Mikkeller Stateside IPA American IPA at 6.9% ABV (C$6.4 at Sherbrooke Liquor, 330 ml, no bottle date or best before)
Appearance: slightly hazy pale amber with two fingers of rocky ivory head, excellent retention and moderate patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, caramel, tropical fruit, dank and earthy. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderately strong bitter. (8/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (4/5)
Nice. Well-balanced, with lots of starts-with-C hop character trading off against the smooth caramel of the malt base. Despite the high IBU, the bitterness never overwhelms, yet the malt stays where it should be, supporting rather than taking centre stage. I still can’t figure out, though, what black magic Mikkeller wields, to have a two year shelf life for a highly hopped A/IPA – I dunno whether I’m impressed or disturbed. Maybe both? (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
