Simtra - Knee Deep Brewing Company

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.14/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A finger of head on a clear, deep amber colored body.
The aroma is a wonderful lemon, grapefruit and bold pine; like you're crushing the hops in your fingers.
The taste has a great big lemon bitterness that is perfectly balanced by the bold malt sweetness. Lots of pine too.
Great smooth texture with moderate carbonation.
Wow.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 22:49:51 | More by Fatehunter

McStagger

California

4.21/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Highly recommended by a friend. Let's see how it stands up.

A: Fairly aggressive pour leads to about a finger of off bleach white head. Head retention is minimal, which is par the course for this very high octane double and triple ipa's. Beer has an excellent clarity. Straw yellow when held up to white light (like my monitor). Turns more of a copper color when held against my desk lamp. Carbonation is moderate and very fine. Tiny bubbles in this one.

S: Absolute blast of bouquet. Massive grapefruit and tropical fruit here. Malt fights its way into it as well, adding a level of caramel and grain sweetness. Smells of overripe stone fruit.

T: Sweet malty intro is quickly enveloped in oily bitterness reminiscent of perfume and pine sap. Borderline astringent. Juicy grapefruit in the mid palate transitions into grapefruit rind or grapefruit oil in the finish. Insane hop bitterness definitely balances the loaded malt bill and ridiculous alcohol content. While not subtle, things do remain in balance. Finish is ridiculously long. Very little alcohol heat perceived

M: As full bodied as they come. Don't expect light, refreshing or any of the other things you can find with single tier IPA's. However, the low carbonation does not translate to a flabby beer. Full bodied without being unctuous.

O: One of the biggest Triple IPA's on the market. Loads of hops with an intense bitterness that stings the nostrils. Perhaps it's the style, but I find the excessively high alcohol levels to distract from the bitterness of the beer. Many of the citrus "refreshment" is lost due to ABV's that consistently clock in over 10. Perhaps that's the nature of the beast.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 10:05:37 | More by McStagger

brewtus

Ohio

4.16/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Yay welcome to Ohio knee deep. Pours hazy orange. Smell is tons of citrus, lemon, hops, pine, great smell. Taste is just as good as the smell, citrus, pine, buttery, bitter hops. Overall this is a great IPA and one that will hit you quickly at 11.25%

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 00:09:22 | More by brewtus

Perfero

California

4.8/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

What can I say other than this is just flat out excellent. It has a great, dark amber color to it with a nose that lets you know that you're in for some advanced, oral hop consumption. The foam is a bit on the light side but that's not all that surprising with such a "big" beer.

When it hits the tongue, as one would expect, you get a lot of great, hoppy bitterness with lots of citrus and very well balanced malts to go along with the incredible amount of flavor associated with each sip. This is definitely not for the uninitiated so make sure you don't share yours (if you're inclined to share) with someone just venturing out into the world of hops.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 20:34:19 | More by Perfero

arfenhouse

California

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Clear dark copper with off-white head. Decent retention.

S: Sweet tangerines. Fresh pineapple. A decent amount of mango. Decent amount of caramel malt. Peppery spice and earthy pine at the back end. A bit of alcohol. Overall sweet and fruity.

T: Big dose of bitter grapefruit and pine combination. Bitterness is what you would expect from a TIPA. Pineapple comes in a bit sour. Back end is piney with a small bit of sweetness. More grapefruit in the aftertaste. Definitely earthy and spicy. Big, bold, and bitter.

M: Medium-full bodied with aggressive carbonation. Dry.

O: Nice strong, fruity, and bitter TIPA. A bit pricey but tasty.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 08:36:19 | More by arfenhouse

djjacobsen

4.53/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Typical DIPA coloring. Quick releasing head. I wish I could smell this all day. Super dank hops on the nose. Bitter citrus fruits emerge. Candied orange and grapefruit are bold. The nose is the best part. The taste is of a high ABV ipa. Crisp, grassy, piney and citrusy along with the alcohol rearing its head toward the end. A very slow sipper. Despite its high price point, it's worth the try one time. Simtra an citra hops galore. I enjoyed it while it melted my face.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 23:01:38 | More by djjacobsen

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.54/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

A-Pours a clearer honeyed hue. Head is a thinner wall of white cream. Head dies off and leaves little lacing waves.

S-Nose is intense in both hoppiness and booziness but it is very enjoyable to sniff. Big, catty, hempy herbal hop notes. Fortified citrus and oily pine. The booze cuts into the hops. The nose is well malted underneath the formerly stated components. I get a big dose of sweet Animal Crackers.

T-The flavor is decidedly less catty and potty. The grass and citrus shine through much more and I am happy with such a development. There is also a ton of tropical hoppiness. A substantial wallop of several exotically fruity hop flavors. Then the booze passes through and drops off a dowry of clean, sweet dough and cracker.

M-Drinks easier than anticipated. Although it is boozy, the alcohol doesn't truly hinder the feel. Resinous and sadistically bitter. I needed to pace myself but didn't want to.

O/D-Lived up to the hype and then some. I really enjoyed this. I enjoyed this during the same period I tried Pliny The Younger and I found some similarities. If there are any valid similarities to Pliny The Younger found in a beer then that beer is probably pretty amazing in its own right. Very happy with this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 20:34:44 | More by VelvetExtract

Zorro

California

3.58/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

Chill hazed amber with very spotty head formation.

Smells earthy and spicy with orange and woody scents. Caramel and toffee in the malt portion of the beer. The hop isn't super strong and does not conceal the malt portion.

Starts out sweet and a little savory with a caramel and sandalwood after taste. Spicy and a bit bitter. It is OK but the hops are a bit too earthy for me.

Mouthfeel is OK.

Overall, OK I really like Ruination better. I noticed all the great reviews this beer gets. Maybe I got a old bottle will try again sometime.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 04:07:33 | More by Zorro

vitALEity

California

5/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

AT 11.25%, Im reviewing this compared to other 11%+ "triple" IPA's. These beers should really not be in the same category as double IPA's as beers in the 7% range and beers in the 11-12% range are very different. That being said...

A: Hazy, orange with thick white head and excellent lacing. Were off to a very good start.

S: Mango, Papaya, Guava, Grapefruit, Meyer Lemon, Pine, even some Sage. Some toasty caremalized sugar but not too much. Some alcohol of course.

T: Again its all tropical fruits and citrus and redwood forests here....alcohol is there but nicely balanced with the hops and malt backbone. Very, very good. I could drink 2 bombers in a row, no problem.

M: Mouthfeel is full and rich but not too syrupy like some over the top triple IPAs.

Besides PTYounger, this is the best "triple" Ive had.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 23:28:14 | More by vitALEity

lordofstarside

Nevada

4.5/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bomber to a snifter, not seeing any freshness dates. Anyway, picked up yesterday at total wine in Sacramento. 131 ibus and a 'triple' ipa? Bring it on, hopefully this experience with knee deep is better than my others, especially at $11 a bottle

Pours a dark gold with a finger of head. Moderate carbonation stems from the middle of the glass as the head slowly receded over a few minutes. Lacing is thick and full

Was able to smell the aroma as soon as I cracked the cap. Smells of acrid earthy hops, pronounced malt backbone, citrus, pine and alcohol. Very pungent, rich, and thick. Solid smell

Tasty hop and citrus blend well with a strong malt to really bring this together. After taste is a bit boozy though with a strong malty grapefruit sticking around longest. The alcohol could be concealed a bit better, but this is a damn good beer.

Mouth is a nice dry, bitter finish. Not something to be drank quickly in large amounts, just sipping this might prove to be a challenge. Fortunately I'm up to it. Nice thick body, ends with a small but nice bang

Overall this is my favorite beer thus far from knee deep. It's complex and layered which isn't something I've come across yet with their ipas. It's pretty expensive but would be worth picking up now and again if they distributed this one to Nevada. If they do (we get Knee Deep's other brews) I'm yet to find it, but will be sure to continue to keep an eye out

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 06:39:09 | More by lordofstarside

rawfish

California

4.43/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Gold amber pour, with a medium cap of white foam. Sticky, nicely formed lacing all over the glass.

Standout aroma, mangoes, pine, deep citrus, red berry and oily. Very floral and rich, time to dive right in.

Despite how high the alcohol and hop input is on this beer it's pretty balaced, slightly sweet and sticky malt with toasted grains and simple syrup sweetness. Immediately hop oils creep in delivering pine resin, bold mouthwatering citrus and a bit of an herbaceous kick that keeps on with heavy bitterness, easily dries all the sticky malt away.

A bit heavier bodied than you get with some DIPAs but adequate carbonation and huge bitterness and ideal drying while keeping the alcohol down.

Haven't had a real special DIPA like this in a while, the aroma is captivating. This week old bottle can hang with the big boys, a must try for hop heads.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 00:32:32 | More by rawfish

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.46/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Split a 22 oz bottle

Pours cloudy orange with a decent sized white head. Excellent lacing with a little retention.

Aroma is an all out hop assault. Lots of tropical fruits, citrus grapefruit rind and pine all extremely dank. A bit of caramel malt, but the hops shine here.

Flavor continues to let me know this one has hops. Lush orange, grapefruit and mango dominate up front before rounding into a piney sticky finish.

Mouthfeel is medium with good carbonation. Absolutely no alcohol comes through which is amazing. I've had 8-9% that were too boozy and how they pull this off with less heat is wonderful.

Very happy with this beer and glad I realized they distribute to OH so I can have it more often. An hophead's dream and one of the better Imperial IPA's around. I enjoyed it more than the fresh Hopslam I had.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 20:41:17 | More by jmarsh123

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.91/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

The beer pours a a clear amber with a thin white head that dissipates quickly. the nose is a potent 131 IBU punch to the face reminiscent of pine resin and grapefruit. However, the nose fades quickly and mellows to a slightly boozy with a lot more sweetness. The taste is saturatingly bitter with a pretty boozy finish. I dislike the mouthfeel...mainly because of the residual grapefruit rind finish. Glad I tried it...it's a bit over the top boozy and bitter mouthfeel and I probably won't try it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 23:25:21 | More by ThePorterSorter

merc7186

New York

4.23/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bomber into snifter.

A: Mildly Amber/Golden Straw Hue, Passes Most Light, White Head, Some Lacing

S: Piney, Grapefruit Rind

T: Grapefruit Rind, Piney

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Drying, Mildly Bitter

Overall, very bright with the hops on the nose but a little bitter on the taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 23:15:51 | More by merc7186

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Light copper color. Nose has some tropical fruit and citrus. Heavy hops. Some heat. Quite hot. Heavy bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 03:09:16 | More by Thorpe429

rangerred

Tennessee

4.53/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint glass out of a 22oz bomber.

Pours a slightly hazy medium orange with a half finger white head. Considering the abv, the head retention and lacing are spectacular.

HUGE hit of hops on the nose. Tons of tropical fruit from the Simcoe and Citra hops. There is a touch of caramel underneath along with overripe fruit. There is some dank too. All around, it is one of the best aromas I have ever experienced on a IIPA.

The flavor continues the hops assault with overripe fruit, orange marmalade, and sweet caramel. Mango and orange dominate the fruity aspect and there is a little less dankness compared to the aroma. Vanilla and caramel undertones along with a very assertive bitterness that is necessary to balance out the malt sweetness. Alcohol is nearly completely hidden providing a pleasant warmth in the throat and chest. Quite impressive. Mouthfeel is just slightly sticky.

Overall, one of the best IIPA's out there. I put this up with Hopslam as being the best IIPA available on the market. Incredible balance and tons of flavor combined with a big punch from the alcohol. A beer to seek out and pick up lots of.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 01:18:58 | More by rangerred

Jemonster

California

4.83/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Lovely looking IPA. Deep bronze with a reddish tint. Orange/copper. White head wasn't too dense but thins nicely. Good looking, fine bubble carbonation.

S: WOW. Hops field. A big hint of what is to come. Super floral aroma hops and maple syrup smelling roast on the malts.

T: Bottle says 131 IBU but I don't believe it up front. The 11.25% ABV has a little palate presence. It's got that classic resinous/pine bitterness to it but it's well balanced. Easy drinking for a beer with this much flavor. They definitely were not stingy with the hops (Simcoe?) The citrus notes are grapefruit forward. Wonderful flavor. Scant sweetness. Mine isn't even as fresh as it should be.

M: Hefty and filling. Carbonation is perfect. Great example of the style, but I feel like it's making me thirsty for water.

O: Great beer for fans of IPA, and torture for everyone else.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 02:28:33 | More by Jemonster

lackenhauser

Maryland

4.45/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Label says 10.1% abv fyi.

Somewhat muted and hazy orange color. Nice fluffy white head and some serious sticky lacing as it goes down. Very pleasant and full grassy/lemony aroma. Big bold hop flavor. Pure hop flavor-not overly harsh or bitter. Sticky malt sweetness in the backbone. Great mouthfeel. Very smooth mouthfeel. Love the lingering sweetness. Wow just a solid double (label says triple) IPA all in. Nicely priced too. Glad I found this spur of the moment. I need to try some of their other beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 03:56:15 | More by lackenhauser

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A bottle split with oglmcdgl and sourbatchkid, a present from Ohio to me for Christmas, thanks guys.

Split into three glasses, Simtra has a deep golden color to it with some light bronze appeal as well. This one kinda shines like a Olympic gold medal. A nice inch of egg shell colored head graces the top and sticks around longer than I thought it would with the 12ish percent on it, not alot of stick. This one smells mostly of the piney persuasion. I get some grapefruit and semi kumquat . Some caramel malt seeps through and just a bit of the alcohol so it's not completely hidden. Taste is pretty exquisite, this is a large ass beer. First sip, I get the pine and tropic up front finished off by some soothing malt, and than something happens, my mouth gets hotter and hotter by the second and the alcohol singes a bit. It lasts forever, quite a burn. After a few sips this dies down as the palate is wrecked. More grapefruit/orange and pine come through with a dose of alcohol. A true triple IPA, not one I would take down on my own as this is quite large. Body is a healthy medium with some hotness and bubbles to keep things in check, not too carbonated though. This is a decent TIPA, head and shoulders above most others I have tried and could give Pliny The Younger a run for it's money with some tweaks here and there.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 17:21:24 | More by onix1agr

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4.53/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 oz bomber into a tulip. Acquired in a trade from Surge1311. Thanks bud!

A- Pours a golden-orange clear body wtih a medium white head that exibits some retention and leaves uniform lacing.

S- HUGE grapefruit, citrus, tropical fruits on the nose. Fresh weed, pine notes. Absolutely inviting.

T- Grapefruit, pine, resin upfront. Leaves a bitter hop flavor on the tongue. Smooth and drinkable. No trace alcohol.

M- Medium carbonation and body.

This was a lot better than I was expecting. An absolutely delicious DIPA. This one can compete with the big boys. Nice balance and perfectly hopped. Try it if you can.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 05:38:26 | More by gcamparone

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.85/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

650 mL bottle to a snifter. Reviewed from notes.

Appearance - Sticky orange. Laces very nicely with a decent white head. Sugary as I swirl it.

Smell - Tons of garlicky simcoe ops. Some pine and a touch of grapefruit.

Taste - Pungent sticky pine hop flavor. Grapefruit behind. Doesn't come off as too sweet, miraculously. Pretty bitter, but the malts cut it without being cloying.

Mouthfeel - Surprisingly not syrupy. Heavy for an IPA, definitely, but not what I expected.

Overall - Tasty. Impressive for its size, but not necessarily independently of its own gimmickry.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 19:20:53 | More by Alieniloquium

CuriousMonk

Virginia

4.41/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bomber into pint glass. Pours clear amber, wispy off white head that fades to a thin haze and dense ring. Aromas of pine resin, mango, herbal spice notes with some crystal and caramel malt presence. Flavors of sweet pine, mango, floral hops, herbals, caramel and crystal malt sugars. Medium mouthfeel with very nice carbonation throughout. This triple IPA is dangerously drinkable and solid!

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 19:20:29 | More by CuriousMonk

Resuin

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a Bomber into a Westvleteren Goblet.

Appearance: This beer pours an amber/light hazel color and leaves behind virtually no head, maybe a half finger. It does look well carbonated though.

Smell: This aroma is Strong. Hops along with caramel really fly through the gate quick and heavy. I can smell this one from several feet away. Perhaps some tropical notes as well.

Taste: The taste matches the smell, except it is not nearly as strong and is actually pretty well balanced. Plenty of delicious hops take the lead on this brew, and it finishes quite clean. I'll say it again: the hops are delicious!

Mouth-feel: Lovely - a sticky, piney masterpiece. Good amounts of carbonation for a brew of this strength.

Overall: Quite an impressive beer. Hops are really captured well in this one - surprisingly so for the ABV. Swishing this one around in my mouth is an excellent, piney, delicious experience. I highly recommend this one for IPA lovers who can get their hands on it.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 03:50:32 | More by Resuin

metter98

New York

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is clear amber in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter finger high off white head that died down a bit but consistently left a thin head covering the surface.
S: There are moderately strong aromas of citrusy hops in the nose (oranges seem to stand out in particular) along with some hints of tropical fruits (mangoes).
T: Like the smell, the taste has lots of citrusy flavors of grapefruit and oranges along with a strong amount of bitterness from the hops. Faint hints of caramel malts are noticeable.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied and crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: Considering its strength, this beer hides its alcohol very well from the taste. There re also just enough underlying malts to prevent the bitterness from being completely overpowering.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 21:57:53 | More by metter98

ElSid

California

4.7/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The Beers of California

#38

Bottled Date: None

A: Copper with mahogony and cherry wood hues with a bone white head which fades to faint bed of foam which sits a top this brew.

S: So fresh and bright with awesome tropical notes of pineapple and mango along with a strong citrus aroma of tangerine, grapefruit, and orange. There is a background of earth which provides foundation to the nose with highlights of cane sugar and caramel.

T: A hop wallop of pineapple, lychee and mango. When the tropical notes subside then come the tangerines intertwined with grapefruit, orange zest and peach. The fruit is grounded on an earthiness which has notes of pine needles, soil and freshly cut grass. A skeleton of warm bread, cane sugar, and caramel does its best to support the hoppiness of this brew. The finish is bitter with a nice spiciness with some faint warming alcohol.

M: Enough carbonation to keep the palate activated with nice hop oil linger pinned on a medium body and feel.

O: Rivaling Pliny, this surprising brew, being my first offering from Knee Deep, does a wonderful job showcasing the beauty of hops. I especially love the Citra hops in this brew and can't wait to get my hands on another bomber of this wonderful Triple IPA from Knee Deep.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 04:33:35 | More by ElSid