Mikkeller Big Worse Barley Wine

Mikkeller
Brewed at De Proefbrouwerij
Style: Barley Wine
Copenhagen V, Denmark

Shit, should have let this one warm a little more before I dove in. Anyways, pours a deep orange and red color. Syrupy consitency and red fruit candy sweetness. Goes down smooth. The 12% is masked well. Aroma has some plum and light brandy characteristics. Great smooth and subtle complexity drink.

sampled at the San Diego Strong Ale Festival Nov 2008, an event shared with what seemed liked hundreds of ratebeerians and enjoyed mostly through a straw, since my face was a bloody mess of scabs and stitches. this came from the RB table full of bottles I want to say that JohnC brought htis, but Im not sure. It was very sweet and hoppy pine resin being very present. it had a strong amlt based and plenty of alcohol.

Pours a dark murky brown. Nose is minor raisins. Mild alcohol. Almost smells like dirty river water. Flavor is spiked by the alcohol. Robust flavor, but this obviously needs to be laid down for many more years before it‘s in its prime. Feel is good. But like I said, definitely needs some time to mature.

Pours a deep copper with large sticky off-white head. Flavor is dominated by caramel, toffee, and sweet malt, with notes of wood, dried fruits, brown sugar and floral hops. Sweet, but balanced well with the hops and bitterness. Warming and fairly thick mouthfeel. Mikkeller has done an excellent job on this one (as usual), very nice.

bottle. pours a clear honey red with a sizable off-white head that fades relatively quick, but never completely. lots of citrus hops in the nose, with notes of pineapple and orange coming out, almost, but not quite, dominating the caramel malt. caramel malt again (barely) dominating the taste, with some cherry and wood notes, but again a huge citrus floral hop presence. kind of thin of body and mouthfeel, which is also a bit sticky. pleasantly bittersweet finish, with a caramel-woody aftertaste that lingers along with the bitterness. lots of carbonation, evident in a tiny pleasant tingle. very warming. this is so hoppy it strikes me as basically a huge double ipa. one of those hybrid beers you occasionally find. my only complaint is the thin body. other than that, quite delicious.

Courtesy SoLan. Pours a dark copper amber with a well-retained, frothy, off white head. Smells of nice toasty caramel malts, cinnamon, and some dark sweet fruits. Not much trace of the big alcohol in the nose. The flavor is fairly sweet, alot of that caramelmalt makes up most of its identity. Had a decent alcohol presence but didnt sting the palate like some barley wines do. Very well done, I liked how nicely baanced it was for a big beer.

deep amber with a decent sized off white head. Strong caramel malt nose with a citrus zip. Flavor is lots of brown sugar, caramel, a bit of hops, dark fruits. Light carbonation, slightly bitter sweet finish. Very nice.

12.7 oz corked bottle. Pours a cloudy orange brown caramel with a medium sized beige head. Aroma of caramel, candied sugar malt and dry fruit. Taste of candied sugar, caramel with a hint of citrus. Excellent barleywine.