Centennial Eyes
Mikkeller ApS

Pours golden / orange very hazy with white head.
Aroma tons of tropical fruits, mango, heavy on the hops.
Taste is fruit bomb, heavily hopped with bitter hops, smooth.

 

 

Poured into a fifteen ounce mug the same temperature as the beer. Pours a cloudy pale gold with one finger white head that lasts. Settled to a good rime to the last.

Smells of strong ripe white grapefruit. Pine

Big ripe white grapefruit on the palate up front follow by resinous pine and grapefruit zest. Herbal hops. A bit soapy. Pine builds on the palate from the first sip to the last. Dry finish.

Medium body. Juicy with good carbonation. A big swing at a great IPA. Sadly not a home run.

 

In a total and west coast revampming of their single hop series, Mikkeller brewers reset with the classic American Centennial hop varietal for a perfumey aroma, a citrusy palate and a piney finish.

Golden amber and with a cloudy haze, the ale's appearance is just shy of the turbid appearance of most New England-styled examples. Its scent is floral and laced with a bold citrus blossom perfume and hints of herbal spruce. Caramel, honey and granola lead the taste, all in a moderate, nutty and lightly toasted fashion.

As the sweetness lift off of the middle palate, the true character of Centennial hops begin to shine. Its floral bouquet turns to citrus as the premiere American taste of pink grapefruit and orange peel splash across the tastebuds. And as the beer continues to develop its hop character, the citrus trends herbal into a verbena, resinous pine and light grassy bitterness to close.

Medium bodied and drying as the taste journeys further, the bitterness grows in the late palate and in the throat for a gripping bite that's almost peppery. Alcohol and hops join forces for a crisp, dry and palatable finish. It's nice to get fresher examples of single hop beers from the team, and ones that exhibit a new and exciting take on the style rather than a simple education in hop flavor.

 

A: Pours a murky medium golden yellow in color with moderate amounts of active visible carbonation rising along the edges of the glass and faint apricot colored highlights The beer has a two finger tall dense foamy white head that reduces to a large patch of thin film covering the entire surface of the beer and a medium thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Slightly stronger than moderate aromas of citrus/grapefruit, citrus/lemon rind, tropical/mango, herbal, and dank/resinous hops over the top of light aromas of slightly sweet biscuit malts.

T: Upfront there is a light to moderate flavor of biscuit malts with a light amount of grainy sweetness. That is followed by moderate to strong flavors of juicy citrus/grapefruit, citrus/lemon rind, tropical/mango, herbal, and dank/resinous hops which impart only a minimal amount of bitterness which fades away almost instantly leaving moderate juicy hop flavors lingering.

M: Just shy of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Initially crisp with a hint of dryness in the finish.

O: Easy to drink and enjoyable with well hidden alcohol and really enjoyable hop flavors + aromas with minimal amounts of bitterness.

....this is a tough one...decent beer but no where near what I consider NE style in any way shape or form...and I paid $16 for a four pack of pints which really is a tad too much....actaully more than a tad too much...

 

This beer actually motivated me to write a review, which is saying a lot. One of my absolute favorites of the western US attempts at a NEIPA. What has frustrated me before is the extreme dankness. This beer doesnt have that (if thats part of the NEIPA definition then I guess I'm off base). The dankness is there but its subtle. What you really get is crisp, fruit, unfiltered glory,

 

One pint can poured into a snifter.

Hazy bright yellow color, it tops with a finger of frothy white head that stands for a while before collapsing to some small bubble film atop and leaving some sticky lacing patch and spot on the glass-side.

The aroma is of course led by juicy and tropical fruity hop of citrus, lemon rind, ripe mango, peach, pineapple, pine, and floral. Malt reinforces with its biscuit and candy just like an orange candy. Somehow the creamy candy aroma combines with the fruity hop and makes it smell like sweet coconut.

Juicy and fruity hop leads through the palate sensation with its citrus, lemon rind, ripe mango, peach, pineapple, pine, and floral just like the aroma, however, it has some earthy and grassy bitterness at the end making it not too sweet and fruity. Malt is in the supporting with notes of biscuit, sweet, and candy. The aftertaste is quite lasting with some bitterness, some residual sweetness and fruitiness, yet a wee hint of alcohol.

Light to medium body with quite smooth mouthfeel from its good lively carbonation, the feeling is very crisp and refreshing with a pleasantly dry finish. Still good NE IPA in the series offering from Mikkeller with Centennial providing its crisp fruity citrus and lemon peel.

 

Great haze