I definitely get the IPA, and its a pretty good IPA, but I get zero coffee in this beer. Not even the slightest whiff of coffee, or the slightest taste of coffee, which kind of pisses me off when spending $14 on a bottle of it. I guess I just don't get it. Disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2011 00:31:26 | More by pokesbeerdude

womencantsail

California

3.18/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a cloudy golden orange color with a finger of white foam to go with it.

S: Coffee IPA, eh? Interesting as I don't really smell any coffee. Maybe a touch of a roast but otherwise it's grassy hops, some mild citrus, and quite a bit of caramel malt (and perhaps a touch of brown sugar).

T: No coffee flavor either, but I think I'm grateful for that. Sweet fruit, especially citrus. Plenty of brown sugar and caramel sweetness. A decent amount of bitterness and a little bit of grassy hop flavor.

M: Medium in body with a moderate carbonation.

O: No coffee character at all, and just a mediocre IPA is what you get from it.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 07:02:13 | More by womencantsail

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

3.18/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

From a 330 ml brown bottle. Pours out a deep hazy coppery amber when held to light, more like a russet chestnut hue otherwise. Tall spongy off-white head with excellent retention.

Coffee, chocolate and hazelnut are first to arise in the aroma, then some dry bready malt and herbal, leafy, spicy hops.

Coffee and dry malt up front in the flavour that is almost immediately eclipsed with herbal, spicy hops. The coffee along with a bit of chocolate returns in the aftertaste to linger on.

Medium-bodied mouthfeel with low carbonation and a creamy smooth texture that hints at touches of oiliness.

No real harmony or unity with this, nor is the juxtaposition unique enough to be truly noteworthy beyond saying you've tried it once. The quality is there, this isn't swill, but the combination just doesn't jive, at least for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2011 02:06:54 | More by IronDjinn

dlmccabe1

Maryland

3.18/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I don't know what to say here. I was really excited about this as I hadn't seen very many (any?) coffee IPA's around. And for $16 for a 750ml bottle, I figured the uniqueness would be there. Unfortunately, I didn't detect any hints of coffee in this IPA. Not in the color, not in the aroma or the flavor. As an American IPA at 6.9% abv, it was fine. Nice, even. But I can drink an American IPA anytime and there are better examples out there.

If you're looking for coffee in your IPA, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a drinkable American IPA from Mikkeller, try this.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 02:58:10 | More by dlmccabe1

jonvan04

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

This pour a reddish brown with about an inch of head. Not much coffee on the nose, it smelled pretty much just like a regular IPA. The first few sips I still couldn't pick out the coffee part of this beer. After a few sips I think I figured it out, it tastes like they were trying to blend the bitterness of some darker coffees with the bitterness of an IPA. Unfortunately the coffee bitterness masked a lot of the desirable hop flavors. This bitterness blend was all their was to this beer. The mouthfeel was pretty thin and light.

I started out very interested in this blend of two different flavors that I love, but sadly this ended up being pretty one dimensional and not all that interesting or good.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 20:19:41 | More by jonvan04

Mora2000

Texas

3.2/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to bu11zeye for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a yellow-orange color with a white head. The aroma is heavy on the toffee and bready malt, with some candy hops. I don't get any coffee in the aroma at all, very disappointing.

The flavor is unfortunately more of the same. I get some bread, toffee, grass and candy hops. I also get some sweetness and a light amount of bitterness. If there is any coffee in this beer, I can't taste or smell it. A nice IPA, just not a coffee IPA.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 04:27:23 | More by Mora2000

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.23/5  rDev -15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

330ml bottle poured into pint glass april2 2011

A hazy orange amber with a solid light tan head that retains to the very bottom of the glass and leaves some random lace

S earthy hops, tea bag and cold sweet coffee, not bad but weird for an IPA

T what I imagine wet spring thaw leaves to taste like with more cold coffee and some booze I couldn't smell

M medium bodied with decent carbonation, flavors linger and so dose a little grit on the gums

O not a combination I look for in an IPA, the coffee mingles poorly with the earthy hops

perhaps with a much darker malt this could work but then of coarse it wouldn't be the worlds first coffee IPA. I like Mikkeller about as much as a man can like a brewer but some of the gimmicks don't work for me but hey at least its not the same old same old

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 06:00:44 | More by wordemupg

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.23/5  rDev -15%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

750 ml bottle split and poured into a Sierra Nevada tulip.
6.9% ABV, 08/12/12 printed on the cap.

Thanks to TheDTrain for sharing! (and by sharing, I mean taking the pricy hit for this beer...)

A - The hazy golden orange is a good color topped by a dense off-white head. Good retention and thick lace left on the glass.

S - No real coffee in the aroma, it's actually pretty bland with a low aroma of earthy hops. Plain amber malts. A swirl brings out a hint of hops.

T - The otherwise mild hop flavor is underlined by faint coffee notes in the back. Grassy, earthy, and lightly lemon citrusy.

M - Medium-bodied and smooth with a moderately dry, slightly bitter finish. Nicely balanced.

O - Lacking in aroma but decent in flavor, there's almost no coffee in this one. Overpriced and average.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2011 15:08:37 | More by BeerFMAndy

dwilson01

California

3.25/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Shared around last weekend during a night of epic beer tasting.

It appears with a light coppery coloration, a huge creamy head tops it with good retention and leaves fat lacing on the glass as it dissipates.

The smell outputs some bitter hops scents like apple and citrus as well as a malty caramel. It was also described as a green tea like aroma, and it was interesting to note that there were no coffee smells.

The taste is mainly an ipa flavor, a bitter aftertaste with some floral citrus in the fore to start you off. Where is the coffee? We were all kind of disappointed that there was none.

Overall we thought it wasn't a bad beer, just not worth $15

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 06:11:53 | More by dwilson01

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

When I saw this one at Abe's I was pretty stoked to try it. This brewery usually impresses me quite a bit and since I've never seen a Coffee IPA before I knew I had to try it. The beer poured out as a light brown color with a pretty nice looking head on top. The smell of the beer was hoppy, I struggled to get the coffee aromas at any point while having this one. The taste was the same way... All I got was hops, I tried blowing my nose and everythig to possibly clear my senses a little and still no coffee in this one for me. The mouthfeel was decent, I feel that it was just about average to most IPA's. Overall I found this one to be a little bit of a disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 02:47:47 | More by Knapp85