Super Galena Single Hop IPA - Mikkeller ApS

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

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

330ml bottle poured into tulip 12/10/12

A murky dark amber with lots of sediment and some chunks of what I assume is yeast, massive dark tan head fills half my glass and sets up camp, it finally falls to a thick film leaving a few thick rings of lace

S orange peel and marmalade with a hint of spruce, there's some caramel and some earthy notes

T more rind and a slightly sour fruity flavor, a little bread and other then that it mimics the smell fairly well, there's some booze as it warms

M medium bodied and slightly creamy leaning towards airy from the bubbles, has a nice bitter bite and leaves a fair bit behind both as grit and a lingering rind aftertaste

O pretty good beer just a little basic flavor and smell but still pretty decent, there's room for improvement but that's the case with lots of single hopped brews

I'm glad I got to try this one but its not my favorite from the series but not worst either, basic drinkable brew that's worth a shot

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 00:15:21 | More by wordemupg

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 11.2 oz. bottle. Has a bronze/amberish color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is a bit hoppy, some pine. Taste is well balanced hops and malts, bitter, but not to much, some pine as well. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 13:28:34 | More by tone77

4Socialanxiety

Tennessee

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%

04-18-2013 15:09:32 | More by 4Socialanxiety

GrindFatherBob

New York

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%

01-24-2013 13:47:33 | More by GrindFatherBob

lupercmda

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +13%

01-18-2013 04:25:55 | More by lupercmda

Whiskeydeez

Kansas

4/5  rDev +13%

12-28-2012 21:26:59 | More by Whiskeydeez

t0rin0

California

3/5  rDev -15.3%

10-29-2012 01:49:50 | More by t0rin0

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

330ml bottle. Not familiar with this particular hop as of yet.

This beer pours a cloudy, dark golden amber colour, with two fingers of thinly foamy beige head, which leaves a nice low-lying fog pattern of lace around the glass as it evenly bleeds away.

It smells of tropical fruit, sweet grapefruit and orange juice, some weak pine needle notes, a quick to interupt toasted caramel malt, some further dry biscuit character, and a twinge of warming alcohol. The taste is rather bitter grapefruit rind, leafy pine forest essence, a once again slightly late off the start singed bready caramel malt, some generic tropical fruit, and a nice, even warming.

The bubbles are fairly restrained, the body a decent medium weight, and kind of clammy in its smoothness. It finishes off-dry, the bready caramel malt dueling capably with the lingering, and mostly denatured citrus and pine hoppiness.

An enjoyable IPA experiment, this particular hop a likely blend of those normal scenesters on the west coast. I like the change as the beer settles, from damned-near astringent bitterness, to lofty balance - a neat trick, that.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 03:10:59 | More by biboergosum

ADZA

Australia

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Been interested to try this single hop and it pours a murky orange amber hue with a huge fluffy off white head and lacing everywhere,the smell is pineapples,mangoes,bubblegum and liquorice,the mouthfeel is just under medium bodied and well carbonated with tastes of passionfruit,melons,paw paw,toffee malts and the finish is grapefruit bitter and pretty much a fruit salad in a glass which i do like even though its not as full on as other single hops its damn drinkable cheers.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 05:31:45 | More by ADZA

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

As Mikkeller runs the gamut of single hops, I check in with the Super Gelena edition. Promoted for its strong bittering complicity, the beer showcases the pithy and resinous taste of pine and grapefruit.

But first, the beer pours with a very uncharacteristic dark mohogany color. Quite a bit darker than is typical for IPA, but the strong haze, structural foam formation and retention, and with its intricate patterns of lace; everything aside from the color sells the IPA appearances very well.

Balanced aromas of malt to hops emerge from the glass. With a strong malty backbone, the pronounced toast and burnt caramel aromas push some of the hop aromas down, suppressing them below aromatic thresholds. But the stronger hop scent of pine bark, saw dust, and white grapefruit rise from the mix; and bring with them a heavy damp sod aroma.

The more balance demeanor follows the beer into taste as well. The strong underpinnings of biscuit starch, slightly burnt caramel, and mild toast coat the mouth and buffer it against the pang of acidic beta-rich hops. But as the hops begin to penetrate the malty coat during mid palate, the taste of pithy white grapefruit, pine sap, and fresh-cut grass all start to gain control. The rising bitterness provides as much harshness in the throat as it does pleasant bitterness but never provides the effect of 95 ibus as the label indicates.

Firm maltiness acts as a pillow on which the hops rest and allows a rounded texture that's not all bite to proceed across the palate. Finishing woody, minty, and with an astringent stemmy bite, the beer leaves a lot to be desired on its own.

But these beers aren't about sheer enjoyment; they're about education- educating the palate on what to expect from each individual hop varietal. I learned that Super Gelena bitters American and English beers well, but the complement of more alpha-rich hops give more finesse and smoothness. I still wish that Mikkeller would back off of the malts to a great extent in order to allow for better appreciation of the hop variety in question.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 18:22:23 | More by BEERchitect

SLeffler27

New York

3.65/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours cloudy, honey gold on the brownish side with a slight head that leaves a fine coating of lace.

Fresh orange with cantaloupe and caramel.

High bitterness with orange up front followed by grapefruit right through the finish which is quite bitter as well.

This is a full-bodied beer with some alcohol, a wooly texture, and ample cleansing carbonation.

Super Galena was enjoyed as part of a self-training exercise to distinguish between the various hops. Any meal would be complimented by this beer.

Sampled from a Harp nonic alongside the Tettnanger Single Hop IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 21:28:11 | More by SLeffler27

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The continuing fun (??) of the single hopped series by Mikkeller.

This beer strikes me as more pungent and sharp than the other single hopped IPAs I've had so far. A bit more vibrant and bright than the others. Other than that, I'm not quite sure what I have to add.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 04:43:46 | More by RblWthACoz

Beerenauslese

California

4/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Typical body and head for the series, maybe a bit less hazy than some.

Orange citrus on the nose, pretty aromatic compared to the Sorachi Ace I just had. Usual notes of sweet caramel malt.

Tastes bitter, with notes of orange peel and some orange flesh. a little spiciness. Ends dry and bitter.

Body is medium and carbonation is moderate, more fizzy than creamy.

Overall, a nice expression of this hop which has a strong prominence that is balanced by the caramel malt. I could have another of this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 04:13:08 | More by Beerenauslese

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.35/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A. Hazy coppery amber in color with two fingers of eggshell colored soapy head that recedes to a half finger cap in two minutes, leaving plenty of lace curtains behind on the glass. Just gorgeous presentation.

S. Aroma consists of light amounts of florals combined with citric peel, caramel malt. Not much there to smell...

T. A very brief flash of honey dries out in an instant with the introduction of citric peel and peppery pine flavor mixed with a lightly bready tone. Finish is nicely extended for several seconds with a smooth and gradual pine fade-out.

M. Medium body and carbonation, gets slightly oily in texture (but not annoyingly so) if allowed to warm up towards room temp.

Honestly, this is a nice beer, but I'm having a hard time distinguishing it from my memory of the regular Galena offering. Either there isn't really a significant difference, or my palate may need some more "training" (more beer experience) to become sensitive enough to tell the difference.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 17:31:46 | More by WastingFreetime

JVan

Illinois

4/5  rDev +13%

02-24-2012 21:59:35 | More by JVan

mrfrancis

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a hazy, ruddy amber with a thick, rocky white head.

S: Aromas of caramel, biscuits, lemon, bitter orange, herbs, and a vegetal, onion-like bitterness are present on the nose.

T: Notes of caramel, biscuits, lemon, grapefruit, bitter orange, kumquat, mint, sage, and white onion wash across the palate. The finish is bitter and astringent with huge mint, kumquat, lemon, and bitter orange flavors.

M: This ale is medium-bodied and dry. Carbonation is a bit gentle compared to the other ales in this series.

O: This is a solid enough American-style IPA, but I was expecting much more forceful hop bitterness. Super Galena is a high alpha acid hop varietal that should present relatively clean, muscular flavors, but what came out in this beer was slightly muddy. Not a bad effort to be sure, but also not the best showcase of this particular varietal's qualities.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 13:54:15 | More by mrfrancis

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.78/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another single hop IPA from Mikkeller...love the idea.

A caramel, light brown pour. Nice fluffy white head. Great lacing as it drinks.

Light caramel and biscuit aroma. A hint of pine and citrus zest.

The hops in this one border more on the metallic side, with some pine and wood. Some citrus is lingering. Toasted bread and some sweet bread. It's a solid beer, with the mouthfeel as an IPA should be; somewhat sweet but a good bite on the end.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 03:26:41 | More by Mebuzzard

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

12-20-2011 05:25:44 | More by ryan1788a5

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Served on tap in a tasting glass at Bangers & Lace. Tettnanger, Palisade, Cascade, Galena, Super Galena, and Simcoe were all tasted side by side.

Appearance The appearance of the single hop series does not really vary from beer to beer. Each one is a golden caramel color with a fluffy whit ehead that displays good retention and leaves a web of lace down the glass.

Smell: Compared to the regular Galena, the honey malt is still there, but the clean bitter aroma is amplified even further.

Taste: Soft honey and caramel sweetness vanishes quite quickly into a very strong bitter flavor that lasts well into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation and body are medium, Smooth and creamy as well.

Overall: Even more bitter than the regular Galena, but other than that they are difficult to tell apart.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2011 23:44:37 | More by KickInTheChalice

jenray

Texas

3/5  rDev -15.3%

11-28-2011 04:14:58 | More by jenray

Diomede

California

3/5  rDev -15.3%

11-27-2011 21:55:23 | More by Diomede

Mora2000

Texas

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to bu11zeye for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours an orange color with a white head. The aroma is full of grass and earth notes, with some biscuit malt mixed in.

The flavor is different than the aroma. I get a lot of orange citrus notes, as well as a lot of very sweet candy notes which don't really meld well with the other flavors. I also get some biscuit malt notes and the bitterness is low.

Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 20:19:14 | More by Mora2000

avalon07

South Carolina

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

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a copper color and a hazy texture. There was a huge foamy, long-lasting head. Very good lacing.

S: A nice, hoppy aroma with some traces of citrus as well.

T: Tasted primarily of hops, with citrus (grapefruit), and a trace of malt in the finish. The super galena hops aren't quite as harsh as their galena cousins. A decent enough flavor, if a bit on the thin side.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This is a somewhat uneven beer, but likable nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2011 12:02:21 | More by avalon07

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a snifter at The Firkin.

One day, I'm gonna see if I can try all of these Single Hop brews. This seems like a good place to the start the quest (yeah, I've had a couple others already, but now I'm trying harder to complete the set). It pours a clear sunset amber-brown topped by a finger of cream foam. The nose comprises caramel, cantaloupe, light honeydew, light orange zest, and a touch of both vanilla and banana in the very back. The taste holds notes of light pine, toffee, honeydew, light watermelon flesh, and mixed greens. The body is a rather light medium, with a very light moderate carbonation and a very smooth feel. Overall, a very enjoyable IPA. I'm gonna haveta look into this Super Galena hop for some future homebrewing...

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2011 04:19:18 | More by TMoney2591

illidurit

California

3.15/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12 ounce bottle poured into a pint glass. Deep copper color with a sticky khaki head. Smells of cooking apples, toffee and fresh bread. Flavor is malty, clearly past its prime, with little hop character left. Maybe just a little fruitiness and even less bitterness. At this point it just tastes like a boring amber ale from some no-name brew pub. All these old Mikkeller IPAs have given me a 'thrilling' glimpse into what the base beer tastes like, but as a single hop showcase they fail. Despite being assured that these were relatively fresh, all 3 versions I tried were virtually interchangeable.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 07:58:27 | More by illidurit