Mikkeller 黑 / Black

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

Pours black as night. This beer is out of control. Usually I rail on about beers like this being out of balance and abominations, but this still works somehow. Almost tarry aroma. Super thick palate. Tastes like I’m going to be drunk soon. Super concentrated coffee and booze. Buckle up for this one.

Opaque black with a creamy tan head that retains extremely well; surprising given the ABV. Smell is really boozy, with some roastiness and bakers chocolate also coming through. Taste is of milk chocolate, caramel, cherries, and espresso. Very intense and good taste; much better than the aroma. Full bodied with medium carbonation. Taste was very good, but I could see how a full bottle of this could take a whole evening. Thanks to DicksMcGee for the sample.

(Bottle) Pours an opaque black body with a small tan head. The aroma is down right abuse on the nasal cavities with jet exhaust, DEET mosquito repellent, burnt roasted Cuban coffee…made me think of the Cuban coffee shops in Little Havana with no air filtration systems… An equally abrasive, toxic, extreme bitter coffee and roasted malt flavor and a lingering bitter finish that does not go away.... Should come with a warning label about possible side effects to your senses… Way over the top for me, but am sure it came out as designed by the brewers.

Bottle: Courtesy of cmr1517...pitch black pour with a minimal tan head. I’m a bit in awe over the pure overkill of this brew...straight alcohol soaked chocolate bars. This stuff could spontaneously combust at any moment it’s so damn hot. This definitely needs to sit down for about 10 years.

Tyk nærmest olieagtig konsistens. Lidt svagt skum. Umiddelbart er smagen ikke så overvældene som man kunne forvente af en øl på 17%, det er eftersmagen til gengæld! Nu forstår jeg pludselig folk der kommer citronvand i deres porter!

375 ml bottle from Systembolaget shared with a friend. Wonderful chocolate/sweet candy smell. Taste is huge and feels almost brutal of chocolate, coffee, vanilla, fudge, liquorice, port, honey, brown sugar, some roasted malt and alcohol with a slightly hop bitterness at the end (but most of all I think the beer is sweet, probably due to both malt and alcohol). I expected to feel the alcohol even more though, it feels pretty well balanced and brings a warming feel. In a couple of years this beer will improve even more, I think. I’m lucky we’ve got one left for cellaring.

Bottle. Pours like motor oil-viscous, opaque, black. The lasting head is tan and creates nice lacing, there just isn’t much there. The aroma is very smoky, very roasty. A lot of wood notes complemented with tart dark fruit notes and some lighter coffee and molasses qualities. As the brew hits the tongue, lots of sweet, molasses and brown sugar notes cover the palate. The alcohol becomes apparent and builds up, quickly causing a warming sensation in the esophagus. As the brew passes, this is where the beer excells. Tons of hops explodes. Smoked wood and coffee becomes apparent behind the hops. Hops just continue to escalate creating a very bitter finish. The brew is so viscous and malty that even with the massive hops flavour, it’s still rather smooth. The alcohol becomes more apparent as it warms the chest. This beer is big, really big.

Bottle split with BossHossBikes.. . .thanks, man!!!! Pours black. Seriously, black, not much head. The aroma is powerful and reminds me of liquor. Lots of burn and wood in the nose along with coffee and a bit of molasses. The carbonation is low and the mouthfeel is semi-thick. Alcohol burns throughout but the other flavors are just as strong. The finish is nicely sweet with hints of creamy coffee and smoke, that’s the tamest thing on this one. The initial palate is rife with powerful alcohol notes, but it all seems like a fine sipping whisky just with more molasses and coffee. This is a beast of a beer, but I don’t think I could enjoy more than one of these at a time. No grace or subtly or attempt to hide the alcohol on this one. Still, for a sipper it is very nice.