Mikkeller Black Hole

Mikkeller
Brewed at De Proefbrouwerij
Style: Imperial Stout
Copenhagen V, Denmark

Rating #1500. 50 cl bottle #74. Yeast at the bottom. Pitch black colour with a nice creamy brown head. Lovely aroma of chocolate, roastedness, coffee and hints of brown sugar, hard to find the high alcohol in the aroma. Very very tasty flavour nearly like oil, with notes of chocolate, coffee, roastedness, vanilla, sweetness and alcohol. Maybe just a little to noteable alcohol finish, but very wonderful endeed.

(Bottle, purchased at Ölbutikken, Copenhagen) Pitch black colour with brief, foamy, brown head. Heavily roasted, malty nose with lots of liquorice, strong black coffee, cocoa, soy sauce and hints of asphalt, tar and ashes. Very intense aromas. Malty, roasted taste with notes of liquorice, black coffee, cocoa powder, tar, ashes and a touch of smoke. Citrussy hops lurking in the heavily roasted malt. Long, roasted, bitter finish with loads of liquorice. Fairly sweet with warming alcohol (doesn’t feel like 13% though). Full body, oily texture. Seriously heavy stuff. More complex than balanced. Excellent beer.

Bottle: (ABV= 13.1%) Near black pour with some dark ruby at the edges and a wispy deep brown ring for head. Dark chocolate, alcohol, wood, light vinous notes, tar, and more alcohol which tingles the nose hairs. A bit thin feeling, but with tons of alcohol in the flavor. Tarry, ashy, burnt bitterness, with dark chocolate grittiness, licorice and more alcohol. Finish has more ash and burnt bitterness. Not really balanced; a hot mess.

Bottle from SoLan. I first had this in a small sample at a bar and I wasn’t crazy about it. Things are different now. This bottle I’ve got all to myself. Chewy granola, burnt maple syrup aroma. A bit chalky, resinous, only a hint of alcohol. Pours without much head and is surprisingly not completely black. Tons of flavor to this though surprisingly balanced, a lot of vanilla and cocoa and great roast. No alcohol burn at all. Thick and delicious going down. This is a way better beer than Dark Horizon. I feel like the brewers actually knew what they were doing with this one.

Bottle on 11/30/2008 at the 3rd Annual Richmond Industry Gathering. Dark black body with ruby highlights. Big roast, molassas and hop aroma with lots of coffee. Coffee flavor with light roast and hops. Medium full body with moderately low carbonation. 8/5/9/4/17 - 4.3 03/29/2008: Richmond Industry Gathering 2007. Dark black body with a light brown head. Heavy bitter aroma with some caramel and chocolate. Heavy malty flavor, strong bitter, chocolate and molassas. 8/5/9/4/18 - 4.4

[1033-20080108] 12.7floz (w/ jerc, DuctTape, others). Faint roasted malt aroma has a bit of nail polish fruit. Black brown body with a medium-lasting foamy tan head. Boozy roasted plywood flavour. Medium-full body is grainy. Surprisingly disappointing, would like to re-rate in future.

Bottle shared at the KW tasting, courtesy of xocoatl (thank you Walter!!!). Very hoppy aroma mixed with what you expect - coffee, sweet chocolate. Black, small beige head. Great taste - super hoppy, very sweet, chocolate and roast. A really hopped up American Style Impy, I loved it - one of my favourites from the night.

Appearance: Pours a dark, cheerless black body with a thin, very short-lived covering of beige bubbles. Smell: Not overtly fragrant, but there’s some underlying aggression lurking there. Vague notes of chocolate, roasted coffee, fruit-flavored liqueur, and a G.I. Joe action figure being burnt by the amplified solar rays coming from a magnifying glass. Taste: Sweet, earthy malts upfront with tastes of milk chocolate, sweetened coffee, toffee, and molasses. Goodness gracious, me. Touch of deep, dark raisin fruitiness. Waft of acrid smoke. Continually sweet until a brief odd, almost rubbery taste enters the scene mere seconds before the alcohol hits. This eases back into the shadows, allowing for the chocolate and roast and sweetness to return for the warming finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Low carbonation. Drinkability: A bit brash and a bit hot, but at 13.1% ABV, what do you expect? However, bottles I’ve had early in it’s time line were exponentially harsher, so age has mellowed it some.