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Beer No: 82
Page No: 745
Category: Dark

Day 3 as the World Cup journey continues.  Today’s games were again not that exciting.  The Netherlands beat Denmark 2-0, in a fairly unremarkable game, but I did enjoy seeing Japan beat Cameroon 1-0 for Japan’s first World Cup win off their home soil.  Also, I did enjoy the Italy vs. Paraguay match as Paraguy were heavy underdogs, but took the lead 1-0 in the first half.  Unfortunately, Italy battled back to tie it 1-1, so it was a good result for Paraguay.  Today’s beer comes from the game 1 loser, Denmark.  The Mikkeller Black is about as subtle with its flavors as the vuvuzelas that are heard in the background of every World Cup game.  Heavy handed with alcohol flavors, coffee, and sugary sweetness, the Black is definitely an acquired taste (I don’t think I’ll ever get there).

After just having a wide cacophony of stouts and porters a couple days ago, it’s quite stunning how up-front the Mikkeller Black is with the alcohol flavors.  Almost to the point of having a slight paint thinner taste.  When you have wonderful beers like the Dark Lord (my new #1 beer of all time), AleSmith Speedway Stout, and The Bruery’s Black Tuesday, it just goes to show how different each and every Imperial Stout can be.  There’s no balance in the Black.  It’s just so heavy-handed and off-kilter that it just is not a very drinkable beer.  Each sip has to be forced down, else you get hit with the alcohol aroma, flavors, and sugary-sweet aftertaste all at once – enough to knock you out of your seat.  I’ve got another bottle, so I’m really interested now to see how my friends react to the beer, but for me, I’ll pass on this one.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Mikkeller 黑 / Black by Mikkeller (Brewed by De Proefbrouwerij)

Aroma: 6/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 5/10
Palate: 3/5
Overall: 8/20

Rating: 2.6 / 5.0

Had from bottle from Hi Time Wines. Pours thick black with no head on pour, but a slight tan head materializes after all is poured and linkgers throughout. Aroma is strong alcohol, coffee, cream, and sugar. Almost like an alcoholic coffee in the morning. Taste just hits you with alcohol. At 17.5%, it’s to be expected somewhat, but when the good Imperial Stouts like Dark Lord, Speedway and Black Tuesday can mask their alcohol, it just really stands out that this one can’t. Flavors are mostly chocolate, coffee, more alcohol, licorice, and sugar sweetness. Aftertaste has lingering alcohol and sugar – not the best flavor to keep around. Each sip just hits you again with more alcohol and sugar. Not a fan of this heavy, oily, sweet, concoction.

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