Mikkeller Big Worse Barley Wine

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

12.7 ounce caged and corked bottle, the bottle is at least a year old so it does have some age on it. Served in a pint glass, the beer pours a murky copper/brown color with pretty much no head at all. Not much lacing either. Aroma is very sweet and malty, it smells like brown sugar, dark fruit (raisins, figs), and caramel. Taste is similar to the aroma, it tastes like dark fruit (prunes, raisins), caramel, brown sugar, piney hops and booze. Alcohol is still a bit hot, maybe I should have aged this one longer. Mouthfeel/body is on the light side of medium, it’s somewhat slick and coating with low/moderate carbonation. Drinkability is OK, it would be better if the alcohol heat wasn’t so noticable in the taste. This is definitely a sipping beer. Overall I think this is a good enough beer, I’d try this one again in the future.

THOUGHTS: Nice, but a little over the top. Not much carbonation, which I know is usually less in higher alcohol beers, but if those with 18% ABV can have some, this shouldn’t have a problem having some. Did an OK job hiding the alcohol, but was good at it for the ABV. A nice experience, but not a great barley wine and only a nice beer. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a clear, dark, brownish red with a tiny, dark tan head that fully diminished. The aroma was heavy molasses and caramel malt, lighter chocolate syrup, along with apple, cherry, brown sugar, maple syrup, slight barley wine smell and whiskey. It was all alcohol and sweet smells. It needs more balance. The initial flavor was sweet, bitter and slightly sour; while the finish was rather sweet, rather bitter and acidic with an average to long duration. The flavor would have been better with some more carbonation. There was caramel, molasses, brown sugar, maple syrup, apple, cherry, alcohol, slight chocolate and coffee, prune, a little pineapple and more alcohol. The medium body was fairly oily and then a little dry with soft carbonation and a light to moderate alcoholic finish.

375ml bottle, slight hazy dark amber hue, with a small beige head, yeasty, fruity, raisiny, toasted, caramelized malt nose, with some fruitcake accents, with a candied peachy, orange peel note reminiscent of a Grand Marnier liqueur, with some sweet toffeeish, brown sugar aromas follows through on a full-bodied palate with a yeasty, toasty, caramel malt, fruity, warmth character with some candied apricot, peach, orange, manderin peel, fruitcake flavours, with a liqueurish grand Marnier, toffeeish, candi sugar sweetness, leading towards a warming, toasty, fruity, lingering citrus hop bitterness finish.

Deep brown coloured body with a nice frothy tan head. Earthy sherry aroma. Flavour is sweet with notes of caramel, dried fruits and alcohol. Perfect to cellar.

Bottle.Pours amber-red with almost no head. Aroma of grains ,dark fruits,alcohol and caramel.Big malty taste with caramel ,grains and fruit .Quite an alcohol bite.Full bodied and vinous.Very nice

Bottle shared with Madvike. Pours a cloudy garnet with no head. This is one of those beers that is hard to drink, because you just want to sit and smell it. The aroma is dark fruits, caramel, and toffee and alcohol. Flavor is a mix of caramel, vanilla, cask, plums, cherries, with a well balanced malty finish. It was pointed out to me that it was a bit thin, and even though all the flavors came through it was. Not bad, but wish it tasted as good as it smelled.

Bottle shared with MrPickles - Pours brownish-red dirty dishwater with no head to speak of. It looks dead. Smell is wonderful--caramel, raisins, plums, and some great warming alcohol. It’s big and sweet and malty. Taste isn’t as good at the smell--starts with bourbon and malt, with cherries and alcohol. It’s pretty disjointed and not really smooth. For something that seems like it’s going to be so big, it’s way thin and watery. Decent, but I was expecting something else.

Deep amber with a cream head. Nose is light alcohol, dried fruits, malts and spices. Very impressive on the palate with a heavily malted flavor with dried fruits and light spices in the finish. Oh some caramel is in there too.