Good evening all. I had this beer last night after purchasing it from Beers of Europe (http://www.beersofeurope.co.uk/) about a month ago, and at the time I was surprised to discover Mikkeller had produced a single hop IPA utilising this particular hop. As I've mentioned before, last year I managed to purchase 14 out of the 19 single hop IPAs that Mikkeller produced, and each beer provided an incredibly useful insight into how certain hop types contribute to the flavour and aroma of a drink. However, I didn't know at the time that one of the five I missed out on was made using Sorachi Ace, a Japanese hop type that came out around 2007-08 that I happen to be quite a fan of. A couple of days after visiting the website, I had a bottle of it in my hands, along with a bottle of the Citra Single Hop IPA as I missed out on that one too! I was looking forward to this one so much that I couldn't resist making it my mid-week beer. Review after the pic....
Sorachi Ace Single Hop IPA (6.9% ABV) pours a hazy dark amber colour with a thick white head that settles to a thin coating over the surface of the beer. The aroma consists of resinous and citrus hops, bubblegum, caramelised sweetness, a hint of lemon and some background funk. The overall combination is very reminiscent of a saison, with plenty of musty, earthy tones and some fruity esters. The taste brings out more of these esters, with malt, bubblegum, citrus fruits, piney notes and some grassy flavours. The finish is only slightly bitter, with a grape-like aftertaste. It's actually more tart/sour than bitter, but not as excessive as a lambic or a wild ale. The mouthfeel is quite thick with a decent amount of carbonation. Overall, this beer is a very good showcase of the Sorachi Ace hop type. Reading further into Sorachi Ace, it seems that it's famed for its lemony aroma and flavour, but I was only picking up very subtle hints of this every so often. For me, this hop is all about pine flavours and subdued earthy funkiness. A very interesting beer- I probably wouldn't get it again but it's definitely worth a try.
Until next time....
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