Queen Of Passion
Mikkeller ApS

Reviewed from (long-standing) notes. Poured from a 16 oz. can into a Cycle Brewing goblet.

A: Pours a hazy medium gold, with a two-finger fluffy white head that diminishes to about a half-finger quickly but then lingers for quite a while. A good amount of visible carbonation.

S: Nice sized nose on this. Tropical fruits, tangelo and orange whip, passion fruit and lychee. Milder dank, melon, and resin. Biscuity sweet malts with just a hint of grain or wheat husk, and just a hint of lactic tart.

T: Citrusy up front - oranges and tangerines. Then tropical fruits - and again passion fruit and lychee dominate, with hints of sweet pineapple. Mild lactic tartness mixes with melon and dank hops, but with minimal if any spicy notes. The malt body is a mildly-surprisingly substantial – a definite biscuity sweetness, but with no caramel or toffee or husk. It works here – not quite West Coast, not quite NE IPA, but very nice. Only a modest bitterness in the hang – citrus pulp and rind with milder tropical fruits.

M: Average body for style, though maybe a a bit towards the lighter side overall. A good amount of carbonation sensation, and the alcohol is noticeable but integrated.

O: This is probably one of my favorite hoppy Mikkeller beers that I’ve had. I thought quite enjoyable, and I’m digging the African Queen and Southern Passion hop flavors. Hopefully AB-Inbev will see fit to start sharing them again sometime soon.

 

Pours clear amber with a small white head, disappears quite fast.
Aroma has tart, lemon, hoppy, Berliner sour, passion fruit
Taste is lemon, passion fruit, moderate hoppy, grapefruit, bitter and sour finish

 

Very little head - that dissipates within seconds - even with a fairly aggressive pour. Light, golden-straw with a faint haziness. The aroma is mostly of a fruited bubblegum or maybe even a powdered fruit drink, very berry-like or even fresh watermelon rind; it feels kind of artificial, but not unappealingly so. The tartness definitely comes through in the taste, and along with the creamy mouthfeel and dry finish, it could almost pass for a Berliner Weiße, were it not for the hop bitterness. Overall, for what it is described as ('a tart Pale Ale'), it is enjoyable.

 

Pours a slightly hazy amber with insta-fade soda fizz head, nothing on the glass. Smell: passionfruit puree, guava jam, bitter melon, wild berries, a bit weedy and lactic. Taste: juice mix... passionfruit, white grape, nectarine, guava. Mildly tart wheat cracker-y backdrop. Fast drinker, light bodied with slightly sugary body cut by the tartness. This is interesting and tasty... the intensity of the fruit is impressive given that there's no actual fruit in here.