Mikkeller Hop Terroir: Centennial / Belgium American IPA at 6.8% ABV (C$9.80 at Collective, 500 ml, best before 21-Nov-2018, acquired 14-Aug-2018, reviewed 14-Aug-2018)
Appearance: opaque straw with two fingers of loose white head diminishing gradually to a thin ring, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus flesh, pith, and zest, dank resiny weeds, grainy pale malt. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, soft carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)
Well… that worked out pretty much exactly as I’d hoped it would when I decided which one of these I’d drink first. I’m not surprised, mind you – I fully expected Mikkeller and de Proef to be capable of doing precisely what they did here: showcase the hops, with the background malt being identically the same. So, instead of the dill pickles and coconut in the Sorachi Ace varietal, we’ve got citrus flesh, pith, and zest, with just a hint of dank resiny weediness (verging on – but not actually reaching – green onion or cattiness). I keep waiting for the cat piss to hit, but it just doesn’t, much to general approbation.
And now, having done my research, I realize there are two more brothers from another mother out there, just waiting to be reviewed: the same two hops, but sourced in the US instead of Belgium. And, in retrospect, their existence is the only thing that makes the naming make sense: clearly “varietal” and “terroir” are not the same thing. Man… I have to drink more Sorachi Ace? The things I do for science… (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
