Mikkeller 黑 / Black

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

Bottle from someone at the stoners tent at BCTC. This was incredibly alcoholic and over the top, I tried to taste it, but it was just too much. Nose is alcohol, a bit of bakers chocolate, and more fusel alcohol. Mixed this with So. Tier Creme Brulet Stout and it somehow got worse.

Bottle @ Dutch Ratebeer Session. Aroma has paint/terpentine, alcohol, chocolate, vanilla. Black-brown coloured with not much head. Taste has let’s say potential. The ingredients are definately okay, but this is so over the top. No balance found, alcoholic, etc. Syrupy mouthfeel. Probably, it becomes better with time. But well, some work to get more balance in it would definately be a good idea. When that’s not the idea of this experiment --> Experiment failed... Next! :-)

Harrys bottle, shared with HogTownHarry and Blankboy. App: Black as satans fillings (I have used that before!) with a pancake mix appearance head. Aroma: Alcohol and coffee and spiced rum/honey rum. Flavour: Burnt alcohol, plant fibres, bitter as hell, long alcoholic coffee finish. Interesting.

Had at the Seattle International Beer festival. Pours very dark black with dark brown fizz film that lasts. Aroma dark chocolate, burbon, licorice. Huge alcohol presence that burns considerably for first 2-3oz of drink. Mellows as you drink so you can begin to taste sweet chocolate beginning, but alcohol dominates this one. Needs more balance.

Bottle sent in a trade with pantanap I believe. Many thanks again Kan! Shared with wetherel and Sean at the PP Bottle Shop. This beer is seriously over the top! I almost don’t know what to say here. Black pour, with a big burnt malt and espresso nose. Holy sugar bombs! This crazy concoction slams the palate like a sledgehammer. Sweet sweet sweet; and then some more espresso. Ends with a slight bitter twang I couldn’t figure out...and then fiery cauldrons of alcohol burn! Difficult to drink, but it gets the points for intrigue I guess.

Bottled, bought in Vejle. Hazy brown color, no head. Sweet vanilla aroma, chocolat. Very very alcoholic taste. Initial taste is brilliant, but immediately alcohol kicks in and finshes with extreme dry bitteness. Could have been so much better. Now it is so over the top.

hapjyduece brought this to PP bottle shop. Thanks Justin! Recipe for Mikkeller Black: One cup of espresso + 1 cup sugar + 1/2 cup Everclear. Incredible nose burning aroma of tons of malt. Espresso with tons of sugar. Way over the top flavor. Tastes severly underattenuated. Syrupy texture. Great tasting beer, but very low drinkability. Not sure whether to rate high or low.

I’ll give it to them this is one crazy beer, but personally I think it goes to far. The words that come to mind are "Massive" and "Train Wreck". Pours a pitch black, with no light penetration, thin dark tan head. The aroma is very boozy, lots of alcohol and some chocolate, soy sauce, and roasted malt hidden behind it, then in your face bitter hops. There is a lot of flavor going on in this imp stout, but all the flavors are very sharp with little harmony. Dark bitter chocolate, espresso, dried dark fruits, creamy sweetness, cocoa beens, and then extremely bitter hops that don’t meld with the malt. Yes, it is complex, but way way over the top.