Black (黑) (Whisky Edition)
Mikkeller ApS

 

 

375ml bottle dipped in white wax poured into a mikkeller star teku. The brew is black with a thin tan head. Some spotty lace sticks to the glass.

The smell is that of used motor oil, char, earthy roast and anise-like sweetness like chocolate mixed with raison. The faintest amount of barrel character is barely noticed and what it does impart is like burnt wood.

The flavor had sweetness like candy upfront than black tar heroine bitterness strong espresso and a mild burnt oakiness. This is in the upper echelon of most bitter beers ive ever encountered. The alcohol presence is also felt in a solvent way and not in any way indicative of the spirit barrel this was aged in.

This is medium to full bodied with light carbonation. A friggen intense brew that is slightly sweeter than its base. Ive had this beer in my cellar for nearly 5 years and honestly regret opening it, it might have mellowed out if i held on to it for another decade or 2.

This one was a little better than the Islay version. There was nothing wrong with it, just nothing that stood out compared to any other BA Stout

 

 

 

 

Big thanks to Jedwards for the final pre-move blowout cellar crash. Pours two shades shy of black with no head, just a mocha-colored cluster of bubbles around the shoulders. Nose reveals ethanol, dark malts, cocoa and some vanilla notes towards the back. Taste is sweet, charred, earthy and has a bit of soy sauce character. Mouthfeel is medium-heavy with an oily texture and a still carbonation. All and all, a little too hot in my opinion, but there's a lot of complexity to this beer. A little goes a long way.

 

 

Pours black as night with nicely tanned head. Great head for the ABV and ridiculous lacing. Funny, you can see rainbows in the bubbles like in an oil spill on the road, presumably because of the ABV.

Smell is port, gourmet coffee, chocolate, brown sugar, crunchy Belgian notes, alcoholic green apple. Sometimes booze is at the fore, other times not so much. Lots of roast.

Taste is a deep dark roasty maelstrom. There is sweetness, but it's in balance for me. The precarious tripod of roast, alcohol and sweetness ultimately holds up with each resting on one another. Also some charred oak.

Mouthfeel is big and thick.

Overall an accomplished big beer.

Bottle from hoppypocket. Poured in to CBS Snifter.

A - Dark black. One finger of medium brown head formed and receded to a thin layer. Very good lacing.

S - A big hit of whisky up front that doesn't overpower the beer despite being the dominant aroma. Big roasted malt aroma with some coffee, molasses and charred oak round out the nose. A fairly prominent sweetness is evident overall.

T - A very robust flavour profile over all. Whisky up front that gives way to oak, roasted malts, char, molasses and chocolate. The alcohol is warming throughout, which is no surprise given the ABV. With each sip, the alcohol becomes more and more of a distraction. The finish has some vanilla and sweet, boozy chocolate.

M - Medium body, light carbonation.

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color stout with a large dark brown foamy head with excellent retention and some good lacing. Aroma of whisky is quite strong with some light vanilla notes and some light roasted malt notes. Taste is bit hot with some warming alcohol and clear whisky notes which are balanced by sweet rich black chocolate notes. Body is full with good carbonation and some alcohol ester notes are clearly present. A bit too much whisky for my taste with alcohol being a bit too present as well thought the base beer is still very enjoyable.

 

A: Pours pitch black (no surprise in other words). The large pale brown head sinks into decent lacings.

S: Sweetness overload. Syrup/molasses. Then there is vanilla from the oak. Dark dried fruits and obvious high ABV.

T: Sweetness, chocolate and vanilla. Roast is heavy, almost smoked. Some coffee. Dark dried fruits. Lots of alcohol.

M: Smooth, creamy and syrupy full body. Carbonation is non-present while aftertaste stays for some time, smoke and bitterness.

O: Well, a very interesting beer, to bad the ABV is this high - it's almost impossible to disguise the alcohol...

375 ML poured into a Great Divide snifter
Thanks to me for purchasing it

A-- Poured a murky, motor oil black. Settled black. no light penetrating this. Good head to this. Dark brown and thick. Stayed at one finger for a while before receding to above film. Receding left a nice collar of film at the top of the head. Dark brown oily substance on the sides of the glass. Good head retention and lots of spotty lacing after swirling.

S-- Dark fruits, chocolate fudge, oak, tobacco, char, and burnt rubber. Alcohol comes in waves. At times intense and at others restrained. When intense it is like fumes.

T-- Sweet. Very sweet. Carmel, Vanilla, and sweet dairy milk. Just touches of the oak and not a lot of whisky. Getting some nail polish remover taste as drinking on.

M-- Slick, oily and coating in front of mouth. Actually quite nice really. Back is another deal. Finishes with a kick of burnt rubber, char, and ash. Yep, it is a Mikkeller all right. Very char and ash finish. Who needs a cigarette when you can drink this! Thinner body than I thought it would be and the nail polish feel is getting annoying

O-- Much better than the base beer. Hated Black. Not nearly as good as the Islay is (need to get another and review it). Quite drinkable for 17.5%. Still a sipper though and better shared. Alcohol is much more restrained in the mouth than in the nose. At times I think his BA treatments are better than the base beers. Go Figure. Worth getting one for long term cellaring.

Much thanks to forgetfu for supplying the Mikkeller Black vertical for this tasting.

A- Pours a dark chocolate color with a fingers width of mocha colored head. Stained the glass with a nice butterscotch film as the beer was consumed.

S- Mellowed whiskey and oak upfront with a caramel chocolate background. Vastly different from the base beer.

T- Once again, very sweet upfront, but it is not as prolonged. Mild whiskey and oak flavors cut in midway. Finish is of whiskey barrel along with some spice. There is a bit of chalkiness in the finish that put me off a slight bit.

M- Much like the base, too thin for the style.

D- Alcohol was hidden fairly well, especially for being BA beer. I think time mellowed out the whiskey a bit, especially since other reviews talk about how in your face it is. However, the chalkiness combined with the sweetness wears on you a bit.

Overall, along with the base beer, this was my other least favorite of all the variants.

Shared this at a home get together.

This is a potent beer. Strong smell of molasses and alcohol. The taste is the same, add in some oak. Real oily feel in the system. The warmth of alcohol in evident in the stomach.

As you can probably tell, I have had a few already tonight.

Bottle shared with Alex and Chris after warming up with a gin tasting at WLV Liquors. :-)

A - Pours black, tan head, some whisps and bubbles remain after the initial pour.

S - Huge whiskey note right up front in your face, followed by some oak, slight chocolate, and a touch of coffee/expresso. It's really hard to notice much else besides the whiskey...woah.

T - It's like drinking a shot of whiskey with a touch of stout in there. Hot damn, literally. Lots of smooth whiskey, toasty oak, some chocolate. Huge alcohol bite and harsh oaky bitter finish that stays with you long after you swallow.

M - Full bodied, rich and thick, low carbonation. Motor oil.

D - This is a monster of a beer. Tons of hot whiskey, oak, more whiskey. I finished my share and didn't want anymore. A little too boozy and the finish punished my taste buds. Not a huge fan but not terrible by any means.