Mikkeller Big Bad Barley Wine

Formerly brewed at Mikkeller
Style: Barley Wine
Copenhagen V, Denmark

Bottle. Pours a brownish garnet with a small wisp of a head, some large flakes of floating yeast. Sweet, malty nose. Tons of raisins, prunes, grapes. Very sweet in the mouth. Big dark fruit presence. Nice dash of bittering hops keps this very balanced and drinkable. Not heavy in the least, despite the 10% abv. A bit thin. Very good.

Dark red colored with cloudy appearance. Little yellow head. Strongly hopped aroma with sugary and raisiny tones, mild alcohol also comes up. Medium to full bodied. Flavor is also dominated by raisins and strong hops, sugary note also here. Aftertaste is bitter-sweet with thin alcohol.

Draught@Nordic, Tampere. Deep rubyish murky brown colour with smal beige head. Aroma is a bunch of alcohol, raisins, sweet malts, fruity rather sweet hops, plumpudding and some spices. Flavour is very much the same in a rather wellbalanced way. Some of the sweetness is a bit too much though. Still pleasant.

(Draught at Gastropub Nordic, Tampere, on 2009-07-17) Deep reddish brown and quite cloudy. Small white head. Fruitiness, citricness and sweetness in aroma. Full bodied palate with medium carbonation. Sweetness, malts, bitterness, fruitiness citricness and some dried plum in taste. Malty and sweet aftertaste,

On tap at Plan B. Poured a cloudy brown orange. Aroma is dominated by both barley and alcohol. The taste follows the same path. For me it is overwhelming. This is odd for me because I have enjoyed barley wines in the past but this one is over the top. The first Mikkeller on didn’t like. Maybe I am missing something.

The deep orange pour adds to the anticipation, solidified with a great, complex aroma that is both bright and deep. Balances well the apricot and other ripe fruits, the buttery malt and woodiness, and the goodly amount of piny hops.

500 ml bottle. Hazy amber body with a small beige head. Aroma is dominated by grapefruit and pines. Flavor is sweet caramel malt and lots of bitterness, citrus fruity and alcohol. Could easily go as an Imperial IPA.

Bottle. Pours a nice orange-amber. Aroma is full, estery, of fruit steeped in mild brandy, and just a hint of woodiness. Definitely got my mouth watering. Body is rich and medium-full. Just a hint of syrup on the palate makes for a full body. Flavor is of overripe pears, apples and plums, intoxicatingly sweet but not cloying by any means. High ABV warms the belly. Finish takes forever. I held my glass for a full two minutes before taking another sip, which worked out well because with a little warmth, this beer is outstanding. Finish was woody with liquorice notes and a pervading undertone of plums and dates. Wonderful brew. Can’t wait to try Big Worse!