Mikkeller Black Hole

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

I was rather impressed with this beer - it’s big and there’s a lot in there. At first, when it wsa cold, I thought this beer was simple, but once it warmed it revealed a lot of different elements in both smel and flavor. Appearance was a dark opaque black, with very little tan head. Aroma started off as just being a bit roasty with some very mild sourness, but as it warmed other aromas began to emerge. I got more roastiness, some chocolate, some brown sugar, and some liquorice. Flavor was also rather roasty, and I got a lot of molasses and a good helping of liquorice. Mouthfeel was pretty thick. SurlySober and I compared this beer to Big Eddy RIS, but I thought it less roasty, less coffee-like, and far more molasses-like. However, they are both "big" and very good beers. Mouthfeel was pretty thick...also somewhat molasses-like. I would highly recommend this beer. A big thanks to SurlySober for sharing the bottle he received from LiquidSolutions.

Bottle. The aroma is strong, coffee , malt and dark chocolate. A nice smell. The head is nearly non existing, brown and fizzy. The body is black. The taste is bitter, strong and malty. The duration is very long. Not much carbonation, the body is strong, heavy and dry-creamy. Nice Stout.

Pours black with an oily thin beige head. Aroma is ripe fruit, raisin, spicy alcohol. Flavor is rich roasty malt, raisins, soy sauce, coffee, and a bit of chocolate. Alcohol becomes very present as this warms.

The bottle is the size of a split bottle of champagne, interesting presentation for a beer of this caliber. The title gives you a hint of what to expect, pours a deep, oily, opaque black with a delicate, slim, white head. Smells of roasted malt, alcohol and chocolate. Flavor is heavy on the chocolate, dark fruit, nuts, and coffee. The finish has plenty of heat from the alcohol and is thick on the tongue and in the throat with a lasting coffee bitterness. Very complex Imperial Stout that is a rare symbiotic blend of flavor and heavy alcohol.

Poured from a 12.7 oz corked and caged bottle and served in a snifter. This imperial stout poured an opaque black with a small head of dark tan foam that settled into a thin layer, lasting throughout most of the glass. A healthy amount of clingy lace was left behind. The aroma of the beer was made up of strong coffee notes, citrus hops, charred malts, and some chocolate covered cherries. The flavor consisted of burnt malt, smoke, a heavy dose of espresso roast coffee, mild grapefruit bitterness, and an ever-present alcoholic note. The mouthfeel was heavy and full-bodied with light carbonation. Overall, this was a really nice imperial stout, but the coffee bitterness and alcohol overpowered the rest of the flavor at times. Otherwise, pretty good.

My 37.5 says 13.1% abv, brewed at Proef in Belgium. If a beer like this can be made inside a Belgian brewery, I don’t understand why a few here make so-called imperial stouts that fail to resemble the real thing. Because this is it. Pours a slick, oily black with thin, fading brown head. Nose is full of dark coffee with sugar and cream, and mocha chocolate, but it could be stronger. Tastes reasonably sweet but far short of cloying, with a mild bitterness and drying out a tad at the end. Thin and oily MF. Lingering mocha aftertaste, touch of smoke. Delicious.

Pours a dark black color with deep brown head. Aroma is kind of a let down with big nose of alcohol and citrus hop flavors. I really had to struggle to find a slight hint of chocolate or coffee. Taste is citrus hops, faint chocolate and alcohol. WTF? I was expecting more in an imperial stout brewed with COFFEE! The carbonation is mild leading to a creamy mouthfeel, and the alcohol is well hidden. It’s not bad, but just not what I was expecting with all the fanfare and price behind it.

Bottle. Pours night black with a small tan head. Loads of coffee on the nose. Nice hints of vanilla and a good roasted chocolate malt too. Intense oak/wood flavors to go with the deep roasted coffee flavors are predominate. Nice vanilla, black licorice, black cherry, burnt malt, dark chocolate flavors too. Warm mouth, even warmer in the belly. Slightly sticky finish with some bitterness too. Very good beer!!!