Rating: 4.25/5

Row 2 / Hill 56, The history of Simcoe by Russian River is 5.8% ABV American Pale Ale. This beer was made in tribute to the farmers and growers of hops. You know, the plant most beers are brewed with that give beers their bitter, crisp, refreshing and piney taste. The beer is made with 100% Simcoe hops hand selected from Yakima,WA, one of the only Simcoe growers in the world. 3 of the main ones according to the label, are the Carpenters, Perraults and the Smith/Loftus families. The beer pours and smells sweet and hoppy with fragrance of flowers. So what is the difference between an IPA and an APA? In short, the amount of hops. While this beers is specially made with a specific type of hops, it is not made with an immense amount of hops which usually give stronger and more complex flavors as IPAs or DIPAs I have had before. The flavor of this beers are pine, oregano, grapefruit but not too extreme. Some flavor of tangerines, ginger, peaches, graham crackers and honey. This beer is not Pliny the Elder, but even for a creamy, refreshing and crisp summer ale it is very awesome and I would say alittle better than some of the other summer ales so far