Mikkeller Black Hole

375ml from Sam’s, Durham. Very thick pour, completely opaque with nary a sliver of light visible through the darkness. Yes, the laws of space and time are suspended here. Unfortunately, the beer’s not quite up to snuff in this space either. The nose is somewhat rich, with some espresso notes (but alas, not too much) and a funky, vegetal character as well. I actually didn’t find the beer as boozy tasting as I’d expected. Some hop bitterness in there, along with at least a bit of coffee, but the overall effect is more mushy and burnt, a kind of indistinct harshness rather than a refined, purposive character of any sort. There’s no way this is a bad beer. But based on what I’ve had from Mikkeller previously, and also on hype/cost, this is a pretty big disappointment.

bottle. pours dark black (ha) with a thinnish tan head that recedes relatively quickly but remains as a film and a ring around the edges. smell is magnificent! first, a hint of bitter dark chocolate, then a blast wave of coffee. i don’t drink coffee, but i really do enjoy the smell. and this has everything i like about the smell packed tightly and oozing all over the place. as that fades (well, for the sake of journalistic integrity, i should say it doesn’t really fade, but other notes join it), hints of more cocoa, some black cherry and fig notes, and what seems to be a note of a rather citrusy hop join the party, all rounded out with a light woody note. it took a while to build up the desire to stop simply smelling it and actually have a go at tasting, and it wasn’t disappointing. not quite as yummy as the smell, but quite yummy still. a bit more cocoa, and a fairly strong roasty note chip away at the coffee edifice, and while they dent it significantly, it’s still there in all its glory, noticeable from all the surrounding counties. it’s a warm, luscious, sweet coffee note, and it’s totally enjoyable, even for someone who doesn’t drink the stuff. the alcohol is noticeable, but doesn’t significantly detract from the taste. the same bits of twigs and berries (ha!) as encountered in the smell remain here, playing a role, but not dominating. as the taste fades, there is a light but sharp sweetness at first, fading into a long, moderate bitterness, and my mouth is warmed significantly. thick and sticky mouthfeel, somewhat oily, and with a solid body (though maybe not as viscous as i would like), and enough carbonation to play fun games with your tongue. this stuff is fantastic. and it hits like a truck. i feel like this must be what others taste when they drink speedway (a beer that has managed to avoid being enjoyable to me). another grade a product from mikkeller.

Bottle drank to celebrate winning the 2007 Mikkeller Barrel Aged X Imperial Stout. Black in color with a medium head of tight brown bubbles. The nose showed the coffee with additional aromas of chocolate and creme. The beer definitely came alive in the mouth where it was powerful and concentrated with the flavors from the nose continuing into this full-bodied beer with balanced sweetness and acidity. Very well made and balanced with enough bitterness on the finish to keep it fresh and not feel heavy.

Bottle during Max’s 72 Hour Belgian Beer Fest. Starless midnight pour. Small brown head. Strong roasted malts, coffee notes, dark fermented fruit and soft alcohol in the nose. Taste is strong coffee (really oily coffee beans, in actuality), dark roasted malts, licorice, soft wood and booze. More fermented dark fruit flavors too. Body is chewy, thick and has a mild carbonation to it. Nice warming feel to this as well. End is more dark roasted malts, coffee, dark fruits and soft alcohol. Very tasty!

one of the better beers I’ve had. had with black. black and black hole similar on the nose. Pours black with tan head. Both had an amazing aroma which I can’t quite place(the black slightly more winey and powerful) Of the two this was more a beer while the black kicked it up a notch to almost a port status. Definite coffee in the flavour with perhaps citrus notes. Paired with some blue stilton. Alcohol warming but not offensive. A very nice beer.

#200! Very harsh for me, expresso coffee without the cream and sugar. Very tough to drink untill you get a little buzz. Great dark color and strong scent. I prefer my stouts a little sweet.

(on bottle) I had this baby with a port from 1968 and they paired well up. The cheese on the side just addede a nutch for a great oral pleasure. Dark, rich and % are very potent. Thank god I started at Monk´s Elixir for a warm up. A part from being so rich in malt-depth, the bitterunits really balanced well. Truely a black hole to decent into...in space noone can hear you scream...

bottle at home GLRBF 290308 color:black bit bubbles no lace or head Scent:bit alcohol, coffee ,fizzy Taste: quite heavy multi flavor and coffee attacks, most sticky. Quite nice aftertaste after all . Anyway please I want my coffee from mug not mixed into beer!