Beer pick of the week: Double Simcoe
Monday, July 21st, 2008
Double Simcoe
Weyerbacher Brewing Company
Easton, PA
9.0% ABV
Simcoe hops are capable of providing a strong hop aroma and flavor without imparting an astringent bitterness, and this new arrival to Georgia shows it to brilliant effect. I don’t want to give the impression that Double Simcoe is not bitter, however. It is, but in a good way. Huge grapefruit and pine flavors hit first in the taste, but gradually the deep whiskey-like malts and floral honey sweetness assert themselves, resulting in a flavor that is balanced in the way that two linebackers on a teeter totter would be balanced—big on both sides of fulcrum. The hop oils coat the tongue and, along with the warming alcohol, have a slight numbing effect that is soothing but not dulling. The big flavors and boozy aroma encourage a slow, savoring pace. Despite its full body and creamy, sticky mouthfeel, the finish is dry and woody, with a lingering hop bitterness on the sides of the tongue. A true treat for hopheads and an excellent example of what the best American brewers are producing.
(photo by Jeff Holland)
