Mikkeller 黑 / Black

Mikkeller
Brewed at De Proefbrouwerij
Style: Imperial Stout
Copenhagen V, Denmark

Bottle, the best part of this beer. No surprise at 17.5% its not n easy to brew a good stout at this volume. Black as night even the head is dark. Loads of burnt and sweet sugar, malt, liquor and licorice. Some astringent fruits get lost in the mix. I think i cringed at ever sip, i brought it out and mixed with kriek de ranke even still i think it went unfinished.

Black it is. Totally opaque, with a creamy brown head, about a finger tall. An intriguing aroma. Roasted malts, but along with a bit of a fruity and floral aroma - something similar to what I’d expect out of a Belgian ale of sorts. Coffee and chocolate aromas are there, and blend in quite nicely with the other aromas. Taste is absolutely huge, as one could expect from something with such a high ABV. Most of it is a malt roast, raw and bitter espresso flavours, toffee, licorice. Finish is quite bitter and alcohol is certainly noticable. I almost expect thicker and stickier, but it’s not happening, aside from some stick on the lips. Not a bad thing... a nice and subtle body for a big flavour. Sloowwwly does it... the flavour does get to be pretty intense, anyways. Beers this big aren’t really meant for quaffing. Maybe a bit much for my palate, though I’d be very interested in seeing what a year or two did to mellow it out.

Had this at Thorsminde Campsite, Denmark 20-09-08, got from Phil L’s Beer Merchants Cave Direct Co’, cheers Phil Pours shark eye black with a tan head. Some tiny bits of yeast are present in suspension and peer out of this gimping mire of blackness. Bittersweet on the tip of tongue and then on the back of the mouth. Really coffeeish, alcohol is quite forceful its not too bad though but it s always there. Thick hoppy, oily, really quite fiercesome stuff. There is no denying that this beer is quality but for me its just a bit too much. Well done to Mikkeller for having the balls to do summat like this, chocolate, coffee and port on the nose.

Bottle at Nnudds tasting. We finished the 22 Impy stout tasting with this mother and it really overpowered everything. Not only to the good side but this is a power house! It pours completely black with dark brown head. Lots of tar, tobacco, overripe fruit and paint in aroma. Soft mouthfeel but you hardly recognise it as the flavour explodes in your mouth with chocolate, bitter hops, tar and burnt malts. It has a long alcoholic finish. Overall its too much of it all to be honest but its truely amazing how many tasting notes you can get out of this beer. Im looking forward to try it again in a year or so when it must be more tempered.

Pours jet black with coffee smell. The coffee hits you in the finish,an excellent puckering bitterness that squares integrates with sweetness. Great for what it is. Medium plus mouthfeel. The 17.5% is definately a closer, have a bed nearby.

Bottle, shared w/ and compliments of danielcurtis81. Doesn’t take long for the 17.5ABV to hit your throat. This one is strong and heavy, and I swear it tastes like Mesquite Merinade, just not quite as thick. Truly interesting and truly different. Wow is all I can say, and I’m still not sure if it’s a good wow or bad.

Shit.
Bottle (EBF2008) - thanks M0rhi!
Boozy and burnt. Over-burnt. Over-boozy. A pitiful victim of the inane ’some is good, therefore more is better’ syndrome. I’d rather chew on a lump of coal and mainline turpentine than take a third sip of this complete freakish disaster. (Yes, I took a second sip to make sure that the train-wreck I witnessed on the first sip was real. It was.) This may be big in some people’s eyes, but it’s about as far away from being clever as it’s possible to get. Shit.

Bottle. Completely black with an uneven brown froth. Vanilla, chocolate and hints of coffee in the nose. Alcoholic, too. Complex flavours, strongly alcoholic, vanilla is dominant together with chocolate and that touch of roast. Full-bodied and smooth. One of a kind, but one bottle is enough. A bit too alcoholic in my opinion.