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Mikkeller ApS

A 750ml bottle, with a best before date of sometime in 2026 (since the month was not legible). I suspect this bottle is a 2016 vintage. Poured into a Mikkeller stemmed tasting glass.

Appearance: A hazy reddish purple orange colour with a one finger pinkish head that had decent retention but left only sparse lacing.

Aroma: Tart, Spontan like funk, oak, blueberry skin, blueberries, Ribena, with notes of zingy lemon zest, pepper, and hay.

Taste: Sour, tart, funky, blueberry skin, blueberry, oak, plum, Ribena, lemon zest, with herbal, yoghurt and jammy notes.

Mouthfeel: Dry-ish, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall: Enjoyable and easy to drink with nice berry notes. I’ve tried it a few times, and admittedly, despite a best before of 2026, I think it may have just past it’s prime.

 

Pours dark purple-hued with a nice white head. Aroma is on par for a Mikkeller Spontan; lots of oak. Fruit is subtle, but it is five years old; you can tell it's there, but not that it's blueberry. Taste is also heavy on the oak and very lactic; light on the fruit, but also on the acidity. It's really very nice.
Being a 2013 fruited 'lambic,' I was expecting more acidity than blueberry. But it was pleasantly surprising in it's drinkability.

Edit: drank a glass of this that I didn't finish from the night before the next day. The blueberry actually came out more in the flavor and the lack of carb made this beer amazing.

 

 

750 ml bottled into tulip glass, best before 2024. Pours hazy dark ruby red/purple color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy pink head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of huge tart/tangy/sour blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, cherry, plum, currant, concord grape, lemon, green apple, red wine, oak, wheat, cracker, and bread; with lighter notes of vanilla, pepper, hay, straw, leathery/musty funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, blueberries, oak barrel, and moderate pale malt notes; with great strength. Taste of huge tart/tangy/sour blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, cherry, plum, currant, concord grape, lemon, green apple, red wine, oak, wheat, cracker, and bread; with lighter notes of vanilla, pepper, hay, straw, leathery/musty funk, red wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tartness and light yeast/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, cherry, plum, currant, concord grape, lemon, green apple, red wine, oak, wheat, cracker, bread, pepper, hay, straw, light funk/vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, blueberries, oak barrel, and moderate pale malt flavors; with an awesome malt/tart/sour/spiciness balance, and zero puckering flavors after the finish. Light-moderate dryness from tart/sour/spiciness and carbonation, increasing through the glass. Medium-high carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy/acidic, fairly crisp, and lightly tannic/sticky balanced mouthfeel that is awesome. Zero warming alcohol for 7.7%. Overall this an outstanding fruit lambic. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, blueberries, oak barrel, and moderate pale malt flavors; very smooth, crisp, and easy to drink with the balanced lactic/tannic finish. Huge fruit presence and great Brett/Lacto complexity; all supported by a nice malt backbone. Never overly sweet. A highly enjoyable offering.

Rich reddish purple with a pinkish head. Smell is strong Barrel oak and merlot notes, with blueberry essence and a bit of spice. Blueberry wine is the primary flavor, lots of oaky buttery red wine vibes. Feel is smooth. Very good, however the flavor is much more akin to wine than beer.

 

 

A: Poured into a Duvel tulip to a deep purple topped by a finger and a half of dense dark pink head that fades slowly to an eighth of an inch of head with some nice lacing.
S: Smells of blueberries and sourness with some oak and funk.
T: Taste is blueberries and bright sourness combined with some nice funk with hints of barnyard and horseblanket. There's some nice oak at times as well. Swallow is more sourness and oak with some lingering funk and blueberries.
M: This one is surprisingly thick in body sitting on the heavier side of medium with soft but adequate carbonation and a dry finish
O: Overall this one is really nice. Great complexity and sourness with some great fruit notes. Definitely a bit pricey but very good.

 

2015 vintage; drank 9/9/15 @ Fischman's.

Poured from the bottle into a glass.

Radish colored appearance.

Pink head; nice lace.

Blueberry & red wine notes in the nose.

Medium thick mouthfeel.

Blueberry jam flavor up front; tart bite on the finish. Fruit forward & very enjoyable, but a touch too tart for this gentle soul.

 

 

 

On tap at Stoneyard Beer Hall and Grill in Webster, NY.

This one pours a dark, dark blueish-purple, with a small head, and no lacing.

Smells like super, super tart blueberry, lemon, oak, maybe some slight vanilla, and grape skin.

This is quite sour, and a little bit vinegary, but the blueberry character is still quite nice. There's a tiny bit of oak, and a hint of vanilla that really help to balance things out.

This has a surprisingly thick mouthfeel, with a good level of carbonation.

If this was a little less vinegary, this would be great. As it is- just good to very good.

 

2016-10-01
Small wineglass pour at Slow Boat Tavern for Zwanze Day.

Pours black (at least in this dim lighting). Tiny head, no visible carbonation. Smell is fruity, berries, but fairly mild.

Taste is moderately tart, but strong berry flavor. A little bit like an unsweetened fruit juice might taste, but a little tarter.

Mouthfeel is smooth but dry. Overall, nice, solid beer.