Mikkeller Chinook Single Hop IPA

A nice shade of golden with sweet apple-y aroma and just a hint of citrus hops.  Chinook are high alpha acid hops with a wonderful herbal, almost spicey/smokey character combined with a pine finish.  They are a distinctly American hop and are usually used during the last stage of the boil for aromatics, also often in dry hops.  The flavor really comes through in this beer.

The front end is all carbonation, really prickly.  As it evens out you get a strong burst of the Chinook in a smokey, almost earthy aftertaste.  Buried, inside that overwhelming smoke is a slight pine edge; it's a nice final touch to add just a little more complexity to the beer.  A very bitter, lopsided beer, this IPA is certainly not for beginners, and probably not for beer lovers who love a more traditional balance of grain and hops.  However, it is an interesting case study of the chinook hop strain, that really allows you to isolate and hone in on its flavors.  

Chinook Single Hop IPA: ***