Simcoe
Pipeworks Brewing Company

SimcoeSimcoe
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From:
Pipeworks Brewing Company
 
Illinois, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
ABV:
9.5%
Score:
95
Avg:
4.28 | pDev: 7.24%
Reviews:
50
Ratings:
537
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 01, 2023
Added:
Apr 22, 2013
Wants:
  89
Gots:
  39
Having spent equal time studying at the Citrus School of combat and the Piney School of combat, Pipeworks Simcoe has garnered immense skills when it comes to fighting the horrible, evil, Bland Clan. Prepare your senses for the 1-2 punch of this Simcoe hopped Imperial IPA.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Will_Edgar:
Photo of Will_Edgar
Rated by Will_Edgar from Iowa

4.44/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Jul 13, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.21 by DaPan from Canada (ON)

May 01, 2023
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
16 ounce can into tulip glass, no can dating. Pours lightly hazy/cloudy deep golden amber/light orange color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky off white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a large cap that lasts. Thick foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big red grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, berries, citrus peel/zest, wood, light peppercorn/pine, honey, biscuit dough, light caramel/toast, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/tropical hops and dark/bready malt sweetness; with great strength. Taste of huge red grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, berries, citrus peel/zest, wood, light peppercorn/pine, honey, biscuit dough, light caramel/toast, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Light pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of red grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, berries, citrus peel/zest, wood, light peppercorn/pine, honey, biscuit dough, light caramel/toast, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical hops and dark/bready malt sweetness; with a nice malt/bitterness balance, and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, fairly sticky, and lightly resinous/rindy mouthfeel that is fantastic. Minimal warming alcohol for 9.5%. Overall this is an incredible DIPA. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical hops and dark/bready malt sweetness; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the big ABV, with the mellowly bitter/drying finish; amazingly soft feel. Amazing Simcoe profile. Extremely juicy, and lightly dank/earthy hops; with a nice sized dark/bready malt backbone. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing Midwest style example as expected.
Jun 03, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by jakea from Wisconsin

May 31, 2019
 
Rated: 4.29 by skrabbenhoft from Wisconsin

Apr 27, 2019
 
Rated: 4.03 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Apr 25, 2019
Photo of darktronica
Reviewed by darktronica from Indiana

4.49/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I usually think of Pipeworks' ninja series as a single-hop showcase for massive hop character, and this doesn't let me down on that front. However, it also has enough of a malt bill to provide some balance. Simcoe is such an interesting hop for American IPAs, as to my tastes, it comes across as a real battle of East coast versus West coast. Strongly aromatic, with great flavors of citrus and pine dankness simultaneously, followed by some earthy blueberry and melon notes.
Apr 23, 2019
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

3.42/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Canned 4/12/19; drank 4/21/19 @ the Yarchives.

Cloudy dark orange appearance.

A violent pour yielded a huge eggshell head; thick, frothy lace.

Watermelon Jolly Rancher, caramel, cane sugar & mild pine notes in the nose. Really not my IPA profile...

Medium thick, sticky mouthfeel.

Caramel, watermelon Jolly Rancher & mild cane sugar flavors up front; mild pine & mild booze heat notes on the finish.

I think they crafted the beer they were aiming for here; unfortunately, I think it's not very good. Personal preference overriding execution on my grade here, as this beer is unpleasant.
Apr 22, 2019
 
Rated: 4.24 by Bartleby91 from Wisconsin

Apr 22, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by cryptichead from Illinois

Apr 21, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by boogerisu from Iowa

Feb 07, 2018
 
Rated: 4.27 by Dankacheese from Illinois

Sep 15, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by SteveTheBrit from Illinois

Apr 25, 2017
Photo of Wasatch
Reviewed by Wasatch from Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
22 oz. Bomber

Pours a very nice cloudy dark golden yellow color, very nice carbonation, with a very nice thick/creamy one-finger plus off-white head, which also leaves some pretty nice sticky lacing behind. The nose is hoppy, slight malt, very nice citrus, with some pineyness. The taste is hoppy, slight malt, very nice citrus, with some nice pine notes, picking up some tangerine. Medium body, ABV hidden very well, with a really nice dry/bitter finish. Overall, this is a very tasty brew.
Apr 15, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by akk14 from Illinois

Apr 02, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by paulish from New York

Feb 05, 2017
 
Rated: 3.74 by kreg02 from Illinois

Oct 21, 2016
Photo of rob99er
Rated by rob99er from California

4.73/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
So good. An easy drinking smooth tasting double IPA.
Oct 08, 2016
Photo of FBarber
Reviewed by FBarber from Illinois

4.32/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pours an orange tinged color. Slightly hazy due to the beer being unfiltered. Thick pillowy white head dissipates slowly leaving a nice layer of foam on the top of the beer with some sticky lacing.

Smell is incredibly fragrant. Aromas of citrus, pine, foliage. Tons of simcoe aroma.

Taste is pretty straightforward. Strong simcoe hop presence. Nice balance between the fruitiness and pine. Light cracker malt backbone. Touch of sweetness but not overly so. Slight bitterness on the finish.

Feel is quite lovely. Not to heavy for a DIPA. Medium carbonation. Spot on for a DIPA.

Overall a really nice DIPA. Simcoe really works well with the base DIPA for a lovely beer.
Sep 30, 2016
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

3.99/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Hazy orange pour with a finger of white bubbles, very active in the glass. I like simcoe, but the taste felt too simple for me, especially given the hype. It is still delicious, but for a double ipa I wanted more complexity. Still nice grapefruit, orange, hop bitters, and herbs, plus caramel malt and booze that leaks on the edges. The smell is a different story, where free from the malt and booze heaviness, the hops star fully, relaying great citrus and hop dankness. Feel like I would have enjoyed more as a single ipa
Sep 18, 2016
Simcoe from Pipeworks Brewing Company
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 537 ratings