Mikkeller Single Hop Warrior IPA

Mikkeller
Brewed at De Proefbrouwerij
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Copenhagen V, Denmark

Bottle at Fräcka halvpannan, Stockholm. Gusher, Big fluffy white head that lasts a long time. Red-amber color. The aroma is hard or eaven sharp with some earthy tones and some rubber. The taste is hoppy with a lasting bitterness. The bitterness is sharp but it isn’t overpowering. Medium body but small drinkability as the sharp hops isn’t plesent in larger amounts. I would not use this hop as a taste or aroma hop more as a bittering hop.

Serving: 330 ml bottle. Appearance: Hazy orange with a good sized, foamy, off-white head. Good head retention. Spotty lacing left behind. Aroma: Spicy, herbal, and citrus notes. All hops, all the time. Good nose! Taste: Big powerful hops trying to eat my enamel! Huge citrus notes, herbal and earthy. One dimensional, but I think that’s the point. Palate: High carbonation with a medium-rich mouthfeel. Long, earthy and bitter finish. Overall: A great showcase for the Warrior hops, but I thought a little more malt balance might be in order. A very powerful IPA and definitely worth trying, but not something I would sit around and drink. One and done.

Bottle; poured a dark, dirty looking orange color with a small, but firm off white head. Aroma was pretty good; floral, sugary and a good dose of citrus. A bit yeasty as well. Flavor was a bit disappointing, but that seems to be the theme for these beers for me. Pretty dry, with a rough earthiness that came off a bit harsh. Some orange and citrus in the beginning. Some caramel malt. Really just an ok beer.

Tasted in a sesion with the rest of the single hops. Same hazy orange look with an medim off white head. Not nearly as aromaic as Nelson and Simcoe but it has some fresh grass and citrus. The flavor on the other hand was the most bitter of the five, sharp and long lasting. Thats why its called warrior?

Location: 11.2 oz bottle from State Line, 9/8/09

Aroma: Nice citrusy hop nose, floral, fruity
Appearance: Hazy orange-amber color, huge fluffy head that thins quickly to a smaller fluff head, lots of lace on the glass
Flavor: Similar to the nose, hoppy, minimal malts, quite an enjoyable bitterness
Palate: Medium body, highly drinkable, smooth and nice, quality mouthfeel
Overall Impression: This was a pretty dran good brew. Quite nice hop flavor dominates this one, and it really works well throughout the beer. My second of the Mikkeller Single Hop offerings, and I have liked them both quite a bit. Now I kind of wish I’d picked up the rest of the set, I may have to go back and get some more of these.

Hazy amber with a creamy head that sticks around. Aroma belies the hops to come. Mostly malt and bread. Initial taste has some spice, malt sweetness but then the hops come on strong.. Very nice and dry finish but alas, I only have one bottle.

Bottle. Clear amber colour with large creamy white mostly lasting head. Hoppy aroma. Hoppy bitter flavor and finish.

In short: A basic caramel backbone with a medium-dry fruity-woody hopping with a little spicy touch. Very good.
How: Bottle 12oz. Consumed fresh (a few months after bottling). Me-myself-and-I side-by-side tasting with all 5 Mikkeller Single Hop currently available (Cascade, Nelson Sauvin, Nugget, Simcoe, Warrior)
The look: Cloudy orange-amber body topped by a medium off-white head with low retention
In long: Nose is cedar wood, fruity and floral. As with all five Mikkeller Single Hop beers the body is a little yeasty and the caramelized malts are a bit generic and restrained so that it purposely leaves all the flavour spectrum available to the hops. Taste is fruity and herbal. Somewhat similar to the Single Hop Nelson Sauvin but not as good. Sharp bitterness of medium-high intensity with pine-tree, orange peels. Like with all five Mikkeller Single Hop beers I’ve had, carbonation is a bit too aggressive and it kills some of the beer subtleties. Warrior, what a stupid name for a hop variety. I mean, what about a UFC fighter being introduced as Ron “The Petunia” Harrison?