Mikkeller 黑 / Black

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

Very dark beer out of the bottle. I had to use pliers to get the artificial cork out of the bottle. Huge dark brown head that left lots of sticky lace. You can tell from the first sip that this is a huge ABV beer, even though the alcohol flavors are not overpowering. Nose has lots of sherry, ripe dark fruit, tobacco, and a thick,sweet alcohol warmth. This is a huge, sipping beer. Lots of caramel, toffee, molassess, chocolate, burnt coffee, fresh ashtray, sweet cherries, just tons of flavors. I just feels like a thick, big, almost dangerous beer. It is a little disjointed, and almost too big. I’ll vote for wildest and craziest.

Deep yet penetrable brown. Sticky ring of head forms as the grayish bubbles quickly disperse. Aroma reveals notes of figs, molasses, tobacco, caramelized custard, rum-steeped raisins and a hint of vanilla, cola and scorched cocoa. Soft, snug carbonation. Deceptively full in body. Captivatingly immense and viscous from the start, though a spirited surge of alcohol briefly offsets the gooey residuals by zinging the palate. Deep, unrelenting crisp char stings the tongue and amplifies the vinous qualities. Added layers of texture come by way of bread and caramel which gently cushion the prickly alcohol and stark burnt-cookie bite. Clean attenuation coupled with a salty bitterness, reminiscent of salmiakki, keeps the high concentration of molasses-drizzled toffee sweetness from overtiring the palate. Assorted berry and braised beef snippets impart deep-rooted pockets of juiciness and elegance to other otherwise full-on assault of alcohol and molasses. Deceptively enormous roast continuously clasps the tongue with its snappy bitterness, but takes a backseat to the clingy residuals. Finishes sweetly portlike and borderline medicinal as the insistent sweetness links up with the astringent ashy char. Whisper of espresso and bitter chocolate lingers. Really a mixed bag for me. While it does possess some elegance and refinement - particularly in the carefully placed fruity esters and fairly well-layered maltiness - the brutish char and omnipresent sweetness need to show more restraint. On top of that, this bottle is not even a year old yet is already showing signs of oxidation (cardboard, namely), and, consequently, is fairly dull and more astringent than it was a few months ago.

bottle. pours black and thick like oil. small brown head. tarry, red grape, ash aroma. flavor is loaded with alcohol, tar, bittersweet, ashes, molasses, smoke, grapes, blueberry and soy sauce. i can’t get over the cigarette butt ash/soy sauce flavor. low carbonation. full body. dry.."i need water" finish. quite the experience for sure.

Bottle from Ølbutikken. Black as the mortal sin. Thick, whipped cream rusty head. Agressive aroma of burnt sugar, tar, artifical sweetener and extracted fruits. Taste is extremely sweet and roasted. Dark fruit notes, salmiac, burnt malts and the most bitter chocolate ever found. Harsh, resiny bitterness. Full-bodied. Glue-ish texture. Big and not so beautiful.

Thanks to Lithy for sharing this one at decaturstevo’s Februmergency Tasting. From my wants list too, Thanks again! Opaque black with a tan head. Bourbon, alcohol, coffee roast malts chocolate,and vanilla are among the aromas that come easily from this brew. The flavors follow the aroma. Full bodied sipper.

Black with beige head.Aroma of soy sauce and dark fruits.Flavor is oily and rosted this most be the big Brother of Black Hole a real killer,to strong for me i guess.

Poured at Portland International Beerfest--A dark black abysmal opaque beer with a small tan head. Rich, roasted malt bomb with a multiplicity of complexities. In your face but not over doing it if this is possible. Quite bitter, sweet, fruity, and WOW!

DLD ’08: Bottle shared by sprinkle and some other guy: Poured an oily black with a tan head. Aroma, boozy notes, dark chocolate, roasted malts. Flavor, rich and sweet, some heat from the alcohol, dark chocolate, big bitter notes from the dark chocolate, very roasty, also pretty damn hot. Would really like to see how it mellows with time. I could see it being quite good with time.