USAlive! (Alive) - Mikkeller ApS

Viciousknishs

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- pours a coppery amber color with a finger and a half of creamy off white head. Superb head retention with gobby lacing.

S- floral citrus peel hops with musty Brett funk laying underneath. Light candy sugar notes with a cookie like malt on the finish.

T- Belgian candy and cookie like malt up front. Musty wet hay and earthy Brett with a substantial floral hop characteristic. Citrus orange peel notes blend in as well. Eatery fruit notes of green apple and underripe peach on the finish.

MF- slick expressive mouthfeel with a medium body. Frenetic carbonation.

D- very drinkable

Belgian IPA with Brett! Love it.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2012 03:57:40 | More by Viciousknishs

dansmcd

Australia

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a lightly hazy orange amber, with an off white head which remains for a few minutes.

S - Sweet fruity hops, grapefruit and tangerine, balanced against a mild stables funkiness.

T - Follows the nose with the citrusy hop character, some dank brett and wet bread brings some interest.

M - Moderately carbonated, medium body, starts out with a sour acidity before mellowing. Alcohol is well hidden.

O - Very enjoyable sour. Not sure about the nominated style here.

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2012 05:54:54 | More by dansmcd

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at Beer Street Brooklyn in New York, NY

A: Pours a hazy dark orange to copper/amber in color. The beer has a quarter finger tall off-white head that reduces to a very thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Very light amounts of funk with a moderate amount of grapefruit aromas.

T: The beer starts out with some light amounts of caramel malt sweetness that turns a little sour/funky as you continue to taste it - there are some light notes of fruit like apple and grapefruit.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: This beer is pretty easy to drink and is enjoyable - certainly not sessionable but a decent sipping beer. A little tough to drink on a really hot afternoon in a shop with minimal AC.

Serving type: on-tap

07-02-2012 01:14:09 | More by dbrauneis

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap. ½ Pint glass. Enjoyed on jun´12. Reddish copper color. Clear appearance. Creamy, rocky, white in color, froth. Caramel malt, herbs & wild yeast aromas with bready notes. Mildy toasted sweet malt, fruity touch & spiced flavors. Medium body, moderate carbonation. Oily texture. Resins, wood & citric bitterness in the middle lingers into long finish. ABV well hidden by a solid malty backbone. Flavorful.

Serving type: on-tap

07-01-2012 15:19:49 | More by GONZALOYANNA

Halcyondays

California

3.55/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Beachwood I,

A: Pours a deep amber with a medium white head, leaving solid lace.

S: Candied orange, some sweet malt, dark sugar, dried fig, much sweeter than I thought'd be.

T: Sweet fruit, notes of stone fruit, some grapefruit, with some earthy character.

M: Medium to full-bodied, creamy, soft carbonation.

O: A solid effort, it wasn't as dry as I thought it would be with tasting It's Alright. I enjoyed it, but nothing mind-blowing.

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2012 06:16:04 | More by Halcyondays

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.8/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark amber with a large, fading head.
Nose shows caramel, piney and fruity hops, funky brett notes, lemon and soft alcohol.
Flavours are dominated by hops, with piny and grapefruit notes most prominent before the mild acidity and funky brett enter. The alcohol and piny bitterness are very bold in the dry finish.
Carbonation seems a little full on.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2012 11:53:40 | More by CrazyDavros

birchstick

Missouri

3.88/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a darker reddish brown color with a really nice one finger head that retains extremely well. Nose is onion and earthy hops with some fruitiness and a nice Brett must and funk. Taste is pretty similar - starts off with some sweet malts that are pushed aside by some really earthy, onion, and citrus. These are replaced with some fruity Belgian yeast flavors. Ends with a bit of earthy funk and earthy hops, good combo that complement each other nicely. Overall, this is a nice beer. It combines some stuff that I didn't think would work (hops and Brett), but it did so I. A really nice way. Recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

05-30-2012 01:43:51 | More by birchstick

rfgetz

New Jersey

4.28/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazed and lightly rusted orange amber with nice cap of frothy white bubbles. Scent is a nice mix of citrusy hops and earthy, light funk along with a lightly bready malt backbone. Taste brings the components of scent to a whole new level, all the best notes of an IPA (bitter and citrusy) combine with a Belgian Pale (bready yeast, light sweetness) and completed wonderfully with the Brett (earthy, light barnyard funk)... complex. Medium bodied, grainy and dry. A nice beer from Mikkeller who continues to make interesting and tasty brews.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2011 14:32:43 | More by rfgetz

brentk56

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Arrives without much of a head atop the hazy amber liquid; just a few strands of lace are left behind

Smell: Caramel melt with some pith and funk

Taste: A hint of caramel at the outset and then the beer moves in a tart lemony direction, with tropical fruit and barnyard funk developing by mid-palate; a grassy, herbal hop character adds a bitter edge but the funk builds after, the swallow and lingers in the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Medium body with low carbonation; a bit flabby

Overall: A very complex brew, with the caramel, pith and funk all playing a role; I would prefer a livelier mouthfeel

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2011 01:06:43 | More by brentk56

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On Tap at Kraftworks.

US Alive pours into the glass a amberish/orange color with a small tint of red although that could of been the setting. A small off white cap that eventually bounces leaving little squiggles. smell is a mix of floral hops and some brett scent, going into some pepper and some citrus scents including tropics orange, grapefruit. Taste is pretty decent. Not as hoppy as the nose would lead one to believe. I do get some grapefruit and orange mixing in with some floral taste. The brett is understated but there. I do get more spice, black pepper, yet it does not intrude. A nice pale ale from Belgium with a kick of brett. I dug this but wonder if a fresh bottle might be a different experience, as I was expecting more brett.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2011 14:01:36 | More by onix1agr

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.83/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Served in a gorgeous half-pint glass in the BrewDog bar in Edinburgh. From notes. Reviewed 7 June 2011.

A: Clearish; pretty. Light, white, creamy head fades fast leaving really great lace. Nicely orange.

S: Smells like an IPA. Fresh, semi-vegetal hops provide exciting topnotes. Some grapefruit...and some sweetness, from both malt and, seemingly, yeast.

T: Whoah. QUITE bitter. Quite. Raw grapefruit juice. Hops are slightly soapy, but with a nice tinge. A bit of lambic sourness. The finish is lemon peels and more hops. Drying and pleasant.

M: Carbonation, dryness, and sourness (almost too much).

O: Too bitter and sour for me. It's strength shows after half a glass. Not precisely *recommended*, but worth trying.

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2011 01:30:28 | More by AgentMunky

metter98

New York

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is hazy dark orange/amber in color and poured with a thin off white head that left some lacing on the surface but eventually completely faded away.
S: There are light aromas of grapefruit in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the taste has some citrusy flavors of grapefruit, but these are well balanced by the underlying malts.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer goes down very smoothly and is easy to drink. Ordering this at a bar can make some interesting discussion if it should be pronounced “USA live!” or “US Alive!”

Serving type: on-tap

06-07-2011 03:01:41 | More by metter98

Blanco

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes

Slightly reddish brown color and semi muddy. Small white head that disappears immediately. Citrus in the smell as well as some hoppiness and funk from wild yeasts. Flavor is also hoppy, but almost no bitterness. Wild tastes lean more toward vinegar and reminiscent of flanders sours than funk, with some slight tartness. Overall very good and interesting. This is one I very much enjoyed for its unique flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2011 01:20:40 | More by Blanco

Yojimbo1941

Wisconsin

3.6/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Brasserie V

A - dark tangerine with tan head, lots of lacing

S - slight vinegar, brett, earthy, bitter hops, some bittersweet orange

T - citrus, dry cereal giving way to heavy grapefruit, some sweet tangerine, slight apricot

M - medium to heavy, acidic at the end

D - not something I would drink all night

Overall I'm not that impressed. It's decent and the description of Orval/IPA is apt but it's just not a beer that I'm interested in drinking. Those of you who love Belgian IPAs will probably fap over this one. Again, nice beer just not the style I like.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2011 21:38:52 | More by Yojimbo1941

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Monk's, 4/2/11.

A-Pours a murky amber brown with a pool of tan head and no lacing whatsoever.

S-Nicely bretty with a strong pine hop presence.

T-Peppery brett in the front, nice grapefruit hoppiness. Delicious. The beer menu describes this beer as Orval + West Coast hops and I have to say that nails it.

M-Medium bodied and very dry.

O-Excellent. Better than this was in the bottle, better than it was on tap at TND four days later. So if you get a good keg, like I did here, you should drink all of it.

HV

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2011 19:56:16 | More by sholland119

GuzzLah

Illinois

4.09/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - medium orange with a one finger head and nice lacing.

S - tutti-frutti bubblegum, soft caramel malt and slightly vegetal

T - ambiguously fruity flavor with some tropical/citrus. Low/medium bitterness with a short sustain. Hint of acidic tartness. Aged about 1.5 years.

M - medium body, decent carbonation, pleasant and easy bitter finish

O - Not a funky wild ale. Zero barnyard and a hint of lacto, perhaps from Acid Malt. Fruity from hops and Brett. An enjoyable Belgian Strong Pale Ale. Fair price at $13 per 750ml. Would drink again! Mikeller and De Proef usually impress me. This is no exception.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 23:52:35 | More by GuzzLah

hagbergl

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I received a bottle of Mikkeller Alive! as a Christmas gift. It was purchased at Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont, MA. I think this should prove to be quite the interesting beer...750 mL bottle, poured into my Rodenbach Grand Cru glass.

Appearance (4/5): Alive! has a cool burnt orange-reddish hue and is topped by a gorgeous, towering off-white head of foam of 2.5 fingers. The beer is translucent and brilliant when held up to the light.

Smell (4/5): Hoppy, spicy, a little funkiness (due to the Brettanomyces), herbal, grassy hops, earthy, a little bit metallic (perhaps this bottle is a bit on the older side and has begun to spoil?).

Taste (4/5): Not what I was expecting from its style identification, printed on the bottle, as an "American Wild Ale." This beer tastes quite hoppy, and has an interesting fruity-spicy yeast quality that comes on late, making this beer reminiscent of a Belgian IPA, but with Brett. Fruity-bitter aftertaste is like ruby red grapefruit, semisweet and balanced at the end, perhaps from the caramel malt. Brettanomyces adds a layer of earthy, grassy funkiness. This beer has a very complex flavor profile: every sip brings a slightly different taste to the fore. Its complexity makes classifying Alive! pretty difficult. Maybe by calling this an "American" Wild Ale Mikkeller was trying to indicate this beer would be an unusually hoppy affair.

Moutfeel (4/5): Medium body, medium carbonation. Not super active or effervescent like some wild and sour ales. A little hop prickliness can be noted, along with a light dryness (perhaps contributed by the Brett?). Goes down easy (this is helped by the fact that there is little alcohol flavor to be remarked upon.

Overall (4/5): Mikkeller Alive! is a strange beer...what is it? It's grapefruit hoppy, a little dry, a little Brett-y, some Belgian yeast sweetness, not sour...Is it a Belgian Strong Pale? An American Wild Ale? A Belgian IPA? Whatever it is, it's a fairly tasty beer, so I say embrace the weird and try it. It won't disappoint if you like a beer curveball every once in a while.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 03:47:44 | More by hagbergl

falloutsnow

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From: John's Grocery, Iowa City, IA
Date: None listed on bottle, but bottle has what I assume is an older, "white" label
Glass: Tulip

Called a "Belgian Wild Ale" on the label, which certainly caught my eye at the time. I really enjoyed this very complex beer that manges to mix sweetness, spiciness, wildflower/herb, and Brettanomyces components together in a way that is very palatable to me.

Pours a 2cm tall head of small to medium-sized bubbles, faint tan in color, with excellent retention. As it slowly descends, the head leaves substantial and interesting lacing along the sides of the glass, some looking like the Earth's continents: very pleasing. Head settles to a thin cap atop the body at all times. Body is a deep, orange-tinted, burnt, light brown color, with light bringing out the pale orange undertones. The haziness of the beer's body still allows for carbonation to be visible, reaching up from the bottom of the glass.

Aroma is, at first, richly sweet, like toffee; this fades into a sharp hop bitterness mixed with a bit of Brettanomyces pepperiness; finally fading into substantial Belgian amber candi sugar.

Backbone of toffee-like malt sweetness with fruity, herbal, and spicy undertones overall. Front of palate discovers toffee sweetness along with flowery/herbal flavors and Brettanomyces pepperiness. Mid-palate finds mild hop bitterness, equally mild and pleasant Brettanomyces peppery and pineapple-like characters, and Belgian amber candi sugar. Back of palate has sharp bitterness from hops well-tempered by toffee-sweet malts, Brettanomyces pepperiness, and . Fades out with a faint burst of peppery spiciness that indicates Brettanomyces and ethanol. Lingering taste caramel malts and Belgian amber candi sugar mixed with Brettanomyces pepperiness and pineapple, fairly substantial hop bitterness, and ethanol. Really, pretty excellent.

Beer is medium-light to medium in body, with fairly high carbonation that leads to an at first fizzy mouthfeel that becomes soft and pillowy as the carbonation crosses the palate. Closes dry, with modest stickiness across the palate.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 17:44:26 | More by falloutsnow

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

this is a classic mikkeller brew, all thing things ive come to expect from this guy. its different, strong, expensive, and worth it. pours a very hazy amber brown color with a massive head in my tulip glass. head does not subside at all. smells like intense funky wild yeast and sweet earthy red malts. its belgian yeasty in that super carbonated, mildly spicy, still alive aspect, but its more of a farmhouse in the funk department. this is somewhere between a saison and a sour, right down the middle. the flavor is definitely yeast driven, maybe a touch of brett tartness, but more fieldy meadowy polleny glory. it leaves a real dry tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth, ready for another gulp. its a fast drinker for its strength, and a beer that has a really memorable flavor profile. im somewhere between white pepper and lavender, its very unique, complex, and rewarding to the patient drinker. id gladly pay 14 bucks for another bottle of this, its exquisite. just short of magic.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 04:35:07 | More by StonedTrippin

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I have been looking at this Big Bottle at the store even since we tried this one at Beerfest. Poured an orangey color, with a large foamy head. Good retention and some thin strings of lacing. Aroma has the distinctive sour bacteria, tart and hoppy. Taste is definately complex with lots of flavor not normally in a beer. Yeast notes with some tartness, floral and grapefruit hops, and the unmistakable smell of wet, wool blankets that have been left in the barn (my daughter works on a ranch). Body is fuller then average, good level of carbonation. Some lingering yeast flavor, dry finish.
A good one to share, to experience some unique flavors.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 00:39:57 | More by BigBry

dogfishandi

New York

2.65/5  rDev -33.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

750ml capped bottle at fridge temp poured into a snifter. about 1 year of age.

pours out a nice cloudy light orange color with a big 3-4 fingers of nice retentive off white head. good lace, looks good!

kind of off aroma. definatly not your usual barnyard brett aroma as i was expecting. hard to detect any brett at all, smells more like really old bottle funky. a wierd wet cardboard, concentrate grape juice thing going on. slightly figgy, maybe a touch of apple juice. becomes a little carmelly as it warms.

the taste is much the same, something doesnt seem quite right here. sweet fruity malts, concentrate grape and apple juice funkiness. this just tastes really off. slight caramel malt. no real sourness. some bitterness in the finish.

finishes a little sweet and dry. lots of carbonation. just slightly tart.

this was just awful, im not sure if something went wrong with this batch or it was just a really old bottle, but i could hardly finish a glass. avoid this!

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 18:15:50 | More by dogfishandi

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

USAlive! pours a redish color, with not much head, but lacy. The smell was a bit on the sweet side, lots of candy aromas, and sugary. The taste however only had hints of the sweet candy flavors, and had a nice strong bitter undertone. Good strong flavors, and the sweetness wasnt overpowering. Overall a really good tasting beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 22:35:46 | More by vette2006c5r

mrfrancis

Kentucky

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy, ruddy amber with a thick, pillowy beige head.

S: Aromas of brettanomyces funk, pineapple, lemon, lime, and bitter orange are present on the nose.

T: Notes of lactic, oaky tartness from the brettanomyces dominate the entry and are followed by notes of lemon, lime zest, kumquat, bitter orange, tangerine, unripened pineapple, minerals, and caramel. The finish is tart and funky with a pleasant, if rather offbeat, combination of brettanomyces, pineapple, bitter orange, and lemon.

M: Medium-to-full in body, dryish, and satisfying. Carbonation is rather crisp. Alcohol presence is very restrained. This one could easily creep up on you.

O: After being disappointed by It's Alright!, I was a little hesitant to give USAlive! or It's Alive! a shot. Obviously I've finally gotten around to trying at least one, and can say that I'm quite impressed. The citrusy hop flavors really merge well with the brettanomyces. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 22:08:27 | More by mrfrancis

Humulus85

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Have had a couple of the single hop ales from Mikkeller, but this my first belgian of his. Some confusion as too which "Alive" this was, due to the label and self description as a Belgian Wild, not as strong ale. No worries. From a 750 ml bottle into my Darkness tulip.

Pours a hazy copper with a righteous, 3-finger, belgian head. Some of the most clumpy, clingy, lacing I have ever seen. Superb retention. Well done sir!

Fruity, funky, ester-y, pear, a touch of booze, and some note I just can't put an adjective on; I'll go with leather. The complexity is beyond my expertise, but I like it.

Not as tart as I thought, but plenty of funk. In-fact the funk is quite dominating. Leathery, some tobacco, but a nice hit of earthy hops and toffee malt come through with enough strength to balance.

Exceedingly drinkable for both the style, and the ABV. Bone dry, in typical Wild Ale fashion, and well carbonated.

Overall this was not quite what I expected, but I did like it. I'm still learning my Brett brews, and I think this might actually be a bit green in that regard. Thinking of getting another to throw in the cellar for a year or two. Either way Mikkeller really does know what they're doing. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 02:04:31 | More by Humulus85

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from bottle into a Mikkeller oversized wine glass. Poured a hazy yellow-orange with a two finger off-white head that subsided to a half finger extremely slowly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, fruit, spices, earth, funk, and pear. The flavor was of sweet malt, fruit, earth, funk, spices, bread, pear, and earthy funk. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a fairly good brew. There was just something about the flavor on this one that was a little off-putting for me. There just seemed to be too much earthiness and funk going on without anything to really balance it out. The aroma on the other hand was quite nice. Glad I got to try this one based on the style on the bottle. I suggest you do the same if you like earthy funkiness.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 10:57:51 | More by thagr81us