As many of our readers know, I don’t go for IPAs on a regular basis. If I do, it has to be intriguing. This Simcoe Single stood out to me for its simplicity in both label and approach, so I decided to pick it up and see what it was all about. Simcoe measured 6.9% ABV, which is not abnormal for an American version of IPA, although this one is from Denmark. Mikkeller has a great reputation as a brewer; consequently, it wasn’t too hard a choice to make.
The Pour: Simcoe poured with an orange blonde body and a nice, foamy, stable head. It was nice and clean looking in the glass.
The Aroma: Some very nice sweet tones came through on the nose along with some citrusy grapefruit qualities. Grains popped through in the aroma of the beer. I also noted a nice powdery yeast strain tone.
The Taste: What would an IPA be without citrusy qualities? Mikkeller’s offering had plenty of grapefruity zest to put forth. I’m also on the record as saying that I prefer my IPAs to have a good malt backing, which was not a problem for this beer. A nice mouth-feel combined with malty grains gave this beer a substantial amount of malt character. Simcoe receded into plenty of hop bitterness and a last punch of lemon zest.
Overall, this is a very good IPA. This is something I could drink on a consistent basis, especially in the summertime. Mikkeller stuff tends to be a little pricey, so if you want to get one be prepared to have a small chunk taken out of your pocket.
Mike’s Rating:
Overall Satisfaction: 
Among other IPAs: 
