Whole Lotta Simcoe
Smuttynose Brewing Company

 

A: crystal clear; pale gold in color; 1+ finger finely pored white head that receded to a wispy cap; nice lacing;

S: ripe pineapple;

T: not as much flavor as aroma; what's there follows the nose; the finish is like canned pineapple juice; no bitterness;

M: medium bodied; moderate carbonation; moderately dry finish;

O: too sweet for my taste;

Pretty good display of simcoe, 16oz poured into a muffin top.

Poured a pure gold with a slight haziness which is pleasant to look at. Thick, white foamy head with very pronounced lacing and moderate retention. Smell is citrus, pine and peppery spice but the smell is not as present as I'd like, maybe I've been drinking too many dry hopped beers recently to fully appreciate the subtle scent this one has. Taste is exactly like you'd expect from a well brewed all simcoe double -- very pronounced pine and resinous flavors with just a bit of citrus and peppery spice mixed in, all well kept in check by a sweet malty backbone. The bitter resinous pine flavors stick around and the mouthfeel is thick and sticky but slightly over-carbonated. Finishes smooth and ABV is incredibly well hidden.

All in all this is a great single hop and I'm sad I decided to only purchase one instead of the entire four pack. Great beer, not overly complex and not a show stopper by any means but provides a nice trip back to the old west coast IPA vibes that have seemingly become out-of-style nowadays.

NH brewed
Canned on 3/9/20
Opened and reviewed on: 4/10/20

Only the slightest golden haze sits within the liquid. Pure white fluff cap has sticky lacing and chunky coverage as it slowly recedes.

The Simcoe hop has a nice pine and earthy aroma happening, but also a peppery citrus that seems to combine with the husky golden malted grains smell that is slightly honey sweet but certainly old school IPA style effect.

A rather sharp and peppery bite on the first sip with the feel and flavor. Hops are mostly earthy and grainy with a "pencil shaving's" taste and pine sap Mike bitterness thing. Layers of golden grains, peppery and spicy earth just keeps going. The malt has a golden ale style effect, first crispy then a bit long in the tooth. Citrus, pepper and pine are really the heavies here.

I've been a Smuttynose fan since about 1998. They played a big role in forming my beer consciousness with the "Big Beer" series that dabbled in many style releases that paved the way for many other future beer explorations. Although, it's not the brewery it once was, I still take a chance to support this classic NH brewery.

 

 

 

Can from a lazy dog.
Lightly hazy light gold in color with a bubbly white head that persists.
Earthy pine and resin with a solid sweet bready malt underneath. I miss drinking beers like this.