Mikkeller Draft Bear

Mikkeller
Brewed at De Proefbrouwerij
Style: European Strong Lager
Copenhagen V, Denmark

Transparent bright bronze copper with a well-lacing white head. Aroma of sweet pale malts and crisp resiny hops. Starts fairly full and sweet pale malty with a nice assertive hoppiness to it. Finishes drier and bittersweet. A well-balanced and enjoyable hoppy lager.

Bottle… GIABMISGFAB… Murky golden lager with a small, fizzy, white head. The earthy aroma provides pale grains and misplaced PNW hops. Medium-bodied with fizzy carbonation. Nice bitterness; very pilsener-esque. Sweet finish is a touch salty and fairly crisp. Thanks to Beerlando for bringing this brew along with him!

from crackedkettle.com - hazy dark blond-orange colour with a little white foam; aroma of quince, pear and honey; good malt body but not heavy mouthfeel, fair and rounded bitterness, long flowery aromatic hoppy finish with more honeyish touches - very drinkable and pleasant

Bottle. Hoppy aroma, some alcohol noticed, lightly floral. Palate shows some nice bitter hops. Peach and citrus fruit come through. Alcohol is there, but is balanced, warming, rather than aggressive. Very nice beer.

Old golden beer with slight orange shine; huge, dense variable head as whipped eggwhite. Fresh hoppy nose, USA and/or UK hops, very lemony; lemoncake with lupulin. Very dry, hoppy taste, the same as announced by the smell. There are some drafts of malt beneath, as some overnight piece of apricot & lemoncake, and maybe some lunaria, but generally speaking, there’s nowt but hops, hops, and then some more hops. Medium bodied, quite slick; aftertaste (not really new) are unending hops, and a bit burning MF. Well... Imperial Pilsner, huh? It’s unidimensional if anything. This bear walks on socks, we’d say over here. Big thanks, Chief lachesis!

Light hazy golden colour with a white head. Hoppy fruity aroma with notes of pine and grass balanced with a light malty sweetness. Hoppy, pine bitter flavor with a citric fruity note again balanced with some malty sweetness. Dry and bitter finish.

Draught at Ølbaren. Deep golden coloured. Grassy hops in the aroma. Refreshing and rather clean flavour with loads of hops giving notes of peaches, citrus fruits and grass. Dry and bitter finish. Not much maltiness or sweetness, but still quite good. Medium body. It would have been even better with some glucose syrup.

My Bottom Line:
Orangey and piney hoppiness overtakes the polite caramel maltiness before it plants a lengthy resinous and herbal bitterness to this fluffy hybrid of a Strong Lager.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-Mountainous foam lasts forever atop the nearly clear amber-orange.
-The foam, which you have to take a bite of before getting your first sip, is very bitter!
-The Amarillo and Cascade intensity (especially in the finish) might be a little too much for the malt structure. Then again, I don’t think they were going for balance here.
-Alcohol burns at first, but is not bothersome after a few sips.
-The cushiony effervescence helps to make this powerful lager quite drinkable.
-I found the first half of each sip to be rather easygoing, while the second half was much louder.

Bottle; best before 13/12/2008.