Mikkeller. Consistently moderately rated.

There are a handful of brewers who I will never buy from because I do not support them commanding an asinine price which, in turn, lets other brewers command an even more asinine price for their beers. Mikkeller is one of those brewers. I will never buy a bottle of theirs until they charge a not-ludicrous price.

 

If having a 3.84 beer average on the site qualifies as mediocre, does that mean Lagunitas (rated at 3.89 and a brewery everyone on this site orgasms over) is too? And what does it take to be good?

Four things can explain Mikkeller's high prices.
Shelton Brothers imports the beer, and that importers is not known for value. Second, they're imported. Third, doing business in the Nordic countries costs relatively more. And lastly, Shelton Brothers.

 

Mikkeller. Consistently mediocre.

The highest exception being the Nelson Sauvin Brut.

 

I'm drinking (and reviewing) Mikkeller Black as I write this post and I am regretful at spending around $16 for a 375mL bottle. Why'd I buy it? Well, I've been to Torst and the Mikkeller bars and had beers that were fairly good and only (I say this facetiously) cost me around $8 a pour. Add to that the buzz these beers always seem to have and I felt compelled to pick up a few of their beers when I had the opportunity at my local LQ spot.

The Black has an incredible medley of flavors, bourbon, scotch, smokiness, baker's chocolate, vanilla, and peat, but the booze level (my local store hung on to these for at least two years, I think), meaning the sheer heat, is so over the top that I can't simply sip it and enjoy it.

It's made me think, this beer has a ton of potential, but wasn't quite executed right and certainly doesn't match up with the Bourbon County that it so resembles. 4 BCBS for the price of this one bottle.

In the end, I'd think many a consumer gets caught up in the hype that Mikkeller somehow (articles in the Times anyone?) generates, gets desperate to find out what the hype is about, and spends a good lump of money to try a few beers and find out.

Mikkeller's constant introduction of new beers, especially of the adventurous and nutty variety, feeds the frenzy and keeps folks curious and willing to spend the occasional $15-20, even if they're highly skeptical.

 

Poor comparison considering that a Lag bomber costs around $4-5 and a Mikkeller bomber costs $15-20. Are you gonna consistently buy the Mikkeller beer knowing damn well that there's a beer considered just as good but for a fraction of the price?

 

I appreciate the value comparison, however that wasn't what I was comparing.

 

It's expensive to produce, expensive to import. People need to stop equating price with quality. Price has everything to do with the cost of ingredients, cost of packaging, cost of shipping, cost of importing, not with how good or bad the brewer believes it to be.

 

So what were you comparing? You essentially said the beers are rated similarly yet one is much more adored than the other. To my thinking, that suggested that we have two similar breweries in terms of producing good beers, except one will cost you as much as it costs to travel to Europe, while the other is liking visiting the local dive bar.

 

Simple answer, if you don't like the product or price, don't buy it. If enough people feel the product isn't worth the price point and don't buy, they will be forced to either (a) lower the price or (b) pull out of the market. Vote with your dollar, these threads are meaningless bullshit.

 

Got burned entirely too many times with their beers. The higher price tag must dissuade people from buying it around here so it sits on the shelf longer. Even when Ive tried it fresh it was alright but didnt justify the pricing. I just don't bother with any of it anymore.

 

WOW Beers I've had by Mikkeller:

Beer Geek Brunch Weasel Cognac Edition (18$ for an 8.5 oz bottle bought at a bar)
Black Hole (~$15 for a 12.7 oz bottle bought at a bar)
Frelser (~$14 for a 750 mL bought at a beer store)
Hoppy Lovin' Christmas ($13 for a 750 mL bought at Whole Foods)
Invasion IPA (Can't remember what I paid for a 22 oz but it was reasonable for being bought at a bar)
Invasion Farmhouse IPA ($15 for a 750 mL at Whole Foods)
Santa's Little Helper 2011 (No idea since it was so long ago)

All the others that I've had which have been either good or just OK I remember not paying an arm and a leg for except 1000 IBU. It was like $8 for an 8 oz pour on draft at a bar. I've never felt like I was ripped off otherwise. You pay a premium for quality imported beer. You don't like it, don't buy it.

 

Only ever bought one, the Chipotle Porter for like 14.99(750ml). It was good, but have passed on all other due to price. They just seem to sit on the shelf here.

 

The Spontan series is fun. The BA Georges and BA Brunch Weasels are awesome.

 

Funny the only [all] positive beer in this thread is the nelson sauvin brut. That was the only homerun I could think of.

THe spontan- series was fun, but some of them were pretty rough, yet all were ~$15.

I'll throw the It's Alive series in the mix. I liked those, when I found them for non-insane prices. Recently saw the 375 white wine barrel $15, and kind of chuckled. Good beer but, that's a ridiculous price.

 

I responded to the original poster, questioning the "mediocre ratings" of Mikkeller, when overall as a brewery are off by a few hundredths of a point to an American brewery which receives much praise on this site. "Mediocre ratings", that's just a pale-faced lie by the OP. I then attempted to list a few reasons for Mikkeller's high prices in the U.S. Not once did I compare Mikkeller's U.S. prices with any other brewery's, I was comparing overall quality to overall quality.

Now that I read the original post of this thread again, what the heck is an overrated price?

 

Pretty simple, he doesn't brew his own beer (he only comes up with the grain bill) and he almost always brews at different locations because he's a gypsy "brewer". Local water sources as well as brewer tendencies are what give each beer its unique flavor profile, hence why his beer ratings are all over the map. Throw in the fact that he has to pay the breweries a commission to brew for him every time and the fact that these breweries are all over the damn place means stupid pricing for kitschy beers. If you don't believe in brewer consistency, technique, and a local water source just ask someone like Jean Van Roy what role that plays in good beer.

 

The price, in my area at least, has always stopped me from buying any when I see it.

 

I think Mikkeller suffers from being transported across the ocean to the states. I rarely find any IPAs from them that aren't totally oxidized and dead. I have a sneaking suspicion that if you were to drink their beer at their brewery in Denmark it would be much better. I cannot be sure this is the case, but it certainly makes sense.

 

I've posted this before and I'll say it again. At least in Philly, the price for their beer on tap is comparable to most other beers, and I think they really do make some exceptionable brews. I agree, in the bottle, the beer is expensive, but when I see them on tap, I almost always order one of their beers.