Mikkeller Black Hole

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

Very black body with a khaki colored head. The aroma was dark chocolate with some coffee. There were also sweet fruity notes of pancakes and peaches. The taste was some lightly bitter coffee with some dark chocolate. There was a definite raspberry note in the finish. The body was amazingly light and smooth for the abv. Nicely made and fairly balanced compared to many Impy Stouts I have tried. A winner.

RERATE: Smaller import bottle: The appreance is again stunning but sadly the aroma, taste, and mouthfeel are not near the level of the limited bottling. I found traces of butterscotch and an increased acidity in this beer replacing the vanilla and molasses yummy nature. The mouth feel is also thinner and still aggressive. Averaged out the two ratings and -1 aroma, -1 Flavor and -2 overall (this bottle is a 3.7, 1st bottle was a 4.4)

RATING #3000, Bottle #68 of 100 sent to me by my not so Secret Santa, THANKS A MILLION JACOB! Pitch black with an initial frothy tan head which settles into a ring which left okay lace and some oily legs upon my Expedition snifter. The nose detected lots of espresso like esters over charred malts and molasses twang. There is a wonderful hint of vanilla bean and honey as well along with some herbal and grassy hops vapours. My last big inhale discovered even some Black Cavendish pipe tobacco notes, too cool and oh so very inviting indeed!

The taste with a smack of tar and ash as there are a lot of heavy black malts in this baby. Then that note of molasses and vanilla come about to play and does a wonderful job of mixing the sweetness with the bitterness, sort of bridge across my palate. The finish is where the coffee characteristics are shown in full Tour de Force, bright and bitter with such a dry aftertaste.

The mouth feel is aggressive and quite warming but this does provide you some wiggle room for neither are so dominate you think you may wanna cry.

In the end a powerful Imperial Stout for sure and worthy of the praise reaped upon it. In my top 20 Imperial Stouts but still short of olde skool DL and my aged Expeditions.

Bottle at Toms Glasgow tasting 2 ... Deep black ... hops and coffee in nose ... sweet malts ... lots of roast ... quite a bit of caramel and toffee ... some wooody tones ... and more coffee.

Bottle. Head non-existant. Seldom, if ever, have I poured a beer so black. Even from bottle to glass I could not look through it. Intense coffee choccolate aroma rounded by honey and hops, making it both sweet and bitter. Coffee is dominating but also a lot of vanilla is evident. The added sugar is balancing the hops pleasantly so that you would probably not guess the alcohol contents. Mikkeller: Please start the next production!

Bottle # 3/100: Poured pitch black with a meidum sized long lasting lacey dark brown head. Big aroma with sweet roasted malt, big milk chocolate, and a mild fruitiness. Mild alcohol notes in the nose. Large malty flavor. Nice amount of roast with a mild tartness. Some dark fruit and chocolate. The flavors and the aromas are large. Full bodied and creamy. Nice warmth without the alcohol taste.

Sampled at Cellar’s Wine & Spirits in St Paul, MN. Also, shared by brewfiend. Pours a thick opaque dark brown brew that really resembles 10w30 motor oil. Nice light tan head that has good retention and sticky lacing. Aroma of dark roasted coffee, dark black malt, chocolate and a touch of molasses. Taste is full bodied, light carbonation with flavors of coffee, dark bittersweet chocolate, vanilla and some orange zest. Finish is slightly metalic bitter from the high alcohol with a coffee and dark berry aftertaste. Happy to have tried this awesome Imperial Strong Stout.

Bottle thanks to sk8viking (Batch 1)! #12 or 47 out of 100 (#s smeared a bit). Imperial Stout rating #100! Poured a lovely shade of pitch black with one of the darkest heads I’ve ever seen.. thick deep caramel with nice lacing.. recedes, but is easily resurrected. Aroma was phenominal.. deeply-roasted chocolates, coffee, molasses, and brown sugar with more of the coffee showing up as it warmed.. not so much alcohol apparent.

Flavor was awfully close.. coffee provided a great base and some substantial bitterness.. molasses, dark chocolate, and some vanilla (all well-roasted) rise through the middle and continue through the finish.. middle-high bitterness, some apparent alcohol (but most just accenting the other components), and lots of complexity going one. Heavier-bodied on the palate with the high bitterness from coffee and some herbal notes... just a pinch of whiskey and oak rides through the long finish. Fantastic brew! Thanks Rene!

$12 from Premiere Gourmet, then about $1.25 in duties. An expresso coffee experience. Thickly expresso in mouthfeel and in aroma. Pours black. I wasn’t buzzed from caffeine, it was a fine experience, it is a rich coffee experience. Bittersweet finish and aftertaste.