Friday 9 March 2012

Mikkeller Citra Single Hop IPA

Good evening all. Apologies for the fairly lackluster review this evening- it's been a less than ideal week so I'm not completely committed to hop-related prose at the moment. The show must go on though, so let's delve into the cellar and pick something interesting. It seems it's time for another single hop IPA from the gypsy brewing supremo Mikkeller- in particular, an offering centered on a hop type that garnered a lot of attention for its tropical fruit flavours and dual-purpose nature when it was released in 2008. The hop in question is Citra, and you can expect the review after the pic....


Citra Single Hop IPA (6.9% ABV) pours an amber colour with a white head that retains itself well during drinking. The aroma is resinous and piney, with some floral character and a background sweetness. These are all quite subtle though, and don't become pronounced as the beer warms up. The taste is composed of citrus fruits, malt, flowers, caramelised sugar and a grassy character, with a subdued bitterness in the finish and a candy floss aftertaste. The mouthfeel is quite thick and well carbonated. Overall, a solid single hop IPA that demonstrates the versatility of Citra very well. It can impart a surprising amount of citrus/tropical fruits with a pleasing yet noticeable bitterness, and produces a very decent IPA on its own. I wouldn't get this beer again but it is worth trying once, even if the only purpose is to increase your understanding of what different hop types can contribute to a beer.

Until next time....

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