Mikkeller Black

This beer defies description. And it defies your palate too, at every step. No one would ever think this were beer if you never told them - it's that unique. With a smell that overwhelms with soy sauce and chocolate fondue reduced with fine spirits this gets ever bigger and weirder in the mouth. Pouring jet black, this is huge as hell, atom dense, and has the intensity of a pure shot of espresso, but a bigger more engulfing mouthfeel. Sweet up front with lots and lots and lots of malts, the finish is astringent and bitter. Finishes with a scotchy smokyness. Some will definitely like that component, though. Really a love it or hate it drink, this pretty much makes evaluation impossible. A paradox of a beer. And the kicker? This is 17.5% ABV. This will ruin your liver.

Unrateable

$20/12oz at City Beer

Mikkeller Black Hole

I suppose one should call this a stout, but Mikkeller does not do much by the books. Apparently this is their attempt at reproducing Alesmith's famed Speedway Stout, which I have not been fortunate enough to try yet (although there is some hope). Nonetheless, this is an awesome super flavourful chocolate and coffee bean mash up. The malts are deep and complex, and the palate is thick and viscous. A subtle tinge of caramel or toffee glides through the dessert like palate. This beer has an incredible robustness, depth and balance. And it is the best I've had from Mikkeller. Pair this with rich meats and you will be in heaven, or at least lost in a gravitational abyss.

Excellent to Excellent+

$13/375ml at City Beer

Mikkeller Big Worse Barley WIne

It seems as though the Scandanavians are becoming a mini-powerhouse in the world of craft brewing. Mikkeller, which I believe is Danish, has built a pretty solid reputation for themselves here in the US with an embrace of the extreme beer style that has provided the reputation of such vaunted brewers as Dogfish Head, Hair of the Dog, etc.

This particular barley wine is made on the more traditional malty-side, with quite an intense malty thickness to the palate. Luckily this is coupled with a nice crisp dry finish that rounds out the structure to a relatively balanced equilibrium. With orange peel and general fruit cake notes in the palate, despite being 12% ABV this is smooth, balanced and drinks very well, albeit you'll want to keep this at a sipping pace. Not the best barley wine I've had, but a very good example, and tasty enough to prompt me to indulge in future brews by Mikkeller.

Very Good to Very Good+

$12 for 375ml bottle at City Beer