Mikkeller 黑 / Black (Peated Edition)

Mikkeller
Formerly brewed at De Proefbrouwerij
Style: Imperial Stout
Copenhagen, Denmark

Serve in Snifter

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This is last of the four BA Black Holes for me, so I may do a bit of comparing to the others. The pour is generally the same of the others - pitch black with a thick creamy tan head that recedes slowly to a thick cap and leaves excellent lacing. The aroma has the biggest barrel character of any of the treatments. It’s got a ton of peat and smoke from the Scotch and some boozy burn in the nose. The underlying black malts, coffee and cocoa powder is there but much more understated than in than the other versions. Much like the aroma, the Scotch is the dominant characteristic in the taste. Huge peaty presence up front and the finish is like sipping a Scotch. There is a heavily roasted malt backbone and I think I can get the chocolate and dark fruits, but it’s tough because the Scotch is overwhelming. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied and feels slicker than the other ones. Obviously, the barrel character is massive in the finish. I think this might be my least favorite of the treatments as the Scotch is really overwhelming. Still good, but I prefer the other 3 versions which seem to have the barrel more integrated.

Bottle at Peter’s 2nd annual spring gathering courtesy of Brian from 12%. Pours a dead of night jet black. Still, with no head. Smoky peat, char and roast on the nose. Sweet and full of caramel and roast. Smoky and peat filled, chewy. Lingering peat smoke. Really delicious. Sweet and smoky, loved this one.

UPDATED: MAY 27, 2010 Taste at PilsnerPeter’s 2nd Annual Gathering
Sepia, no head. Nose of ash, peat, some chocolate followed by a strong flavor of whisky, definite peat, iodine, and some chocolate and anise. The base body is large enough to sustain barrel-aging and is still rather rich here, supporting the flavors while remaining thick and creamy. A bit more roasted malt would be enjoyable given how sweet this is, but its a nice blend of the whisky and imperial stout that remains quite balanced despite the size of each element.

Aroma of smoke and alcohol. The flavor is also full of smoke, but it is also sweet.

Bottle from Peter’s RBSG courtesy of Brian from 12% imports. Jet black pour that slowly and gently flowed from the bottle. Aroma is peat, meat, and sweet. The sweetness has a milk chocolate warmth to it. The flavor brings the milk chocolate to the forefront, rich like Hershey’s syrup. Notes of bourbon and burnt beef ribs in the background. Slightly thin and ashy texture, yet creamy as it gently glides down. This wasn’t as over the top as I expected from the aroma. Superior to Mikkeller’s peated Brunch Weasel.

Bottle at Pilsner Pete’s RBSG. Pours black, Nose is smoke, mesquite, bourbon, peat and licorice. Taste is similar. Lots of peat and smoked wood. Some chocolate and licorice.

courtesy of yespr - dark black coloured with no head left; very roasted chocolatey/coffeish aroma with cheesy notes, prune and black cherries; thick, oily and sticky, full-bodied and very salty; very bitter roasted dark chocolatey finish with notes of wood and meat - very very powerful and definitely excessive .. but I like it!

Bottle at The 1st BBF at De Molen. Pours deep brown, almost black, coloured with no head. Aromas of wood, peat, licorice and chocolate. Flavours of roasted malt, warming alcohol, fat peat and caramel. Too much burning alcohol and a little too cloying. Tasty though..

bottle @ Miami Fandango ’10 gathering. There is just this something about peat that I can’t get into. After having sampled the Islay edition of their Beer Geek serie, I was hopeful this would be an interesting experience. pours the same oily thick pitch black motor oil as the regular Black, thin mocha head. aroma is loaded with peat and chocolate/caramel malts, although the peat seems a little too present. flavors, peated version, and yes it’s just nasty peat flavors all over, some soy sauce viscous palate with dark malts, lost in between some charred wood mouthfeel.

Bottle from Madsberg, thanks for this one man!! Pours a very viscous midnight black with a small bubbly chocolate head. Nose was bursting with heavy peat smoke, burnt malts and various nuts. Big and heavy on the palate with tons of smoke and roasted qualities. A very unique brew, almost too much to handle.