El Celler De Can Roca
Mikkeller ApS

El Celler De Can RocaEl Celler De Can Roca
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From:
Mikkeller ApS
 
Denmark
Style:
German Pilsner
ABV:
5%
Score:
89
Avg:
4 | pDev: 8.5%
Reviews:
3
Ratings:
23
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 19, 2016
Added:
Apr 26, 2014
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  4
No description / notes.
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Rated: 3.69 by dcmchew from Romania

Feb 19, 2016
 
Rated: 3.44 by Lucoli from New York

Feb 12, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by mytu420 from Romania

Feb 01, 2016
Photo of Jugs_McGhee
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

3.23/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
BOTTLE: Brown glass, with a white pry-off crown cap depicting the best by date (24/09/17) and an artful label design depicting a fish being gutted with a fine knife. Classy presentation. 330ml format.

Imported to the US by the Shelton Bastards. I acquired a bottle in Europe. Brewed at De Proef. 5% ABV.

Reviewed live as a pilsner per the label. Served cold into stemware. Expectations are high given the brewer.

HEAD: ~2cm wide. White colour. Wonderfully frothy with a nice even, coating, thick consistency. Style-appropriate thickness and foaminess. Retention is nice - ~3-4 minutes. Leaves no lacing as it recedes.

BODY: Surprisingly, this is not the obviously filtered clear yellow you'd expect of a pilsner. Instead, it's a hazy translucent orange-copper of above average vibrance. Definitely not to style, but somewhat unique in that regard.

It's a good looking beer generally speaking, though style purists may take issue with its seeming lack of filtration. I'm eager to try it.

AROMA: Faint tropical fruit - kiwi and tangerine, primarily,with mango emerging more and more as it comes to temperature. Pale malts.

Is this an India Pale Lager? There's none of the grassy Saaz/Noble hop character you'd expect in a traditional pilsner, nor is there really any crisp pilsner malt backbone judging by the aroma. In any case, it isn't overbearing in terms of hop bitterness, and seems to feature a lot of fruity flavour while keeping balance intact. I'm curious to see if the taste is as good as the aroma, though it should be noted that the aromatics are quite muted; I'm not anticipating a deep or expressive brew per se.

TASTE: Definitely comes off more like an India Pale Lager than a pilsner, boasting a pleasing blend of mango, tangerine, and kiwi tropical fruit notes but featuring enough pale malt (not pilsner malt to my tastes) sweetness to keep the hop profile balanced. Yeast profile is clean and ester-free, indicating lager yeast.

There is no grassy hop/Noble/Saaz character whatsoever, and I don't taste the requisite pilsner malt. In short, it just isn't a pilsner.

As enjoyable and approachable as it is, it doesn't boast much depth of flavour or intricacy, and lacks the subtlety and nuance you might find in an actual India Pale Lager. By walking the line between the two styles, Mikkel has missed out on maximizing the strengths of either. That said, I do quite like it in spite of its muted taste and shallow flavours.

TEXTURE: The absence of the style's usual crispness indicates perhaps that multi-decoction wasn't employed - or just that pilsner malts aren't a high percentage in the grain bill. It's smooth, wet, and refreshing - as you'd expect of a pilsner - but where it departs from tradition is its medium-body. This isn't your light-bodied drink-it-by-the-pitcher Czech or German pilsner; it's much too hefty and weighty on the palate for mass consumption. Carbonation is high. Light oily characteristics are noticeable - maybe from the hop oils?

Ideally, it'd be softer on the palate.

This mouthfeel does a nice job of complementing the taste, but fails to accentuate specific notes or to elevate the beer as a whole.

OVERALL: Billed as a pilsner when it really isn't. Considered rightfully as an India Pale Lager, it's a tasty brew with plenty to offer the discerning drinker. This is a beer that would be well served pairing with food, but I couldn't see myself purchasing a six pack at this price point. Drinkable, though not as much as it needs to be if we're calling it a pilsner.

Style traditionalists will see this as a hamfisted overhopped attempt to cater to American IPA lovers, forcing hops on a style that's best when it's subtle and nuanced. I'm content to disregard its marked style entirely, and enjoy it as a nice IPL intended for food pairing. Either way, it won't impress the discerning drinker, and fails to compete with the best expressions of either style.

All of the above noted, it should be said that this seems designed not to stand alone as a beer, but to be paired with food (ostensibly at El Celler de Can Roca, purportedly the best restaurant in the world).

High C+ (3.23) / ABOVE AVERAGE
Jan 30, 2016
 
Rated: 4.32 by Rickus from Taiwan

Oct 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.08 by Poupae from Thailand

May 17, 2015
 
Rated: 4.02 by JackieKu from Taiwan

May 03, 2015
 
Rated: 4.52 by AxlSkull from France

Feb 25, 2015
 
Rated: 4.02 by Synapstic from France

Jan 03, 2015
 
Rated: 4.4 by afsdan from Colorado

Sep 02, 2014
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4/5  rDev 0%
apparently brewed for a high end restaurant, this is one of the better pilseners i have ever had. its super hoppy, more like an india pale lager than a true german pils, but thats okay. there is citra and nelson and some other hops in here, giving a real fruit punchy tropicality to the finish that just isnt found in the traditional pilsener beers. a little darker in color too, more bronze than yellow, and nice and heady. the nose shows the nelson hops above the others, but not stupidly overdone or anything, still within reason, just a little flare. body is pretty big for the style too, but the finish is as quick as any lager out there, and the carbonation is about maxed out, so there are no issues at all with the mouthfeel. i like it leagues better than the canned keeper pils mikkeller did, the hops make this special. a great food beer indeed.
Sep 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by benjaminkhlaw from Hong Kong

Jul 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Hazee from Belgium

Jul 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Texasfan549 from Texas

Jul 25, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by GRG1313 from California

Jul 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by vissai from California

Jul 12, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by DrBier from Pennsylvania

Jul 04, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by bigDah7 from Massachusetts

Jun 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by ArsMoriendiOU818 from Virginia

Jun 09, 2014
Photo of ADZA
Reviewed by ADZA from Australia

4.07/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a golden yellow hue with a one finger head and clingy lacing everywhere,as soon as I pour it into my glass the aromas of strong pineapple,kiwi fruit and lychee just like a tropical punch bowl fruity and inviting,the feel is medium bodied and a bit fuller than your usual pilsner with beautiful moderate carbonation and the tropical cyclone continues with hints of strong strong pineapple followed by mango,lychee,a touch of pale chewy malts which sets up the finish of kiwi fruit and ripe berries very nicely to leave a soft bitterness which has me not wanting to put it back down and overall such a tasty pilsner that's well worth a visit cheers.
May 28, 2014
El Celler De Can Roca from Mikkeller ApS
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 23 ratings