Further Meditations
Mikkeller ApS

one of the most interesting and memorable beers i have ever had, this is precisely what continues to draw me to mikkeller after all these years, a truly wonderful specimen unlike anything i have ever encountered. the clear glass bottle with the cork and cap is a lovely way to present it. the color and viscosity are insane, blood red and thick like syrup, very little head or carbonation in here, but its not missed, the slow pace of this is almost mandatory to be able to fully appreciate it. it is a wild ale, brewed with special danish cherries, aged in cherry wine barrels which i assume come from the famed frederiksdal wine, and then spiked with cinnamon and vanilla beans, absurdly complex and nuanced. there is a wild layer of sediment adhered to the side of the bottle as we pour it, obviously this was aged on its side, looks almost solidified in there, but the beer itself is pretty clear, this level of saturated red i have not seen in an ale before. the nose is shocking, tart and vinous, the absolute essence of this cherry, with a floral layer to it, the orchid aspect of the vanilla right there hanging on some fruity sweetness the whole way, a wrinkle of red berry and plum fruitiness too, warming wintery earthy cinnamon without any heat to it, and all kinds of oak and funk, mouthwatering because its tart, but also because its decadent, really unique and i cannot wait to taste it, but i am patient with smelling it, its so dark attractive. the cherry flavor is so intense, its almost cherry juice as much as it is beer, thick and slow and dense, i love it, hangs long on the palate, and the cherry wine aspect adds richness and depth to the pure fruit character, they play perfectly together. vanilla sweetens this some but also enhances the fruit, its not desserty even with the cinnamon, and its not overdone even though the vanilla is obvious, it seems high end and natural and i cant imagine the beer without it. cinnamon is warming and it makes this seem almost like a christmas thing for some reason, the oak is unifying and mellowing, and the ferment is awesome, at once sort of lambic funkiness and then cleaner bacterial sourness happening at the same time, but its super well refined and interesting, slippery and really full in feel, and all together this beer is absolute magic. frankly its on the edge of even being beer in the classic sense, a seriously evolved drink here worthy of any occasion. among the very best all time from mikkeller as far as i am concerned! an absolute masterpiece.