Mikkeller 19

Good evening all. Last year Mikkeller produced a series of 19 single hop IPAs, giving drinkers an opportunity to gauge how different hop types impart certain characteristics on a beer. These were released in bottles and on draft in various places, with one night at the Mikkeller Bar devoted to presenting all of the beers, during which votes were cast on the public's favourite and the results used to calculate the percentages of the hops that were used in the following beer- 19, an IPA brewed with a whopping 19 hop varieties. I've had this on draft twice before, but when I saw a bottle at Craft Beer Co I knew I had to purchase it and give it a proper review, which you can find after the pic....

19 (6.8% ABV) pours an amber/dark gold colour with a thick white head that settles to a thin halo around the inside of the glass. Looks like a typical high-ABV IPA, great stuff so far. The aroma is pretty amazing, with resinous/piney hops, citrus fruits, a slightly vinous quality and a light sweetness in the background. Despite the large number of hops used, the different aromas are surprisingly detectable and the hops are very fresh and oily. Tasting the beer brings up a similar response, with strong resinous hops, tropical fruits, malt, bittering hops, grass, some oily freshness and a bitter bite in the finish, accompanied by some cripsness from the bittering hops. There's a grape aftertaste and the finish is slightly dry. The mouthfeel is quite thick, with decent levels of carbonation. Overall, this is a surprisingly well-balanced IPA that demonstrates how, in the hands of skilled brewers, a large variety and number of hops can be blended together to create a distinctly unique experience that doesn't overpower the senses with a particular flavour or aroma. If you can get a bottle of this, or better yet try it on draft, don't waste the opportunity. It's also relatively easy to find bottles of the individual single hop IPAs at places like Cask Pub & Kitchen, and I would highly recommend getting as many as you can as they were all great learning experiences. 

Until next time....