Mikkeller 黑 / Black

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

Found at Seattle’s Bottleworks. As opposed to the Girardin Geuze had earlier in the tasting, this beer’s cork barely popped. Thick pour like balsamic vinegar with a respectable mocha head that quickly left us. Unreal lacing and legs, probably as much as I’ve ever seen. Inevitably draws comparisons to the World Wide Stout, which I think I prefer just a little more than this. Huge molasses flavor, heavy like port, ladden and syrupy on the tongue with minimal carbonation feel. Dark bean roast, smokier and tarter than WWS, definitely more ’out there’. Fascinating..

Draught at EBF. Black, quick brown head. Burned rubbery, slightly vinous nose with liquorice and sweetness. Quite subtle. Intensive burned, strongly mentholey flavor with cocoa, espresso and little rubber. Very sweet and syrupy. Full bodied, sticky sweet palate. Just a bit over the top, but I bet this’d make a great winter warmer.

Bottled 2007-12-12, 1 year old
Yes, it’s black; it seems almost flat, but pouring the beer from a height it forms a brown head; some big bubbles resist, it looks like fermenting wort. It has an aroma of wood, vanilla, chocolate, alcohol, very light cardboard. Good body strength (not viscous), with very strong sweet caramel flavor, rhubarb candies, light herbs and light roasted malt; then also some sweet liquorice appears, still hidden by the sweet caramel; no bad alcohol flavor, but a very burning feeling. Long final, balanced, with sweet caramel and some roasted malt and liquorice.
I like that it doesn’t show strong coffee character. It’s like drinking an Italian digestive (liquor; a mild version of Unicum comes to mind); a unique one, very enjoyable for me.

Dear God! Bottle from Bello. Dear God, I say! Another great example of a beer that is just too big. This 13 oz bottle ought to be split amongst 10 people. Thick aroma of apple, plum syrup, sweet chocolate, charcoal; flavors to match. Man. What a huge, painful beer.

Pours pitch black with a brown, sticky, roasted-looking head. Aroma is really intense: red wine, old fruits.. First touch with lips feels like drinking melted dark chocolate. Flavor reminds me of complex and full-bodied red wines, dark chocolate, coffee, dark old fermented fruits. Alcohol tastes and feels clearly but not in a bad way. Smooth, full-bodied, complex, delicious palate. This is the best stuff I’ve tasted so far.

Bottle. Pours motor oil black with a small brown head and fair lacing. Aroma of burnt malts, coffee, chocolate, alcohol and a hint of leather. Rich flavor of dark malts, bitter dark chocolate, roasted coffee, licorice, and lots of strong alcohol. Full bodied with a huge booze alcohol finish.

Aroma is more restrained than I had expected. Bitter and burnt notes like espresso coffe and licorice. Appearance is somewhat dissapointing - midnight black as expected, but almost no head. Medium lacing. Taste is extraordinary, almost like a good matured port. Vinous, with lots of licorice and coffee. Sweet notes, and a lovely espresso breathe-through...Palate is mediocre - not as big as I’d expect from a beer this big. Somewhat oily and syrupy. Don’t get em wrong - this is an extraordinary beer all told - it’s like a glass of coffee and licorice infused vintage port. This would be superb with Christmas Pudding! I’d better go and buy some more to keep in for December - and next December, and the one after that.

(Bottle) Pours black with a dark brown head. The aroma has a graceful roastiness from the malt with tones of dark creamy chocolate and cocoa up front but there is also some room for burned notes of coffee, tar, liquorice, rubber and caramelized brown sugar. Sugary with notes of dark caramel, dark syrup, honey and molasses. The alcohol is present but quite soft for 17.5. Light grapefruity, floral and orange-like hops in the background. Undertones of earthy tobacco, soy, blackberries, prunes, dried figs, caramelized almonds, liqueur and port. The flavour is heavily sweet, cloying and very sugar/honey/dextrose-like. Not even the massive and complex burned/roasted malt and bitter hop profile can balance this. Tones of dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, liquorice, coffee, orange, grapefruit, flowers, shellfish, blackberries, prunes, mead, liqueur and sweet port. The mouthfeel is smooth and oily but a tiny bit too sticky. Light carbonated. Well disguised minty alcohol. Medium to full bodied. A sipper.