Mikkeller Draft Bear

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

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.

Dark golden to light orange color. Tall, lasting slightly aged paper colored head. Nice thin lace. Quite citric in aroma. Lemon and grapefruit zest, key lime and orange blossoms up front. Hints of biscuits and caramel in the background. Not your great uncles euro lager. This doesn’t have the airplane glue, alcohols and grain scents typically present in many euro strongs. If anything a touch too much hops aroma. An interesting citric and pine lace light lager flavor. This is one that has me rethinking my beliefs on imperial pilsners. This does not have the grain and perfumy hops so many others process. Rather citric and biting hops all the way through this brew. Finish is actually rather dry, with the linger revealing a little pale malt sweetness and again some lime zest and grapefruit. Easily one of the better ones in this style. I checked and my other favorites have bordered on maibock. I’m not there with this one. I think I’m going to need to do a side by side with Golden Showers with this one.

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.

Golden orange in colour with a very long lasting white head, excellent retention and lacing. The aroma is quite hoppy, floral, soapy with some light alcohol. The flavour is again quite hoppy, some alcohol, light sweetness, sugary, some light bitterness. Sweet mouthfeel, medium body, high carbonation. Finished long, bitter and lightly warming.

Pretty good, way better than most breweries would do with this style.

750ml bottle obtained in a trade with TheCheeseMan, thanks Dan.
Opened on December 23, 2008.
Best before December 13, 2009.

[Another century celebrated with a Mikkeller beer - this time 8400] A slightly hazy golden going for amber beer with a huge bubbly white head. The aroma is very hoppy with notes of hops, grapefruit, pollen, caramel, and some malt. The flavor is sweet with notes of caramel to start off with - seeming very ordinary at first, but then when the beer start running along the tongue things pick up. The powerful hoppiness really unfolds with notes of grass, grapefruit, flowers, alfa acid, and what not, leading to a crisp and very bitter finish which at first runs along and tickles the sides of the tongue, but at last leaves a bitterness on the tongue - craving another sip. Mixed into it all are light notes of caramel and pilsener malt. A really crisp, refreshing, and quaffable beer.

But be warned - this is no lawn mower beer, since the 8% ABV will creep up on you unnoticably and will impair your ability to operate machinery - or is it just, that it is so good, that you forget your duties and rather just have another?

Bouteille de 750 ml, avec bouchon de liège, obtenue via Importations Privées Bièropholie. Arôme: Odeur d’houblon floral avec une pointe de céréale et de fruité. Apparence: La couleur est blonde dorée légèrement voilée avec une faible densité de bulle. Présence d’un énorme col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût d’épices avec une pointe d’orange et de céréales. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement astringente. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Présence de zeste d’orange en arrière goût. (Rating #2123)

Good stuff but dangerous in its drinkability. Hiccup.. Hop happy. Bready, not really. Nice palate, but it is not really a pilsner, though it is good.

Bottle at the no Greg tasting, courtesy of Harry, shared with Hogtown Harry, Blankboy, Jerc, and Mabel. Dark yellow, big bubbly thick head. Nice. Pleasant aroma - soft malt, floral notes, some faint hops. Good taste - rather hoppy up front, nice sweetness behind it, really orange citrus fruity. Simple yet very good.