Mikkeller Black Hole

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

Bottle shared by Sliffy at Columbus Tasting 7 - Thanks Dan! - Poured black with a short tan head and a little lace. Aromas of chocolate, dark fruit, and a good amount of coffee. Flavor is chocolate, coffee, dark fruits and a good amount of wood. Amazingly full smooth oily palate that is verys oft in the mouth. Low carbonation and full bodied. Very nice brew!

500 ml bottle, #20 of 100, shared with mj and lilannie. Pours the most darkest black body under what must be one of the darkest brown heads I’ve ever seen. Black Hole is indeed a very fitting name. A good one finger in height at first with a little bit of coaxing, that retained as a thin film of tiny bubbles for the duration of the glass. The nose is a mix of heavy roast, dark fruits, light molasses, coffee with sugar, moderate alcohol vapors, fudge cake, a hint of licorice, and for some reason a touch of wet leather. Flavor is heavily roasted up front with lots of dark fruits and burnt caramel. Dark bitter bakers chocolate with a little licorice and slightly old scorched coffee. There’s an earthy yeasty chalkiness that I noticed as I finished the last of my glass. The mouthfeel is quite thick and viscous with nice soft carbonation and a very long lingering finish. Very minimal alcohol hotness on the finish despite the 12+% ABV. Overall, this was quite good. I hope to god that the next batch, which is destined to hit the US is as good as the original.

Bottle #80 of 100. Four months later, bottle #08 of 100, still remarkable. Pours motor oil thick, black and opaque. Even the well retained but thin head of fat, tan bubbles is totally impervious to light. Looks menacingly thick with pretty albeit sparse lacing. Aroma is one of intense viscosity, powerful and subjugating. I have been coerced into loving it without tasting it. Nuances of sugar-sweet alcohol burn, maybe the most pleasing alcohol component I’ve encountered in big dark beer to date. This also has scents of melted bitter chocolates, a little lacto character, molasses, cherries, brown sugar that’s been scorched to a pan’s surface and fresh coffee from the finest neighborhood roaster. It all seems very lively. Fantastically complex aroma, a mosaic of fragrance. Flavor isn’t exactly one sided either, focusing at first on smokiness, but of a very welcoming nature; no bacon flavor here. This the most complex variety of smoky flavors I’ve yet encountered, this thing just won’t stop amazing. Roasty malt with a bite is nicely offset by more complex sugars(the honey I suppose). The chocolate taste is strong, the coffee stronger still. The finish is mostly of coffee with a dash of creamer and a little vanilla and chocolate. The palate is so full, wow. The lingering taste is so mouth-fillling so long after swallowing. I hope another opportunity at this presents itself. Simply breathtaking.

Cork and Caged Bottle from Kindom Liquors Brandon. Pours black with a very small tan head that fades to a ring and leaves some lacing. Heavy aroma of roasted malt, coffee, slightly burnt caramel, alcohol, licorice, and a hint of vanilla. Taste is the same as aroma but more prominent. Full slightly oily mouthfeel with a good amount of bitterness and very well hidden alcohol. This may be the best Imperial Stout I have ever had to date.

Botle. American version. Not sure how this bottle compares to the original rare 100 numbered bottled version but I have to say that I’m really impressed.

Aroma was so intoxicating. Nice blend of hops, roast, coffee, and dark chocolate.
Taste is slightly bitter. Hoppy bite. Slight alcohol noted, roast. Wow! Normally these type of qualities do not match well. But here they are perfetly paired. Cheers to Mikkleller!

Big thanks to ucusty for this one. Bottle. Aroma has notes of chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, smoke, oak, dark dried fruit, port, and molasses. Pitch black hue with an average sized tan head that left decent lace and mostly diminished. Flavor is big with hints of coffee, chocolate, oak, and heaven. Palate is oily flat and full bodied. Just heaven from start to finish. I really good one.

Bottle. Dark black color with a small to average, frothy, fair lacing, mostly diminishing, light brown head. Aroma is moderate to heavy hoppy, pine, orange, coffee, vanilla, black currant, alcohol. Flavor is heavy sweet and bitter with a long duration. Body is medium to full, texture is oily, carbonation is flat, finsh feel is light alcoholic. ;o)) (261007)

Pours a very viscous used oil like consistency, pitch black, with really no semblance of a head. Lots of chocolate, anise, an odd earthy funky coffee aroma, and a huge dose of alcohol. Lightly carbonated mouthfeel with a powerful hit of molasses, chocolate, soy, light pepper, very nice alcohol dose, and a great oaky like dryness to the finish. Very nice, and definately will age well.