Mikkeller Simcoe Single Hop IPA

Brewery: Mikkeller
Style: American IPA
ABV: 6.90%
Country: Denmark

The simcoe hop is a more recent hop variety that is unique to America. The wonderful Hopslam uses a large amount of simcoe when dry-hopping to help give it its wonderful flavor. With no access to Hopslam throughout the year, I was eager to find something that might act as methadone to help me make it to next January. I saw this at Whole Foods, saw simcoe in the title, and I was sold.

Poured a dark and hazy caramel color. Huge and fluffy head stayed thick the entire time. Weak aroma, was mostly yeasty. Some odd notes that I hadn't smelled before. None of the yummy pine notes that were present in the Hopslam. Quite unpleasant. Taste was equally unpleasant, more yeast and other flavors that can best be described as stale and dank. Some bitterness but I felt like I had a gym sock stuffed in my mouth. I couldn't finish this and about half of the bottle found a new home in the kitchen sink drain. The search will continue. F

Mikkeller Santa’s Little Helper 2010

Brewer: Mikkeller
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
ABV: 10.9% wooo!
Country: Denmark

It is very ironic that I chose to sip this beer out of a wine glass. When I opened it, it exploded and started foaming like a bottle of champagne. Did I shake it on accident? What the hell happened?

It's color is much like the belgian strong ales that I have sampled in the past. It also has strong "holiday" scents in the aroma. Where it is a departure with the other holiday beers I have sampled, is the carbonation. This beer was OVER-carbonated. It was so carbonated, that it seriously was hard to nail down the tastes in the beer. My wife agreed that it was hard to pinpoint taste notes because of the carbonation.

It actually had a decent aftertaste for being 10.9% beer, but it was somewhat of a letdown since you couldn't taste much in the middle of the sip.

I give this beer a C for some issues with carbonation that led to poor taste.

-Bo