Mikkeller 黑 / Black

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

Pours dark brown with a thin white ring of bubbles. Aroma is of up front alcohol, some chocolate hints, hints of fruit, some roasty qualities. Tastes boozy and overly bitter with the alcohol getting in the way of the chocolate and fruit hints. No balance on this currently and unfortunately, I don’t see it improving as the biggest obstacle in this beer is the overwhelming alcohol presence.

Bottle, thx to fonefan, 37.5cl corked. Pours a black, slightly oily body with a dense tan head. No carbonation. Soy sauce, some alcohol, coffee, dark bitter chocolate and a little salt in the aroma. The flavor has a wonderful sweetness, chocolate, an intense hoppyness and salty licorice notes. Oily mouthfeel, and a finish with lots of bitterness, fruityness and coffee. A lovely, big beer, but it will probably be a better big beer after some time in the bottle. Still I loved it. I loved it enough that I have later on enjoyed a bottle on my own, and will do that again. (080412)

It’s a beer that you have to try just because of the absurdly high alcohol. A general rule is 13%+ works in barley wine but not imperial stout, and that seems to have been confirmed here. The nose is actually quite nice, something I enjoyed: sure there’s a tone of chocolate liqueur, but it’s actually a really nice (and strong) note of chocolate liqueur, very hot, but almost dessert-like, with notes of black licorice and heavy char. Flavor, though, that’s where this thing turns into a complete mess. Hugely hot, stinging, sharp, biting, boozy, but the char and roast makes this seem like I’m drinking booze distilled off of burning rubber tires.

My 100th Imperial Stout - not bad for a hop-head - was picked up at Binny’s Beverage Depot in Orland Park, Illinois. It poured out a thick dark brown that turned black in the glass, briefly capped by a small bubbly head that rapidly reduces to a film and a slender ring. I’m intrigued by those who look at a glass of what essentially looks like motor oil and go, "Oh yeah! That’s definitely a 5/5 look!" Me, I rate it a 3/5, the ale looking much like what I’d expect an ultra-strong Stout to look like. The heavy alcohol content gives a strong medicinal twist to the nose - and my broken schnozz really needs no more twisting. Beyond that it smells of bittersweet chocolate, burnt barley, licorice, grilled prunes, and charred elm twigs. Interesting blending of flavors. It starts hot with alcohol and bitter with charcoal. Angry dark caramel, bitter chocolate, and aggravated dried dark fruit follow after. The smoke of burning tar and damp cherry wood join the fray. ABC licorice and more alcohol finish it off. The finish is sweet with dark malt, bitter with something that didn’t want to be burned, and hot with alcohol. This was more fun to drink than it was enjoyable to drink.

Dark brown color with a rich looking, tight bubbled, glossy tan head. Fairly mild aromas, with husk and grain adding sweetness. Light grapefruit, mild light fruit, hints of roasted malt and coffee all seems to be hanging around, but nothing comes out and takes over the nose. It does seem to have a mild "green" scent. My first thought after sipping is... OK who handed me the creosote and tar infused coal. Certainly strong and foreboding flavors. A little more dissection is required. Very sweet start, with brown sugar, maple sap, and caramelized simple sugar. This is beyond WWS in many aspects. I started to think about a side by side, but then realized that I do have to work tomorrow and want to sleep vs. pass-out tonight. Only a few ounces in and my throat, stomach and head are all starting to warm up. Slick and lightly oily on the tongue. At this point in time this is far to young. I can see some potential. Middle has roasted and burnt malt, light grapefruit acidity, some berries and dark chocolate. Finish returns to the sweetness and sugary side. Light caramel and alcohol. Linger is long and bitter. I’m catching hops, tar, black malt, roasted malt, burnt coffee, charred wood and a few other things that are black, burnt and otherwise living up to the name bestowed upon this one. I will share one more bottle of this at some point in the next few months, otherwise any other bottles I may accumulate will need a few years.

Bottle@DTS. Aroma of veggies, terpentine and coffee. Black color, brown head, good lace. Espresso extract, loads of alcohol, very bitter, very sweet. Thick and dry fiish. Over the hill, exploding, couldn’t take and swallow more than maybe 5 sips. Too much.

Bottle: Black, no head, no lacing. Nose of bright alcohol, slight deet, paint thinner and lots of astringency and more astringency. Sharp, strong. Lots of alcohol and astringency. Not my favorite kind of stout.

Bottle. Poursa black color with a small tan head. Roasted malty chocolate aroma with some sweetish hints. Rosated malty chocolate and coffee flavor with some hoppy hints. Has a sweetish malty warming finish.