Brewery: Mikkeller ApS Country: Denmark ABV: 7.5% Style: Oatmeal Stout Other Notes: Brewed and bottled by Mikkeller at Lervig Aktiebryggeri (Norway)
Brewer Description: (from bottle) Oatmeal stout brewed with coffee.
My rating: 4 My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.18 My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1
Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date on the bottle cap of 20th May 2019, and poured into a snifter glass. Appearance: The beer poured pitch black with maybe just under one finger tan head that dissipates fairly quickly leaving nice stringy lacing. Aroma: Aromas mainly of coffee and dark chocolate along with some slight cognac alcohol and raisin smells. Taste: Espresso coffee dominates throughout along with a bit of dark chocolate leaving a long lingering bitter aftertaste. Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with medium carbonation. A creamy beginning but dry finish. Overall: I enjoyed this a lot as I regularly drink black coffee and the lingering bitter aftertaste was excellent. I would be very interested to try out all the different barrel aged versions if I ever get my hands on those bottles. However, this is not quite there at Founders Breakfast Stout level which is still my favourite non BA coffee based stout.
Brewery: Omnipollo Country: Sweden ABV: 6% Style: Saison Other Notes: Brewed for Omnipollo at De Proef Brouwerij in Belgium.
Brewer Description: (from website) I first came across good beer working at a bar chain called The Bishop’s Arms. Last year we were asked to make a celebratory beer for their 20th anniversary. Bacchanale is a sparkling farmhouse ale brewed with Saaz, Galaxy and brett.
My rating: 1 My beeradvocate.com rating: 2.38 My ratebeer.com rating: 2.1
Intro: Corked and caged 375ml bottle with unfortunately no bottled or best before date. Poured into a Duvel tulip glass. Appearance: The beer poured a very hazy burnt orange colour with quite a bit of yeast sediment with a half finger white head. Normally I’m ok with sediment but for some reason, this time it didn’t look too good. Aroma: Given its appearance, its aromas became more important to me in determining whether something was wrong. But actually it smelled quite good. A strong whiff of citrus sour lemon mixed with some barnyard brett. Taste: However its taste left something to be desired as it was mainly acidic sour citrus lime, lemon, orange and bitter pine. It started out ok but the aftertaste was not. Mouthfeel: Thin to medium bodied, but well carbonated almost like soda water. Also left a dry finish. Overall: I normally enjoy saisons, but I just did not get this at all. I wish there was at least a bottled or best before date on the bottle to indicate its freshness, but there was none. I also saw no indication of anything wrong with it and its aroma seemed fine, so I can only say that tastewise this particular brew from Omnipollo was just not for me.
Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co. Country: USA ABV: 9% Style: Double IPA Other Notes: IBU 100
Brewer Description: (from website) In the seemingly endless cruelty, battle and strife of the Hyborian Age, a warrior has but two pleasures: decimating one’s enemies in battle, and a horn of Cimmerian Sabertooth Berzerker to slake the thirst of victory.
My rating: 3 My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.49 My ratebeer.com rating: 3.4
Intro: Excited to see this on tap at Mikkeller Bangkok. Appearance: Served in a pint glass a hazy copper orange colour with an off white one finger bubbly head. Aroma: Strong aromas of citrus grapefruit, lemon peel and pine with some caramel in the background. Taste: Much like the smell, the immediate taste is bitter hoppy grapefruit and caramel malts. There is some aftertaste of piney hops and spice. Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied, with good carbonation. Overall: Maybe my expectations were too high to begin with, but this was only ok for me. I enjoyed the grapefruit and pine hoppyness but perhaps a bit too much caramel malt sweetness.
Brewery: Mikkeller ApS Country: Denmark ABV: 4.6% Style: American Pale Ale Other Notes: Brewed and bottled by Mikkeller at De Proef Brouwerij
Brewer Description: Folk Pale Ale (or basically not much description on bottle or their website!)
My rating: 4 My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.31 My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2
Intro: A 330ml bottle dated best before 8th April 2016 and poured into a Duvel tulip glass. Appearance: The beer poured a hazy golden orange colour with between a two and three finger white head that dissipated slowly leaving streaky and blobby lacing behind. Aroma: Aromas start with very nice tropical fruits mainly pineapple and mango followed by lemon and pine ending with strong grapefruit. Taste: Grapefruit bitterness immediately comes to mind followed by a hint of lemon and hoppy pine and grass. There was a light malty background throughout. Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied, medium carbonation and refreshing. Overall: This was a great and solid pale ale from Mikkeller. If it wasn’t so expensive in Hong Kong (I’m paying around USD 5 per bottle) I would drink this even more regularly than I do right now.
Brewery: Mikkeller ApS Country: Denmark ABV: 5% Style: Fruit Beer Other Notes: Brewed and bottled by Mikkeller at De Proef Brouwerij.
Brewer Description: (from bottle) Pilsner brewed with orange and lemon peel.
My rating: 2 My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.23 My ratebeer.com rating: 2.9
Intro: This was a 330ml bottle with a best before date of 26th November 2016 on the bottle cap. Appearance: The beer was poured into a Duvel tulip glass a slightly hazy golden orange colour with a half finger white head that dissipated really quickly. There was some slight thin lacing. Aroma: Initial whiff of mandarin orange, some tropical mango, and a finish of bittery lemon peel. Taste: Very light fruity citrus orange to start but that quickly changes to a mixture of bready malts and bitter grassy hops. Mouthfeel: Light bodied, mild carbonation and dry. Overall: This was not quite what I was expecting from a fruit beer. While the aromas were great, I felt that the taste left the fruity phase way too quickly and it became almost lager like. I like Mikkeller but this one didn’t really work for me and was only ok.
words of another dreamy traveller 