Mikkeller 黑 / Black

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

Bottle, pours black with no head, I see a few carbonation bubbles in the brew at the edges of the glass but no head, leaves a thin film on the sides of the glass when swirled and looks to have some legs, some bubbles appear when swirled, aroma of alcohol that sort of reminds me of a burnt Port Wine, dark roasted malt fragrances, dark chocolate, some earth worm dirt aromas? If you are a fisherman, this is the smell of the dish of worms when you get ready to set the hook, the earth worm dirt is faint but that is what I get from this brew, interesting but not really a good thing, has a faint burnt berry fragrance, alcohol tingles my nostril a bit with some sniffs, a touch of smokiness, flavor of dark roasted malt, Port Wine sweetness, some chocolate, some strong (almost burnt) raspberry and blue berry in the background, alcohol is big on the palate but not as much as I thought there would when experiencing the nose of this brew, the alcohol is sweet tasting that has hints of dark fruit and berry, also, alcohol is strong but not as pungent as the Dogfish Head WWS, some burnt malt flavors, mouth feel is around medium maybe a bit less, alcohol seems to contribute to a medium and/or watery feel and dries the palate, I bought another bottle to age for a few years.

Tasted on bottle at Kulminator from bottle. A very strong beer. The taste remains still on the next day. Verry intens coffee taste.

12.7 oz, cork and cage, cork stamped 12/12/17 (what does that mean?). Dark, opaque pour that’s a little red around the edges, dense tan head that fades - excellent lacing. Aroma is boozy but less so than I was expecting. Rich, deep chocolate, espresso, cream, hops. Ok, there is a lot of alcohol in there. Not a hugely complex aroma - the subtleties are lost on me and dominated by the aromas above. Maybe some cherry, and definitely some vanilla and bourbon. Flavor is quite sweet, and acridly bitter. Feels like hot coffee in your chest, and leaves the espresso astringency in your mouth. Tastes like the darkest dark chocolate you’d ever have. Harsh and alcoholic finish. The end of this so ridiculously long and hugely bitter. I’m putting this back in the fridge to cool down so I can actually drink it... Pretty huge beer, needs some serious time to mellow, like 3 years. I’ve got one to hang onto for a while, but for now, this beer is killing me. Totally unbalanced.

(Preface: I’ve been wanting to try this one for a long time. Let’s see if this is all that I’d hoped for.) Pours an oily black with no head or lacing and little apparent carbonation. Aroma is profound: Can’t hide the booze, no surprise, but other characteristics are apparent; Dark fruit, unsweetened chocolate, espresso all on the nose. Wow, flavor is strong, tarry yet fruity, chococlatey, high-quality espresso again, and booze of course. Just makes my neck and shoulders shudder with every swallow. The booze overpowers, which is something you usually don’t hear me saying. That is not to say that it isn’t delicious. Palate is oily, liquidy, could’ve been more carbonated, though likely not possible with the rest of the package. More of a novelty; I mean, even if I could afford it, I couldn’t see myself drinking this everyday. But I’m still glad I got it, tried it, experienced it. I will have this again sometime. Overall, excellent. Thanks Mikkeller.

[Bottle] shared by OSLO. Pours very deep black with a smallish tan head. Aroma is alcohol, toffee, strangely barbecue sauce, and soy sauce. Flavor is hard to find under the alcohol, a little roasted barley, charcoal, with a smooth, looooong finish. Overall, just way too much alcohol.

pours a black with caramel head. heavy in glass sitting like oil. heavy alchohol malt slight mocha aroma. hot, hot, drank this way too fresh, can see this a fantastic with some time behind it, just too fresh right now. like sipping whisky, very warming, som malt mocha. can see this as great with 2 years behind it.

Bottled. Pours opaque black with a thick, creamy tan, head that leaves some good lacing. Nose of burned malt and caramel. Sweet flavour with roasted malt, liqourice, dark fruits and coffee. Oily texture. Alcoholic finish with some bitterness too. Very full bodied.

Bottle. Ink black with a foamy brown head. Aromas of dark chocolate, alchohol, heavy roasted coffee notes and some dark fruits as well. Intense flavour of liquorice, bitter hops, canesugar and alcohol. Thick and oily palate. I think this beer will benefit from some years of ageing, It’s just to intense and hard right now. And i thought Black Hole imp. stout was intense.. This one burns all the way down my throat, but I’ts a lovely burn..