Double Simcoe IPA - Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

mikem0487

Pennsylvania

3.84/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. No freshness date.

A-Single finger off white head. Body is a amber color more towards the brown side. Leaves nice lacing on the glass rim. Clarity is hazy.

S-Melon, grapefruit, earthy pine in the nose. With the aroma being primarily hoppy the malt profile still comes through. Love the characteristics that the simcoe hop brings to the nose of the beer.

T- Getting some astringency in the middle and end of the palate. Not as enjoyable as the smell. Leaves an ever lasting bittering taste that is not balanced enough with the malt profile. Simcoe is a high AA hop and seems to be over used in the early editions of the boil? Do get some caramel malts in their as the beer warms. A solid 2x IPA.

M-Good carbonation. Low-medium in body. Finishes dry.

O-Enjoyable double ipa. The alcohol is well hidden and does not drink like a 9.0 abv. Lacks in the tasting department for me. Love the aroma but the taste is not well balanced. To bitter throughout the whole palate.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 05:28:30 | More by mikem0487

biggred1

Indiana

4.24/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Dark, pumpkin amber with blonde highlights when backlit and impossible to see through. Pretty looking creamy head of sand colored foam that leaves sheets of lace on the glass. Nice Simcoe hop aroma with fresh dough and caramel. This beer is delicious, grapefruit and pine sappy hops with a hefty caramel malt backbone. Full bodied and creamy with fine smooth carbonation. This is a very good ale and very drinkable for the higher ABV.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 02:01:38 | More by biggred1

RollTide7

New Jersey

3.79/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Hazy dark brown/copper with white frothy head. Smell is of pine and hops. Not overtly hoppy especially for a iipa, but has a lingering hoppy and piney aftertaste that continues for quite a while. Mouthfeel is good and beer is well balanced, not too light or heavy. Drinks quite easily for a 9% iipa and I am drinking this after a big dinner out. All around a good local iipa that I won't actively seek out but will probably pick up occasionally.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 04:34:30 | More by RollTide7

BWED

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bought a bomber of this and tried to share it with the fiancee. I ended up having pretty much all of it. Poured into a wine glass.

A- Rusty brown turbid body, with a bubbly yellow tan head. Almost looks dirty. Retains around a quarter inch and some slight sticky lacing.

S- Bitter citrus/grapefruity, woody and piney with a slight sweet malt in the background.

T- The pine is the big one in the taste, with a slight grapefruit, not a ton of sweetness, but I sense the malt as a role player in this one.

M- Bitter, but no where near the bitterness of a normal IPA. Really drinkable, medium, slightly sticky body with medium carbonation.

O- This is my first (to my knowledge) experience with Simcoe hops, and I think they are truly intriguing. All that flavor without an overwhelming amount of bitterness. The dirty rugged look, and the pine aroma and taste really inspire me to hike into the middle of an evergreen forest, start a fire, and pop open this beer. Quite an experience.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 16:54:41 | More by BWED

HopsMathias

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle.
I really like the copper color with a slightly brown cast and haziness.
For some reason I don't get much from the smell. There was an initial fruity smell that quickly diminished after the pour.
The taste has the definite bitterness of the hops in an IPA so I think IPA lovers will really like this.
Mouthfeel is really light with carbonation that only seems evident as I swallow. It kind if gives the hops a little punch to accentuate it.
Overall not a bad IPA. Some days the hops are too much for me other days I love them so I think on another day I might rate it higher.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 22:54:27 | More by HopsMathias

57md

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance is a cloudy copper with half a finger of head that had moderate retention and left some nice lacing behind. Vibrant grapefruit notes in the nose as well as spicy hops. Hoppy flavor throughout without ever becoming overdone. There is a subtle maltiness in the background that compliments the hops very well. There is a slight tinge of alcohol present on the finish, but it does not even get close to unpleasant.

One of my favorite DIPAs.

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2013 15:20:56 | More by 57md

CowsandBeer

Kansas

4.16/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Bottled on date 11/01/2013 with a best before date of 05/01/2013.

Appearance: Pours to about a one finger head. Nice creamy color. Dark orange body. Not much in the way of lacing. Head recedes and stays as a thin cap.

Smell: Pine, grass, lemon and orange pith. Solid malty backbone. Smells delicious.

Taste: Citrus, pine and herb followed by a super bitter grapefruit and Simcoe pine sap. Nice maltiness in the middle; warming alcohol in throat. Sweet pineapple at the end and more Simcoe pine.

Mouthfeel: Syrupy mouthfeel. Not too sticky though. Suits the beer well. Low carbonation.

Overall: Good DIPA. Very drinkable. Hop flavors were all enjoyable and there was a good balance between the malty backbone and the upfront hops. Ditch the single and pick up a pack of this.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 06:15:13 | More by CowsandBeer

riored4v

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured in to a tulip. Very hazy, dark copper colored body. 2/4 finger, off-white head.

Aroma was a bit grainy, malty and slightly sweet. Good amount of hop aroma. Orange, citrusy and a bit tropical.

Lots of malty flavors. Bready and a slightly sweet. Good caramel flavors. Simcoe is definitely there. Good amounts of orange, citrus and a bit of tropical flavors throughout. Moderate amounts of bitterness in the finish, but not harsh at all. Lingers slightly.

Mouthfeel definitely feels like a DIPA. A bit of alcohol presence. Slightly chewy, medium body with medium carb and a finish that was slightly sweet that turns dry.

Overall this was good. Good example of a DIPA. Lots of hop flavor, moderate bitterness and a good sweetness to help with the balance.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 01:01:12 | More by riored4v

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

4.28/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz. bottle poured into a DFH signature glass. Bottled three weeks ago.

A - Pours a dull amber color with just a halo of pearl carbonation. It is cloudy enough to trap almost all light from passing through. Lots of yeast specks in suspension. Bright ruby highlights when held up to a lamp. Decent lacing, but nothing spectacular. A good looking example of an unfiltered IPA.

S - Grapefruit and pine are immediately evident. There is a nectar sweet backbone of caramel and rum raisin ice cream. Subtle toasted notes, not typical in the style. This all works well with the abrasive pine and pungent hop aromas.

T - Smooth start, mostly delicate citrus and caramel. A slightly tangy, bitter middle is melliflently balanced by honey slathered biscuits. The pine hits hard on the back end. The first sip leaves a drying pine sap and alcohol bitterness on the back of the tongue, but the edge fades as the beer warms.

M - Fuller bodied than most DIPA, almost syrupy. Nice dry finish. Very easy drinking.

O - I was very surprised to see I hadn't reviewed this beer yet. It is in my regular rotation and I grab a 4-pack when I want to get my piney hop fix. The aroma is divine and the flavors are complex without anything out of place. This is one of the benchmark DIPAs from one of the benchmark breweries, in my opinion. I highly recommend this beer, but make sure you get it fresh if you like the pine. It mellows into a good balanced DIPA after 4-6 weeks, but I much prefer it AFAP.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 02:10:02 | More by NoLeafClover44

openmind

Massachusetts

4.21/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got a 4 pk Kind of expensive. Pours a nice
Darkish amber with a one inch off white head.

Huge tang nose and flavor.

Nice malt. Big abv. Cannot tell though

Never had anything else by this brewery, gotta check em out. Will buy again, when I get some bucks.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 03:10:13 | More by openmind

scootny

New York

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thick rich khaki head with an orange amber with a tinge of gold. Slow fade leaves copious lacing and a lovely glass with a light covering on top. Smell is deep with pine and citrus. A thick bed of caramel malt and toffee. A touch of yeast esters, tropical fruitiness. Flavor starts with malt and tropical fruit, then BAM! Hops hit with a pine forest front and a grapefruit finish. Lots of hop oiliness clinging to my mouth and a hint of mint. Alcohol is well integrated and not bringing much attention to itself. Feel is kind of thick with a bit of syrup and an mild but effective carbonation. Very drinkable and a great DIPA that acts like a regular IPA. Hoppy and easy drinkin'/

Serving type: growler

01-26-2013 05:43:43 | More by scootny

Stevedore

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Note: my journal's scoring system is only by whole number)

12oz bottle, best by 4/30/13, enjoyed in a Nonic today on 1/22/13

Aroma- Nose is mainly heavy pine with a little bit of citrus, and nice amount of burnt malt. Nothing special but it does showcase the Simcoe hops well, I thought. (3)

Colour- Cloudy, dark copper that pours with a nice 2cm off-white head that retains well over the next 5 minutes. Lacing is very sticky and persistent. Otherwise nothing special. (3)

Flavour- Starts off with a hint of citrus, more on the sour lemon/orange side, then mixes through with a nice showcasing of the burnt malt in the form of toffee, caramel, biscuity hints and finishing up with a nice piney bitterness. Tasty yet well-balanced. (4)

Mouthfeel- Medium-bodied, sticky and resinous that coats the palate through the aftertaste for a decent length of time. Good carbonation. Pretty solid quaff for a DIPA, actually. (4)

Overall- Better than I was expecting it to be. For a DIPA, it's actually well-balanced and I liked the maltiness- I might actually compare that maltiness of DFH's 60 minute with the bitterness of their 90 minute. This is the closest comparison I can think of and I'm not surprised as DFH uses Simcoe as one of their hops. Personally, I'm not a huge fan since my palate has adjusted too much to hoppy DIPAs, but I did taste this about 4 hours after drinking a Hopslam. I have another bottle in the fridge so if anything changes, I'll edit the review. But otherwise it is what it is for now- a good DIPA with a good, earthy malt presence. (4)

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 03:20:06 | More by Stevedore

Thickfreakness

New York

4.16/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A- Pours an Orange Blossom Honey color into my DFH glass. A one finger head that leaves nice sticky lacing dripping all over the glass. Very cloudy and ruddy with decent carbonation. Really nice, thick legs when swirled around the glass.

S- Grapefruit, pineapple, pine needles, grass clippings, caramel and bitter orange peel. Some sweet honey notes and subtle light grains. I remember this being much bigger in the nose in past bottles. I know this is pretty fresh, because my local distributor didn't have it when I was there just two days prior.

T- Piney, citrusy and honey sweet. Nice grapefruit and orange peel zing blend well with the caramel/honey sweetness and subtle funky yeast. Really fresh squeezed citrus that just pops and blooms on your tastebuds.

M- Sticky and citrusy! It really envelopes your tongue with honey, tangerine and pine sap. Nice carbonation upfront, but it dies down rather quickly and coats the tongue nicely.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 00:04:24 | More by Thickfreakness

zac16125

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a snifter
no born on date

A: Pours a very hazy amber brown with 1 fingers width of light tan head, which dissipates down fairly quickly. Its darker than most in the style. Leaves some small patches of lacing.

S: Lots of citrus, mainly grapefruit and tangerine, along with apricot. There is also a ton of malt sweetness, caramel and sweet bread. Some booze as well. Good, but not great.

T: A nice big piney bitterness that wasnt noted on the nose. Some citrus rind and lemon zest as well. For as malty sweet as it smelled, the taste is almost on the exact opposite end of the malt/hops spectrum. This one is pretty much a hop bomb, although the malt backbone is enough to keep the hops from being overwhelming. This is a well constructed beer.

M/D: Full bodied, but not thick. Carbonation is appropriate. Pretty smooth with good drinkability. Nice.

O: Overall, this is a good beer. No where near my favorites in the style, but certainly well above average. Id drink this again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 19:57:39 | More by zac16125

MattOC

Massachusetts

4.06/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Opaque rust. Quarter inch white head. Minimal lacing.

S: Overwhelming, in a good way, pine, citrus.

T: Grapefruit is dominant.

M: Thick, heavy, resin-y.

O: Very solid DIPA. This was my first experience with Weyerbacher and it was a good one. Would go back to this again. Very drinkable anytime.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 02:47:41 | More by MattOC

nsh221

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Dark amber. Slight, off-white head. No lacing.

S: SIMCOE! I want an air freshener that spits this out 24/7. Pine and Citrus are so strong at the front, but there's more going on as you give it time. Some passion fruit and other sticky sweetness. More yeast than i would typically expect from a DIPA but not surprising for this one.

T: More huge hops. Orange and grapefuit take over. More sweet than bitter, but not overly so. The malty touches are an interesting addition. Subtle enough that it is incorporated in to the hop profile. Pleasant amount of alcohol, just to remind you it's there. Excellent DIPA taste.

M: Well carbonated, crisp, and leaves a pleasant hoppy bitterness on the back of your tongue.

O: A pretty unique beer, I liked quite a bit and would do again.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 16:48:50 | More by nsh221

Finatic

Florida

3.03/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into my Duvel Tulip glass.

A: Pours a dark orange, brownish color with a thick white head. Little to no lacing on the glass.

S: I get a huge sweet malt aroma when I smell this beer. Struggling to smell any defined hops in the beer.

T: Tastes like it smells to me. Malt heavy and a very sweet caramel taste and very little hops.

M: Very heavy beer with medium carbonation.

O: Not what I like in a DIPA. Way too malty for my liking. Needs a better and more pronounced hop strain IMO.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 17:21:58 | More by Finatic

jimmah120

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle, no date. bought a single at some yuppie wine and cheese shop

look is a dark amber brown, small ring of sticky head. smell is cookie dough, dark fruits, nectarines, dank mossy hops. taste is a fantastic blast of wooden piney hops, with a sweet/toasted malt/grain underbelly. not a trace of the 9%.

surprisingly sweet with great balance/interplay between the hops and the malt. the simcoe is not my favorite but it shines here: buttery, chewy, tastes like simcoe gummy worms.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 10:36:18 | More by jimmah120

bigdeuce

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Gummy top, three finger head with a deep amber colored body. Scents of high end, resiny hops with some more hoppy scents of hot oil. Wow, full-bodied malty goodness with a screaming flow of hop towards the top of palate and back of the tongue. Rich malts with kick ass hops flow through the sip. Citrus acid and grapefruit resonate. No wonder they claim this single hop variety was grown in a laboratory. Very full creamy mouth feel but very high alcohol presence, in which, it actually resembles more from a standard IPA tradition than a double IPA. Nonetheless, an outstanding huge beer for hop fanatics!

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 00:05:47 | More by bigdeuce

elNopalero

Texas

4.6/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

This was one of those end-of-the-year brews that just blew my mind. If it wasn’t a one-off (for me, anyways) I’d definitely be drinking and sharing this. Couldn’t find a bottled-on date but I’m assuming it’s fresh.

It pours a cloudy amber caramel in color with tight thick creamy foam. The aroma is grapefruit & grassy straw, with some freshly zested grapefruit notes.

An intense grapefruit profile comes across on the flavor. I get grapefruit oils and resins, finishing with some chew and a balanced heft. It’s not as intensely bitter as I had expected and there’s a pleasing malt body which gives it a nice thickness. Really, really enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 19:22:18 | More by elNopalero

tectactoe

Michigan

3.91/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dense amber color with some red hints, completely opaque and hazy looking; beige head, silky and creamy, leaving a little bit of lacing on the way down. The aroma is a full on blast from the hop profile, slightly floral and perfume like, dank and wet, pine needles, and some hop spice, almost white pepper-like. Some fruity sweetness resides in the back, orange peels and grapefruit rinds, wet, juicy, vibrant. Toast caramel malts bring it all together with a sweetness that is detectable on the nose.

The taste comes through weedy, dank, and full of hoppy pine needles; the hops continue to rummage through the profile quite nicely - wet grass, floral notes, peppery spices, light to moderate citrus peel. A heavy malt sweetness spike hits right in the middle of the hop dance; sugary and heavy with the toasted caramel and toffee malt flavors. The malt is a little over the top heavy - I'm getting the feeling this beer may be a little past its prime. Drinking almost like a hoppy, young barleywine. Thick, heavy, sticky, and nearly syrupy mouth feel - this beer is BIG, don't let it fool you. Medium-low amount of carbonation, just enough to bring out the most prominent flavors.

Unfortunately there was not a bottling date on this, so I had no way of knowing its age. The only reason I say that is because the hops weren't quite as bitter as I expected them to be, even though their presence was clearly felt (and contributed to much of the flavor). Still a damn good beer, I can clearly see why people love this one. Very heavy, so take this one slow. I need to get my hands on a confirmed fresh one.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 19:22:58 | More by tectactoe

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Updated review. Finally found a fresh bottle on my third attempt. On this third attempt I finally found a bottling date/knew one existed. You gotta look really hard with good light! The previous bottle that I drank a few weeks ago (early December 2012) was dated 4/25/12! This bottle (consumed on 12/21/12) is dated 10/31/12...now that's more like it!

A: Beautiful copper-orange with an almost burnt sienna hue. Typical big, fluffy, bubbly, slightly off-white head leaving behind some good lacing and decent retention.

S: Fruity, juicy, boozy hops with hints of sweet, sugary malt. There's the Simcoe I've been looking for! Plenty of cedar and some pine and resin. Powerful nose that I can smell from about a foot away in the glass.

T: Even at nearly room temperature, this beer shines. Now I know why this beer is so popular/reviewed so well. Tons of fruity, resiny hops balanced by clean, caramel malt. Fantastic finish. This is definitely on the Imperial side of the side as opposed to Double IPA, in my opinion. Even fresher I'm sure the hops dominate but this has mellowed out a bit and brought an interesting component. I thorough enjoy it. A bit cloying after a few successive sips.

M: This could almost be an ASA. With a few more weeks or months it will be. Great flavor, smooth and properly carbonated, but also fairly cloying. Properly bitter and dry.

O: Delicious and what I had hoped it would be since I first tried it. A great "East Coast" Double IPA. Make sure you only try it fresh or within a few months of the bottling date!

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 03:19:10 | More by Gatch

tobelerone

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An old standby and a good one. Dark orange and cloudy, with a two finger head that settles slowly and sticky lacing. Big simcoe aroma with malt way in the backseat; lots of citrus with lesser piney notes. There's a good deal of yeasty floating particles.

The flavor follows suit; the malt has a light caramel sweetness but still stays mostly in the background, letting the simcoe take center stage; again it’s a citrusy blast of lemon, grapefruit, and orange, with resinous pine needle flavors lurking around in there too. Long and lingering bitter aftertaste with a semi-dry finish. Alcohol mostly hidden but not completely.

Medium-full bodied, medium carbonation, sort of average in the smooth and creamy department; but has a bit of sticky chewiness to it as well. Good and reliable and big and bold; it doesn’t punch you in the face with over-the-top hops and booze, but it slaps you around a bit.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 03:24:59 | More by tobelerone

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter.

A: Cloudy amber with tiny particles and a one-finger, off-white, creamy head that lasted several minutes. Great lacing.

S: Pine and citrus hops.

T: Light to moderate sweetness and solid hop bitterness. Hop bitterness dominates. Floral and citrus.

M: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation. Smooth.

O: I like the particles. This beer looks really nice and the mouthfeel is smooth. Tastes good too.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 00:33:25 | More by SolipsismalCat

lovindahops

New York

3.9/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at green onion pub in Utica

A- amber copper body with white foam

S- oranges, caramel with simcoe

T- malt forward bitter simcoe flavor. Really bitter with a sticky hop flavor

M- good carbonation and sticky hops

O- malty double ipa with strong bitterness. I like it

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2012 01:38:30 | More by lovindahops