Spontanorange
Mikkeller ApS

Reviewed from notes. Poured from the 375 mL bottle into a Smog City tulip glass. Consumed 12/14/19, and either a 2015 or 2016 vintage bottle (was recorded differently, so some uncertainty there).

A: Pours a mildly hazy gold, until the bottom part of the bottle - then a hazy darker gold to bronze. A low amount of visible carbonation, and a thin white head that fades to a narrow ring quickly.

S: Old oranges and citrus rind, mild citric (and I think some lactic) tartness. Some basement and barnyard funk - perhaps a mixture of Lactobacillus and Brettanomyces. But not overly tart or fruity on the nose.

T: Oranges and citric acid tartness. Lactic acid dryness. Biscuit sweet malts – a little more sweetness than typical for a lot of sours, but not out of place. Still a mild funk - dry barnyard and a little cheesy. Maybe a touch of fruity pineapple mixing with the orange – possibly from Brett. A little flat oxidation in the malts is there, but not ruinous. Some sweet citrus and sour green oranges at the swallow with more dry citric acid.

M: Medium body, low alcohol presence. Carbonation is modestly lower than expected.

O: Some decent flavors of funk here, and a nice level of acidity. The mild oxidation and the somewhat-low carbonation aren’t helping, though I assume the funk has increased with age. But I’m not sure the concept of an orange sour is something I’d go out of my way to repeat.

 

 

On-tap served in a stemmed glass at Mikkeller Bangkok.

Hazy golden orange in color with a finger of creamy off-white head that stays with pretty good retention, it dissipates and leaves plenty of sticky lacing patch and spot here and there.

The aroma and taste reflects full similarity of orange, orange peel, sour, tart, acidic, lime, plum, funky, grassy, hay, floral, slightly bitter, and sweet bready malt.

Medium body with good crisp and lively carbonation through the palate, quite smooth mouthfeel with a refreshing touch and dry finish. Pretty good orange Lambic.

the orange in this one is very distinct, but its somewhat subtle compared to a few of the other citrus beers in the series, most notably the mandarin, which this is the most similar to otherwise, and the yuzu, which is about a million times more fruity, and which i had side by side with this one. the beer tastes mature, woody and funkier than some of the others, not sure which round of these included the orange, but it may have been a couple of year ago. the cool part here is that its got all parts of the orange it seems, the essence and oils from the zest, as well as the sweet acidic flesh, sunny and bright, perfectly proportioned to accentuate the wild yeasts in the base beer. citrus is cool in lambic types because the acids are complimentary, and thats on display beautifully here. its very dry too, very little residual sweetness from the orange. i sort of wish for more orange flavor to carry though to the finish, it rather sputters during the journey, flashing in and out, but never staying constant. neutralized perhaps a little by the oak, which is prominent here too. a little less carbonation that i like in the style, but more active than the carrot version i just had. there is a lightness about this too, very little grain or wood weight to this, it just kind of floats on the palate, a great sensation. maybe not the most vibrant on the fruit beer in the series, but the orange is great match for the base lambic, without a doubt.

A: Poured into a tulip to a fairly clear light orange topped by a finger and a half of dense white head that fades fairly quickly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing
S: Smells of light funk and a nice sourness with a little orange sweetness mixed in
T: Taste is nice and sour up front with a nice barnyard funk with a little horseblanket and some nice sweet orange notes. Swallow is more orange with lingering funk and a little more sourness toward the very end. This one seems to have more funky notes than the others but it still is a very nice beer
M: This beer is on the lighter side of medium with carbonation that is just slightly prickly with a drying finish from the acidity.
O: This is a really nice beer with some great funk and sourness with some nice orange notes from the fruit. Probably one of my favorites in this series. This is definitely one to try in my opinion.

 

Aroma is funk/earthy, fruit/orange and a hint of worceshire sauce. The flavor is fruit/orange/citrus, malts and a mix of slightly dry and sour/funk in the finish.

 

375 ml bottle into tulip glass, best before 11/26/2025. Pours clear golden orange color with a 2 finger dense and fluffy white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of lightly tart lemon, orange, citrus peel, green apple, pear, pepper, hay, straw, oak, leather, musty funk, light vanilla, and yeast/oak earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity/funky yeast, orange, and oak barrel notes; with solid strength. Taste of tart lemon, orange, citrus peel, green apple, pear, pepper, hay, straw, oak, wheat, cracker, leather, musty funk, light vanilla, and yeast/oak earthiness. Moderate fruity/acidic tartness and tannic/citrus peel bitter/spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of tart lemon, orange, citrus peel, green apple, pear, pepper, hay, straw, oak, leather, musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, oranges, oak barrel, and moderate pale malt flavors; with a great malt/tart/spiciness balance and zero astringent flavors after the finish. Moderate dryness from acidity/spiciness as well. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately acidic, and lightly grainy/creamy balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very good orange fruit lambic style. All around good complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, oranges, oak barrel, and moderate pale malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the balanced acidity. A very enjoyable offering.