Mikkeller Not Just Another Wit

Mikkeller
Brewed at De Proefbrouwerij
Style: Belgian White (Witbier)
Copenhagen V, Denmark

750ml caged&corked bottle. Pours a cloudy brown/yellow gold with a very thick white head and many specks of dirt-like yeast chunks (hard to pour the bottle w/out stirring a little up). The aroma is funky and hoppy: subtle peppery phenols; yeasty, doughy bread; a touch of anise; aromatic bitter orange; and citrusy, earthy hops. The flavor starts fruity and spicy with lots of esters (pear, melon), lots of grassy, herbal, citrusy hops, and a nice, light, grainy, malt sweetness. There is something slightly medicinal about the combination. At mid-palate, the bitter citrus and grassiness strengthen along with a good bit of coriander and licorice-like esters. The finish is dry and hoppy with a touch of bready malt and lots of bitter fruit and aromatic spice. Overall, a very pleasant beer that kind of defies description. Belgian Strong Ale is certainly better than Witbier though...

bottle. Cloudy and poured with a big head, Bitterness develops over time. This is impressive even if like myself you are not a great fan of this style.

Tuulensuu, Tampere - thanks to the guy at the other table Hazy (dregs of bottle). Aroma of hops and wheat. Reasonably good hop profile, a little ginger in the palate. Hops and a bit of grain. Slightly sweet but not too much so. Don’t know what a whole glass would be like - probably would only add to the sense that it’s just, well, another wit. Unusually, Phil did not share this.

750ml bottle. Spice aroma along with some grain. Deep golden body with big white head and some moderate lacing. Flavor is grainy and spice and some what chalky. Mild sweet grain aftertaste lingers to tell me this is just another wit but overpriced.

Poured a very cloudy bright gold with an eggshell white foam. Strong smells of coriander and pineapple, there is a dominant tropical character. I also get a little bit of ginger bread. A incredibly smooth silky body has low carbonation and in this case, that is a good thing. There is also some coriander, especially in the finish. I get some light pineapple and orange notes. Overall, this is a nicely made brew that is much smoother than I would have expected, given the alcohol level.

My Mikkeller of choice today is a Belgian Ale brewed with Spices which has now been clarified as a Witbier, aka Belgian White. It is not at all uncommon for Belgian and Belgian-style ales to have natural flavors of spice, wood, and such due wholly to the natural yeast strains and brewing processes. It also isn’t unusual for those mischievous Belgians and their inspired cohorts to add a little extra punch of flavor, complexity, and uniqueness to their beer with the addition of spices, fruit, and so on. But that is a whole other barrel of brew for another discussion on a different day.

She poured a hazy golden-orange with a huge head gracefully adorning her beautiful colors. Appearing like a heavenly cloud descended, she fades slowly into soft tufts while sprinkles of lace adorn the sides of my glass. Wafting gently my way, her heady aroma of tart lemon and grapefruit, spices, clove, coriander, nutmeg and slightly funked sourdough and yeast seduces and woos. Divinely sublime, our lips meet in an effervescent kiss wet with yeast and sourdough speckled with spices. The spices act as a soothsayer for the tart character of my Mikkeller, mellowing some of the initial tartness and sour funk. Surprisingly, her finish has a sweet touch of sweet grass and dry hops. As my Mikkeller warms, more peppery spice and coriander adds zest while my palate slowly dries, leaving me thirsting for each subsequent tart quaff. There are a lot of things going on within this beer, yet she is amazingly quaffable with an amazing refreshing character. All good things must come to an end though, and as we bid each other farewell, I am left with one final embrace of tart citrus, sourdough, pepper spice and coriander so nice, marked by a seductive sweet nip.

Most impressive is my first foray into the brewery Mikkeller. I haven’t had any of their other offerings so I can’t say if this is one of their best or their average fair, but I certainly wouldn’t say mediocre. I think I enjoyed most the exquisitely balanced conflict of tart yet sweet, sour yet spiced. I definitely look forward to seeing what else Mikkeller has to offer.

Bottle. Great Beer. Pours a hazy yellow gold. Citrusy, wit spiced with nice Mikkeller hop presence. Taste has coriander, citrus zest, wheat with nice hop presence. Extremly drinkable. Houblon Chouffe with a wit rather than a tripel. Really liked this

750ml caged and rubber-corked bottle. Served in a tulip. A hazy golden pour with lots of noticable carbonation dancing up the glass. A two-finger thick head of creamy beige foam stuck firm for a while, before settling into a lasting cap. Excellent lacing. The aroma included fresh orange zest, mild coriander, bread, light honey, and some lightly spicy yeast. Also some added hoppy citrus. Surprisingly, the flavor was somewhat dry. Orange peel, lemon zest, wheat, spicy yeast, and a note of dry alcohol warmth that lingered. Also a nice, crisp hoppy bite. The mouthfeel was medium-bodied and had a decent amount of carbonation. An interesting take on the style, but not the most drinkable. Too much alcohol warmth in the finish. I prefer wits to be a bit more crisp and refreshing.