Mikkeller Black Hole

Bottle labeled 13.1%. Pours black with very little head even as I practically dumped it into the glass. What head it had left very small spots of lacing. Aroma is dark roasty malt, coffee, chocolate, and some floral hops. Flavor was a little strange. Something about it was a bit sour which threw me off but otherwise it is mildly sweet with a lot of bitterness. A different flavor for an Imperial stout which tend to be more on the sweet side but I like the diversity. The alcohol makes itself known as well. As I continue to drink this it is becoming less bitter and more sweet but that strange small bit of sourness is still there. Mouthfeel is a little thin but still decent, otherwise everything I would expect. Long aftertaste and low carbonation. Very good but a little disappointing for me. I thought this would be much better.

I think the beer hasn’t got a permanent abv, because the label said 13,1% on my 0,33 l bottle. But what a beer...Dark body with a nice and delicious small brown lacing head. Brutal fine liqueric aroma with dried plum, coffee, dark chocolate. The flavor is a bomb of roasted tastes:explosion of the taste of coffee, hard attack of cocoa beans, tons of roasted barley and malt. Pleasant dried plum and raisins in the flavor too. Well hidden alcohol, the roasted flavor dominates the mouthfeel. Long dry and of course roasted aftertaste. Very strong personality with a powerful message.

This black ale poured with a miniscule tan head. There is a very rich malt flavor with a lot of coffee and notes of prune and a bitter finish. This beer is, surprisingly, quite sour yet very pleasant.

Did not enjoy this, I found it difficult to finish. Aroma is decent - coffee. chocolate, and alcohol. Pours deep brown with rocky tan head. But the flavor profile is dominated by alcohol - too much as it overpowers everything else. Coffee flavor is underwhelming. Peche Mortel is a far better impy stout brewed with coffee, especially considering the price of this one. Not very drinkable or enjoyable.

Bottle: pours pitch black with just a ring of dark tan head around the edge of the snifter, aroma of dark fruits and chocolate, taste is bitter, dark fruits, some of the alcohol is present, thin mouthfeel which I don’t really care for in an Imperial Stout. Not worth the price I had to pay ($14) to get one of these.

Bouteille de 375 ml, avec bouchon de liège, obtenue via Importations Privées Bièropholie. Arôme: Odeur de café et de chocolat avec une pointe d’alcool. Apparence: La couleur est noire opaque. Présence d’un mince col beige mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de café et de chocolat avec une pointe de de petits fruits foncés. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est plein avec une texture légèrement vineuse. Faible effervescence en bouche. Légère présence d’alcool en en arrière goût. (Rating #1869)

This is my rating number 100 - and to celebrate that this one has to go out to Mikkeller. I chose to rate Black Hole because I believe that Mikkel is brewing some of the best imperial stouts there is - and maybe this is not the very best but it is still a heavy weight champion. This one is from the new batch 2008. Here goes..im popping the 35 cl champange bottle (Isn´t Mikkeller by the way the only one using champange-bottles besides the Belgian Lambic-brewers?) What a beauty - it poursa black body with a huge fluffy dark brown head... and the head stays.... The nose is sweet and a little vinoes - heavy hoppy notes and roasted malts, coffee and burned malts with som dry raisins maybe. The mouthfull is huge with a sparkling warm and creamy/fat palate. with a biting finish due to the amound of hops. It has a dark sweetness and I taste burned coffee-beans, brown sugar, roasted malts, plumps and dry fruits with the bitterness from the american hops in the end. This is a meal in its self - Is the appetizder, the main course and the dessert - (you could add some whipped cream on top for the dessert). I believe that this new batch is more balanced and smooth than the batch from 07.

black in color with very little head but good lacing. Has a strong aroma of alcohol with notes of molasses and chocolate. the flavor is of yeast, alcohol and molasses with a hint of chocolate. Bitter throughout. the palate was suprisingly watery, I expected it to be a little heavier. Overall I’d say it’s a decent beer with a good kick but I was slightly let down.