Simcoe is the name of the game today. My third in a series of reviews of Mikkeller's Single Hop Series (one and two here) showcases the Simcoe registered trademark hop. Simcoe® can be a hard hop to get. Select Botanicals Group, LLC, the owners of the Simcoe® varietal, have only licensed three farms to grow the hop, all in Washington.
Simcoe starts with spices (pepper), earthiness, and some pine. A bit odd considering the citrus power of Simcoe hops, but the age may be a factor in this. I can't read the code date on the cap, but Rate Beer lists this as a retired style (get it while you can).
The color is dark redish-orange. Reminds me of the color of 70s carpet or upholstery. Moderate head retention leaves thin wisps of bubbles across the surface. In the mouth, caramel malt and piney hops give way to some citrus before mild alcohol finishes the show. The beer is medium bodied with medium-high carbonation. A bit oily.
Overall, this is the best of the single hop series I’ve had so far, but I do wish I had it fresher.
Single hop series reviews:
I had Weyerbacher Simcoe® IPA recently and now noticed that they put the circle R on the label. I wonder how that all works.
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