Citra Single Hop IPA - Mikkeller ApS

sfprint

Germany

4.18/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

exp Oct 10th 2013.

A: highly carbonated. gushing upon uncapping. Root beer float head, rich amber color with large chunks of suspended sediment, hazy with barely any visible rising carbonation. Resembles many Belgian Tripels.
S: like sea-buckthorn (sanddorn) ice cream. christmas spicy
T: woody, persimmon. I thought "citra" would resemble "citrus" but it's no where near it. slight bitterness, but not really sweet but has a fairly rich, solid and unique flavor. With some other sort of fruitiness, like pear juice. Very nice, cinnamon bread after taste.
M: Light to medium body, with a quick dull sting.
O: This one is pretty special. The richness, well roundedness and uniqueness is well above average. I really like it.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 01:18:21 | More by sfprint

JohnQVD

New York

3.74/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours with a thick, foamy head and active carbonation. Eventually, the head recedes, leaving very little lacing on the glass. It has kind of a murky, light rust color. Bright smelling. Notes of butter, cheese and lemon. Taste is mildly fruity and lightly piney with a mildly astringent aftertaste. Malts are pronounced, which is unsurprising given that this was probably hanging around the shop for a good long time. Mouthfeel is light and bubbly, the carbonation adding a good amount of bite. This is actually quite drinkable for its likely age, and is probably a good bit better fresh.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 17:27:07 | More by JohnQVD

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

3.59/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass- pours a hazy orange/brown color with two fingers of head that stay for a somewhat unnervingly long time with puffy lacing.

The smell is definitely citrus- lemon, grapefruit, and resin. Good, but nowhere near as inviting as some of the great IPAs.

The taste is sweet throughout- definitely some piney resin up front followed by lemon, then grapefruit and then it gives way to malt sweetness with a little residual bitterness.

Mouthfeel is decent but a little too syrupy. Medium body with moderate carbonation and a little sticky. This is an interesting beer but not one I'd seek out (I just saw it and decided to give it a whirl).

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 00:03:23 | More by Hopdaemon39

eric5bellies

Australia

2.66/5  rDev -30.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Drank from my Duvel tulip

A - Pours a deep copper colour with a large bubbled off white head that reduces fast and laces, has floaties in it.

S - Mainly buttery malts with a backup of hop, might not be that fresh.

T - Up front some bitterness followed by small amounts of hop followed by a buttery malty finish.

M - Medium body with low to medium carbonation.

O - Not the best offering of this series, would like to try fresh.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 08:06:59 | More by eric5bellies

Brad007

Vermont

3.29/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Pours a cloudy amber color with lots of hop residue and a thin head into my glass. I love citra hops so naturally, this stood out a lot.

Sweet and citrusy upfront. Malt has a buttery edge. Otherwise, not much else to report aroma-wise.

Grassy with a touch of pine, citrus and buttery malt. It might not be as fresh as I'd hoped. I was expecting a bigger citra kick.

Mouthfeel isn't much different. No freshness indicator on bottle.

Well, it is an IPA but it's just not what I was expecting flavor-wise.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 05:03:45 | More by Brad007

mattsander

Alberta (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Mahogany in color with copper highlights and a long lasting off-white head. Small amounts of lacing. TONS of globby yeast sediment. This would be a decent looking beer without the yeast.

S: Perfume of sweet melon (maybe canteloupe?), some lychee, fruity sticky munich-ish malts, and a hint of alcohol on the end. A pretty damn good smelling IPA, but restrained for an all Citra-beer. No cat pee, onion or resin.

T: A well mannered, tame american IPA leaning towards sweet. Bottle says 80 IBU but this tastes more like 50.

M: Medium mouthfeel, easy drinking and refreshing.

Too malt-foward a bit stale on the nose to be great, but not a bad IPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 02:00:12 | More by mattsander

DoktorZee

Alberta (Canada)

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

Poured from a 333ml bottle into a tulip. Best before on the cap (assuming that's what it is) is 20/10/13.

A - amber orange and cloudy, two finger head that lingers for a few minutes and leaves behind an edge of lacing.

S - some great fruit on the nose, initially apple and later lychee - gets more intense over time. A hint of toastiness in the background

T - wonderful tropical fruit right up front on the taste; considerably less bitter than some of Mikkeller's other IPAs, but delightfully subtle and tasty. Start fruity, then bitter and the finishes with lychee. Really no malt at all; at least none apparent, but still balanced.

M - light/medium body with light/medium carbonation; still a little creamy in its finish, but not oily. No alcohol warming.

This is a very tasty, and very interesting instalment in the Mikkeller single hop series. Highlights for me are this one (Citra) and Nelson Sauvin. Both very fruity and balanced. This is a very interesting IPA and has potential to lure in folks that aren't familiar with IPAs. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 23:14:55 | More by DoktorZee

kojevergas

California

2.93/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

6.8% according to my bottle (purchased today). 11.2 fl oz brown glass bottle acquired at Ramirez Liquor in Los Angeles and served into a New Belgium stem-goblet in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are high; I love Mikkeller and I really liked the Amarillo single hop, though the other beers in the series have been overpriced disappointments.

Imported by the Shelton Bastards.

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

A: Pours a two finger beige colour head of nice cream and thickness, and good retention for the above average ABV. Body colour is a nontransparent dark dull copper with floating yeast particles clearly visible. Lots of yeast in this one. No bubble show. Decent lacing.

Sm: Floral bittering hop aroma. No pine or grapefruit but maybe some buried citrus on the back end. Caramel. Butterscotch. Toffee. An interesting hop aroma; more complex than I always figured citra was. Some cream. An average strength, intriguing aroma.

T: Full-bodied clean malts support the simple hop flavour: hints of toffee with bland floral character. Some cream. Caramel and hints of butterscotch. Muddy fermented tangerine. Hops are indistinct and layer well with the malts; this is well balanced albeit murky. Interesting but somewhat underwhelming. No yeast or alcohol comes through. Actually, maybe some biscuity yeast. But the yeast character is shockingly limited considering you can plainly see chunks of it floating about.

Mf: Silky smooth with some coarseness on the climax. Nicely wet and refreshing on the open, but it gets dryer as it slides towards the finish. Good thickness and carbonation. Suits the flavours nicely.

Dr: Quite drinkable but a bit boring and underwhelming. That said, it's much more mellow and malt friendly than most IPAs. There's no biting bitterness or stinging citrus. I have a new appreciation for citra. That said, it's not as good as the Amarillo single hop. As an experiment, this is a success, and it does feel like a complete beer, but it's just not that interesting. A passable IPA, but not one fans of the style will be impressed with.

C

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 05:25:00 | More by kojevergas

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a wildly fruity hop the citra is. this ipa showcases it nicely. the beer pours a hazy sunset orange color with some yeast floaters and a one inch white lace head. the nose is a huge citrus cornucopia, tangerine, lemon, grapefruit, even lime. the flavor is straight tangerine, really fresh fruit juicy hops. there is a touch of pale malts to this, i think less so than some of the other single hop brews. its a little tart in the finish, but still not bitter. that tangerine flavor is lasting in the mouth. feel is good, upbeat carbonation is right for this ipa, and its medium body does not crowd out the delicate tones of the citra hop. this is a hop id like to start brewing with, it has a diverse range of applications, and mikkeller shows it well here.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 17:48:21 | More by StonedTrippin

ThePaleRider

California

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A - Very dark amber with a very thick white head. A little bit of sediment floating around in the glass and you can't see through the glass.

S - Citrus and sugars. Reminds me so Simcoe hops.

T - Super smooth hops right up front. When I smelled it I thought the hops would be very bitter and have the bite of Simcoe, but the Citra hits the tongue like a pillow. Perfect blend of malts on the back leaving a bitter sweet flavor of citrus, hops, and flowers. Wonderful IPA.

M - Super carbonated and really keeps a full head on the beer as you drink it down. Citrus flavors really mask the alcohol.

O - Pleasantly surprised with this showing from MIkkeller. I'm starting to be a true believer in the Citra hop and the beers that it produces.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 02:54:25 | More by ThePaleRider

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours deep amber with a fading head.
Nose shows passion fruit, lychee, peach, pineapple and grapefruit. Some soft clean malt underneath.
Tropical fruit carries through as a flavour, with lots of grapefruit too. Fairly sharp bitterness. Could use more crystal malt.
Carbonation is a bit high.

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2012 03:34:41 | More by CrazyDavros

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from session notes.

Poured out a dark hazy brownish amber with only a single finger of loose clumped head, medium levels of lacing.

Oh man. Smells of mango, pineapple, papaya, a bit of lemon/lime rind and biscuit malt with a nuance of woody herbals. Tropical Citra Fruit Salad all the way. I'm a big fat sucker for this sort of nose.

The flavor however is a lot more pith than rind of lemon and lime, and a somewhat murkier mix of green herbals and pine than the nose had. Odd how the nose smells so very sweet and yet the flavor is dry and leafy to the contrary of the aroma prediction.

More medium body and carb levels, same creamy texture as all the others so far.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 03:57:03 | More by WastingFreetime

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This pours a lot cloudier than I would have expected. Head is large, but falls somewhat quickly. Character on this is okay. Seems a bit twiggy and too bright. Slightly salty acidic citrus bite to it. This is decent, but I would hope for a bit more from the Citra hop. Nice to try, but wouldn't keep it on a regular rotation. (Especially considering the price).

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 04:14:48 | More by RblWthACoz

rarbring

Sweden

3.88/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A hazy dark amber beer, an off-white head, good lacing, small curtains.

Lemon, pine, resin and bread. Very Citra!

The taste is also very Citra dominated. Brown sweet bread, toffee, lemon, pine resin and needles, very good bitterness.

Medium carbonation, small bubbles, soft, big body, a dry finish.

A nice well hopped brew, surprisingly balanced for a single hop.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2012 13:09:57 | More by rarbring

jvillefan

California

3.68/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A: A very musty brownish orange with a very solid ivory two finger head.

S: Citra. That about sums it up.

T: Very bitter on the front end of the beer. Then citrusy fruits begin to emerge like grapefruit and a little bit of orange. Not a lot of malt to back up the hops though.

M: Very good. Fills the mouth well and has excellent carbonation.

O: A good beer but probably not worth the price ($5.19).

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 23:08:32 | More by jvillefan

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Surprisingly cloudy for an IPA. Deep amber with a small tight white head. The smell is loaded with whole leaf hops, but not fresh. Very leafy and herbal Citra all the way. A touch of lemon, but not all that much. Light base malt allows the single hop to shine (which is the idea here).

The taste is what you'd expect from a Mikkeller, except wait a minute, where the booze? no where, thats where. All whole leaf Citra. not dry hopped fruitiness, but straight whole leaf hops. Very leafy and grassy. Hints of lemon and grapefruit, but its all leaf. Base malt is only there enough to give it body.

Im totally astounded by how hidden the alcohol is. Its all hops and hints of base malt, but the 7% is totally hidden by the flavors. An amazing feat by Mikkeller.

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2012 01:41:39 | More by VncentLIFE

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

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

Bottle: Poured a deep hazy amber color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of citra hops is quite dominant with some citrus and piney notes though the dill characteristics are not as present as I would have expected. Taste is also dominated by some citrus notes and light piney notes with some dry caramel malt and again the dill notes that I usually associated to Citra are hard to distinguish. Body is quite full with good carbonation. Well brewed but Citra is not coming out as I had expected.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 20:22:18 | More by Phyl21ca

Amalak

New York

3.63/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had at Beer Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

A. It is hazy semi-opaque and has a caramel color. Decent foamy tan/white head.

S. Extremely strong fruity scent. Kind of pear, but more citrus.

T. This has a Sprite kind of taste to it. Fruity like a jollyrancher. Some citrus. A feel of banana. Very unique taste. A bit of a malty feel.

M. Smooth and full bodied.

O. For an IPA, not my kind of style that I prefer. A bit too fruity and smooth without enough bite.

Serving type: on-tap

07-01-2012 18:21:42 | More by Amalak

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle poured into a 16oz tulip. No idea if this is two years or two months old. The top says 20/10/13, which I'm assuming means best before October 20th, 2013. The guy helping me at the bottle shop also said they just got the bottles in 4 weeks ago.

A - Pours a murky, nearly opaque rusty-amber color with a billowing head of rocky tan foam lifting out of the glass. Nice head retention, but the lacing didn't last too long after the pour.

S - A wonderful aroma of citrusy grapefruit and orange rind with some herbal pine. The hops are actually sort of spicy and herbal rather than tropical and bright, but there's definitely some lemon citrus here. Bready caramel malt and dense hop oils.

T - A mouthful of wonderful hop juice right off the bat. Bright citrusy flavors of grapefruit and orange fade into a herbal pine finish that permeates the palate, but doesn't overwhelm. The profile pushes out of standard IPA range a bit, and nears a light DIPA. It's not too alcoholic or astringent though, but something just feels off. Bready caramel malt balances a lot. Not really citrusy like I expected citra hops to be. Maybe it's old?

M - Highly carbonated and slight prickly, but foamy, mouth-filling, smooth and creamy. Sort of strange but I like it. For a strong IPA, it doesn't get too oily.

D - I'm usually turned off by dense, heavy IPAs with herbal hop profiles. I prefer the more fruity or citrusy IPAs with a more refreshing profile. This is okay for what it is, but not really what I expected.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 04:25:03 | More by Converge

dansmcd

Australia

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Big pillowy white head over a pale orange body. Very extensive lacing all the way through.

S - Citrus and pine, lemon, grapefruit backed by a biscuity malt profile.

T - A harder bitterness than some of the others in single hop series, citrus peel, mandarin and caramel. Nice balance.

M - Medium body, quite dry and nicely carbonated.

O - Solid IPA. The citra seems to be quite an intense variety, not my favourite but a good one to provide some punch.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 04:24:11 | More by dansmcd

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.48/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Was wondering about Citra hops. This is milder than I anticipated. Poured with a huge, billowy, foamy, frothy, fluffy, cream-colored head that lasts all the way down and plenty of lace. Color is a clear copper orange amber with lots of bubble trails. Aroma is so mild I can hardly sensey it - but ls malt, caramel, hop, citrus, hint pineapple and bare hint resin. Flavors like nose and likewise mild, fairly dry, perfectly proportionally balanced bitter and carbonic tang. Body and carbonation are spot on. Finish is like flavor, fairly short, and extremely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 00:02:46 | More by drpimento

SLeffler27

New York

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

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

Sweet citrus with orange and grapefruit and a background of pine as well as floral notes.

Fairly bitter, but well balanced. Quite dry, with some tea flavors. There is a background of sweetness and a modest, lingering finish.

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

Citra was enjoyed as part of a self-training exercise to distinguish differences in hop varieties. It would make a fine component to a meal.

This was sampled from a pint glass alongside the Challenger Single Hop IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 21:19:19 | More by SLeffler27

GrumpyGas

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This was a nice surprise. I'm not a fan of grapefruit, in general, and I wouldn't have chosen it if I knew it was, however, the grapefruit/citrus taste was a perfect foil for the hops. The light cloudy yellow color doesn't make a good impression visually, b ut the smell and flavor turn it around.

This is not a drink all day beer, but it might be nice to pair with an open fire cooked meat like pork or venison.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 00:42:54 | More by GrumpyGas

metter98

New York

3.88/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is copper in color and has a slight haze with a moderate to high amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high beige head that died down every so slowly, consistently leaving a quarter finger high head covering the surface and a webbing of lacing down the sides.
S: There are moderately strong aromas of grapefruit in the nose along with some hints of floral hops and tropical fruits.
T: Like the smell, the taste is very citrusy and flavors of grapefruit and tropical fruits stand out in particular; some hints of the underlying caramel malts are noticeable. There is a light to moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and relatively crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The hops really stand out in this beer and make for a complex taste (even though one variety is used) but it is easy to drink because the bitterness is not overpowering.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 20:22:20 | More by metter98

beergoot

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Golden amber in color, thick white head (you could create a sculpture with it!).

Spicy, citrusy, and sweet smell. Very banana-like...lots of other fruit-like notes (like a fruit cocktail...).

Glass-smooth mouthfeel. Light and refreshing. Strong malt taste with a refreshing light fruitiness in the background. Solid bitterness in the finish - not too light, not too strong...

Another interesting single-hop IPA from Mikkeller. There is a certain lightness overall, probably due to this hop variety, yet there is still plenty of traditional IPA malt sweetness and body with a decent enough IPA bitterness. Different but intriguingly interesting...

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 01:46:54 | More by beergoot