Mikkeller Windy Hill 4Pk

Mikkeller Windy Hill 4Pk is a 7.0% ABV New England-style IPA from Mikkeller Brewing San Diego, sold in a four-pack of cans. Rated 92 (Outstanding) on BeerAdvocate across nearly 400 user ratings, Windy Hill has become Mikkeller San Diego's de facto flagship and one of the brewery's four permanent core offerings.

Quick Facts: ABV: 7.0%  |  Origin: San Diego, California  |  Style: New England IPA  |  Brewery: Mikkeller Brewing San Diego

Production & Heritage

Mikkeller was founded in Copenhagen by former schoolteacher Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, who built one of the world's most prolific gypsy-brewing operations before establishing a permanent San Diego brewhouse in collaboration with AleSmith Brewing Company. Windy Hill is brewed with a grain bill of barley malt, wheat malt, and oats — a combination that produces the pillowy, soft mouthfeel characteristic of the best New England IPAs. The hop roster includes Cascade, Amarillo, Mosaic, Citra, and El Dorado, with dry-hopping reported to emphasize Mosaic and Simcoe, though the brewery rotates hop combinations across batches. Malt proteins and un-flocculated yeast remain intentionally in solution, lending the signature haze without introducing gritty textures.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Fresh-squeezed orange and ripe yellow mango dominate the nose immediately, followed by waves of pineapple and a subtle lime zest brightness. A faint sherbet sweetness rounds out the aromatics without veering into cloying territory.

Taste: The entry is juicy and medium-sweet, landing squarely on papaya and melon before shifting toward peach and pineapple at the mid-palate. Bitterness remains deliberately restrained — more herbal suggestion than aggressive hop bite — allowing the tropical fruit character to stay front and center. Some drinkers detect a pineapple-upside-down-cake quality and subtle Kaffir lime leaf undertone.

Finish: Medium in length with lingering citrus zest, soft resin, and a whisper of pine. The mouthfeel stays creamy and full through the close, leaving a clean tropical impression rather than sticky sweetness.

How to Drink Windy Hill

Pour cold into a tulip glass or wide-mouth pint to release the full tropical aroma; this beer rewards drinking fresh rather than cellaring. Windy Hill is best enjoyed straight from the glass, but its fruit-forward profile also lends itself to a few creative applications. A Hazy Michelada works well — the mango and citrus notes amplify the lime and hot sauce backbone. A Beer-garita (equal parts hazy IPA and frozen margarita) plays off the citrus and tropical overtones. For a low-effort summer sipper, try a Shandy by mixing Windy Hill with fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, which accentuates the Citra and El Dorado hop character.

Best For

• Introducing craft-curious drinkers to the hazy IPA category without overwhelming bitterness
• Backyard barbecues and taco nights where tropical hop character pairs naturally with grilled and spiced food
• Gifting a beer enthusiast who appreciates sought-after West Coast hazy IPAs
• Building a tasting flight alongside other top-rated New England IPAs

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Windy Hill taste like? Windy Hill delivers a juicy burst of papaya, pineapple, peach, and mango with restrained herbal bitterness and a creamy, pillowy mouthfeel. The overall impression is tropical and soft rather than bitter or piney.

How does Windy Hill compare to Other Half IPA? Both are highly regarded New England-style IPAs with lush tropical hop profiles, but Windy Hill tends toward a softer, more melon-and-papaya-driven character compared to Other Half's often denser, more resinous hop saturation. At 7.0% ABV, Windy Hill also sits slightly lower than many of Other Half's flagship double-dry-hopped releases.

Is Windy Hill good for sipping on its own? Absolutely — its balanced sweetness, low bitterness, and creamy body make it one of the more approachable hazy IPAs at 7.0% ABV, enjoyable without any food pairing or mixing.

Where is Windy Hill made? Windy Hill is brewed by Mikkeller Brewing San Diego in San Diego, California, at a facility established in collaboration with AleSmith Brewing Company at AleSmith's original brewing location.

What foods pair well with Windy Hill? Fish tacos with mango salsa mirror the beer's tropical notes. Grilled shrimp with citrus glaze complements the peach and orange character. Thai green curry echoes the subtle herbal-lime undertone. A burrata and stone-fruit salad works alongside the creamy mouthfeel. Sharp aged cheddar provides a savory contrast to the fruit-forward hops.

What sizes does Windy Hill come in? Windy Hill is commonly available in four-packs of cans, which is the standard retail format for this beer.

Is Windy Hill worth the price? Windy Hill positions as a premium craft IPA, sitting in the upper tier of everyday hazy IPAs rather than the limited-release or whale category. Its BeerAdvocate 92 rating and flagship status at Mikkeller San Diego suggest strong value relative to comparably scored New England IPAs.

Why Windy Hill?

Among the crowded field of West Coast-brewed New England IPAs, Windy Hill has earned its flagship status through consistency and drinkability rather than hype-driven scarcity. The 92-point BeerAdvocate rating across hundreds of reviews reflects genuine consensus, not a small-sample anomaly. Its grain bill of barley, wheat, and oats — combined with a five-hop rotation including Mosaic, Citra, and El Dorado — produces a tropical, pillowy IPA that avoids the harsh bitterness or chalky body that plagues lesser hazy attempts. For drinkers who want a reliably excellent, fruit-forward New England IPA from one of the world's most recognized brewing names, Windy Hill delivers exactly that.