Mikkeller 黑 / Black

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

0.375 l bottle. Pitch black with small brown head. Sweet very burnt aroma with notes of charcoal, rum, licorice, soya sauce, alcohol and solvent. Thick bittersweet flavor infused with charcoal , dark sugar, rum and burning alcohol. Hard to drink, hard to rate. To my mind, this kind of beers should be aged at least a year.

Bottle sampled at West Lake View tasting. Pours a black color with a tan head. Nose is chocolate with lots of coffee, roasted malts, and booze. Chocolate sweet flavors with all that alcohol. Anise, charred malts, and dried fruit. The alcohol and astringency is a bit overbearing here. So hot ... this one needs four years or more before it becomes great.

Black as ink, dark brown thick head. Aroma is quite complex, bitter choco, licorice, coffee, tobacco(ish), soy sauce, yet you can feel a strange sweetness you don’t expect from a beer like this. Flavour is tainted indeed from loads of sweet added sugars which burns your mouth combined with those not that hidden 17,5%.

(6/29/08) Bottle sample at RBESG08 grand tasting in Plzen. Black-colored with a brown head. Aroma has burnt malt, coffee and lots of alcohol. Flavor of burnt malt, dark chocolate, coffee and loads of burning alcohol. Full-bodied.

Bottle from a couple years ago. Sort of syrupy pour, black in color with no head. No carbonation visible. Aroma is pretty strong, mostly alcohol, and astringent bitterness (from coffee / roast etc). Flavor is a little chocolately, strong alcohol, and astringent bitterness. Very dry beer overall and a little sugar could probably go a long way for the palate on this one. Finish lingers with roasted bitterness.

big thanks to nbutler11 for cracking this... it pours about as black as brown can be with no head... very viscous. the aroma is really rich, thick and sweet... malt, soy, red wine, prunes, black raisins, wood, spice, cocoa nibs and booze. it smells like it’s going to hurt... the palate is just not my thing... overtly sweet, rich and syrupy. it does have nice flavors of vanilla, prunes, dark cocoa, barley, ashy roast, salt/soy/yeast, wood and a fruity wine-like tartness before a cleansing on the finish of alcohol. the aftertaste is amazing!... tobacco, vanilla and all around fit for a cigar... something to cut the sweetness. the body is thick, rich and syrupy (just like the rest of the brew), smooth and nearly void of carbonation. much like sipping on a nice port... just not my thing. 7/5/5/4/14/3.5

Bottle. Wow this beer has some punch. Pours a pitch black mystery to revel a green bottle (why would you but a beer this thick and black in a green bottle?!). Oak flavors fill the nose. Tastes like you are drinking BBQ sauce, the most delicious BBQ sauce you’ve ever had but BBQ sauce none the less. Doesn’t taste that strong on the tougue but it hits you half way down and leaves lingering burn. Perhaps better with age but worth the try. If not for the price tag it would be fabulous to cook with!

Bottle courtesy of GMCC2181. Pours a crude oil black with a thin tan head but that does leave decent lacing. Nose is sweet dark fruits and alcohol. Taste is molasses, dark fruits, caramelized brown sugar, roasted malt, powdered cocoa, coffee and booze. Lots going on in this one. Surprisingly sweet – way too sweet for my taste, but that does cut the big ABV somewhat. Medium creamy mouth feel. Big beer for sure. Thanks G-Whizzle my Nizzle.