Single Hop Citra IPA
Nøgne Ø

1L howler from Sherbrooke Liquor Store, not the cheapest offering, but still better than any sort of pint deal around town, should this also pop up thereabouts.

This beer pours a clear, medium orange-brick amber colour, with three fat-ass fingers of puffy, loosely foamy, and rather bubbly beige head, which leaves some stellar cobwebbed lace around the glass as things slowly sink out of sight.

It smells of bready, doughy, and lightly pastry-like caramel malt, candied orange slices, a further sweetened red grapefruit and mango/south seas boysenberry thing, and mildly herbal, leafy, and grassy hops. The taste is more pretty sweet doughy, bakery-fresh caramel malt, muddled citrus, kind of oily pine resin and needles, indistinct, yet heady tropical melon notes, a twinge of biscuity toffee, and more plain leafy, weedy, and herbal hop bitters.

The bubbles are quite pervasive in their thoroughly enveloping frothiness, the body a solid middleweight, and mostly smooth (the hops apparently shedding their bitterness at more or less exactly this point in the game), and even somewhat airily creamy. It finishes on the sweet side, the big-ass malt and generally fruity hops sealing the deal in the face of little counteraction.

Not a bad single-hopped IPA, overall, as the citrus (duh) components of the Citra hop come through loud and clear, but unfortunately with less bitterness than it would take to overcome the gargantuan malt employed here. So, a tad unbalanced, in the atypical direction, but by just enough that I won't notice it until it's handed my hat to me, or conversely I've pushed right through it, straight onto the other side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 oz. poured on tap into a Belcher at Churchkey DC.

Real bright and deep copper orange body, quite clear with lots of thin carbonation if hard to notice. Thin tan head presented with a small collar. Pretty decent looking.

Interesting nose if a bit closed. Interesting sense of juiced orange and tangerine, but more of fresh squeezed orange juice than hinting hop sense. I almost want to say I smell pulp coming off this, with a little bit of tropical fruit and spice. Not much malt sensing presence.

Juicy quality continues to round out in the palate. Mild biscuit quality and minimal bitterness, with a real nice leafy mint and tea like presence on the finish interestingly. Lots of menthol hot aftertaste really lingering, almost like a steely grapefruit quality. Bitterness feels quite subtle palate wise for an IPA also. Mouthfeel is a hint of wet to it but enough to let the malts deliver the flavor.

Pretty interesting and quite unexpected for a single hop IPA, seems quite varied, but can't say I was a huge fan.

 

 

I had this beer on-tap in Norway. I had a similar experience to what a lot of other reviewers have had with this beer. It was seem that the keg was not as fresh as it should have been. The foam was very small and dissipated very quickly. The appearance was a nice deep amber and very clear with no sediment. The aroma was very muted. A bit of citrus and not much else. The mouthfeel was oily and viscous. I wanted to get past it, but couldn't. To be fair, the beer is a study in a single hop, so one shouldn't expect fireworks. A decent beer and I want to try it again in bottle or a fresher keg to compare. I would drink it again, but only if one of their other IPA, Global or India Pale Ale wasn't available.

 

 

 

On-tap. Pint glass. Enjoyed on may´12. Deep amber color, chill haze. Off-white, copious head. Copious rings & collars. Lemon & tropical fruit –mango- notes to the nose, moderate crystal malt aroma. Flavors at first sip are those expected from the aroma profile completed with sharp bitterness & ripe melon hints. Oily & viscous palate. Fruit & green wood on the aftertaste. Very well balanced flavors & aromas. Drinkable & refreshing.

On draft at Churchkey in D.C. for the Nøgne Ø event. Thanks to Kjetil Jikiun. Review from notes.

The beer is orange and a tad hazy with a huge, fluffy, white head that leaves a generous amount of lacing on the glass.

The aroma does indeed offer a healthy amount of Citra hops. Definitely a fresh keg. Other reviews I have read mention a lack of aroma and hop character. This one is definitely meant to be consumed fresh.

The flavor is good, but does not match the quality of the aroma. Hop forward, with some tasty citrus notes. A subtle malt body adds depth and balance.

Pretty smooth on the palate, with some nice, lingering notes of fresh hops.

A solid beer. I am grateful to have sampled this fresh. Skål!