Funky E Star - Mikkeller ApS

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.94/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a hazy orange pour with 2 fingers of foamy head giving off great amounts of lacing. smells of jasmine, wine barrels, perfume, lemon, very funky! a sweet candy like flavor of caramel up front with a slight grassy bitterness, not that funky at all in taste.. nothing like how it smells. very slight hint of that jasmine scent is in the flavor. very drinkable beer, unlike most sours this is fairly easy going, medium body, low carbonation. creamy and very refreshing. you can't feel the high alcohol percentage.

a nice offering from mikkeller.. i was expecting a sour beer from the the scent, but was surprised by something totally different.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 01:07:46 | More by facundoCNB

heygeebee

Australia

4.24/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

From Jim's. BB 2018.

Pours a murky copper. Sudsy coarse very off white head stays for a while, but then subsides to scummy film. Lace everywhere

Aromas on the nose!! Brett, vinegar.... Then a little Christmas cake.

Taste is sour up front then the complexity of the BSPA kicks in. Very integrated. Hints of dried fruits, raisins, sherry. On Belgian style.

Mouthfeel quite light for style, but ABV warms.

It is what is says it is... Belgian strong with Brett. Nicely done Wild/Sour hybrid.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 11:51:47 | More by heygeebee

Rwalford74

Australia

4.5/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I can't quite believe this gets only 82 at the moment.
Pours with a nice creamy head that stayed all the way to the last sip.
Beautiful, fruity aroma and the taste is rich and complex.
ABV not dominant ... In fact is well disguised
I loved it and will definitely have again.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 11:18:16 | More by Rwalford74

peabody

Kentucky

3.91/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

This pours out a golden yellow very clear liquid and makes a nice head of white foam. Lacing is minimal around my glass.
Smell is the king here. Funky grape skin/green apple/allspice and a slight burning yeast make this a fantastic smelling beer.
Taste is just a tad sour and the malt is strong but the 9.39% can't be detected. The spice is not as strong in the taste and the fruit isn't as prevelant as it was in the nose.
Mouthfeel is very clean as you would expect from a sour but the malt does hang around keeping the mouth in a sweet mode and salivating state yearning for the next taste.
Overall this is a really good sour that I would buy again even if it is 13 bucksw for the small bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 00:58:43 | More by peabody

ngeunit1

California

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark copper-orange with a finger of frothy off-white head. Fades normal.

S - Sweet caramel and dark fruit malts, sour and funky yeast, vanilla, candi sugars, bit of booze.

T - Sweet caramel and dark caramel malts, dark fruits, sour cherry, some funkiness, candi sugars, a bit of vanilla, and a bit of booze.

M - Medium-plus bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a sour, sweet, and warming finish.

D - Nice Wild Ale. Could use a bit more kick but the smooth sourness is nice.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 04:30:30 | More by ngeunit1

rajendra82

Georgia

4.13/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

The golden amber color was deeper in shade than most BSPAs, and the the head atop was three finger thick. The smell was not typical of a wild ale, as I did not get any Brett character via the nose. I could only detect sour cherries and honey via the nose. The taste was similar to the smell, with honey like sweetness, and green apple sourness. There was a bit of an unexpected hop bite to this as well. The body was on the light side of medium, and aided in the quenching nature of the beer. The alcohol was very well hidden, and the strength lable was shocking compared to the experience.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 06:45:43 | More by rajendra82

beergoot

Colorado

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2 oz bottle and label lists the style as "Belgian wild ale".

Body poured out semi-cloudy and amber orange; head was two-fingers, sticky and chunky. Strong caramel and toffee scent with some roasted grain notes; hints of ripe citrus fruits. Black licorice flavor coated in a bold caramel malt sweetness; sweet biscuit; toasty; nice, subliminal alcohol presence simmering underneath. Medium-heavy body; thick, chewy and resinous in feel.

A really solid strong ale with a strong biscuit and honey character. Toasted grains and hop bitterness are the driving taste profiles and do a very good job of taming the ABV. Heady, complex. Another fine beer to knock back with a good hardwood fire burning in the fireplace.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 00:26:19 | More by beergoot

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a two finger cream head that fades slowly to a thin layer leaving traces lace. Crystal clear amber/red color. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Fruity sour nose. Flavor is fruity sour and sweet, high ABV is hidden. Expensive at $15.00 for a 375ml bottle from Tully's Beer and Wine Wells, ME.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 23:21:31 | More by jdhilt

DoktorZee

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a tulip. Best before on the bottle listed as 15/03/18.

A - Light amber in color, with a medium cloudiness. One finger tan head dissipates after a couple minutes leaving just a hint of lacing on the glass.

S - Nice Brett funk on the nose mixed with some overripe fruit - apricot or apple. Some sweetness intermixed with the funk. Big fruit esters on the nose.

T - initial flavors include some mild resinous hop bitterness intertwined with some funk and sweet and sour fruit, backed by a malt profile with almost a cake-like quality to it. Very balanced and even throughout the taste experience; the finish is subtle, with a sour funkiness balanced with a sweet mandarin orange bitterness.

M - body is medium and the carbonation is light; moderate booziness. Still fairly rich in its finish due to the sweet malt profile.

Overall this is a very tasty beer; it has a mild Brett funky quality but also tastes like a balanced Belgian-style IPA with a sweeter than average malt profile. A great starter beer for folks that want to try something with a bit of Brett funk and aren't ready for the heavy hitters. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 04:11:48 | More by DoktorZee

danieelol

Australia

4.23/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a translucent golden orange with great head/lacing.

Smell is big, big Brett. Also some spices behind that. Caraway, fennel. Pineapple, dates, leather. Also has lots of malt, verging on a barleywine.

Taste brings Bretty notes, booze, some sweet notes, more pineapple, Christmas cake.

Mouthfeel is big, Bretty bitter and sweet.

Massively, massively complex beer. Inspired combination of spices, malt and Brett. Halfway between a spiced barleywine and a sour ale, love to see a BA version of this.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 12:48:40 | More by danieelol

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A heavy orange appearance, similar to some of the better ipa's you're used to seeing if you're in the elite ipa scene. .5" of head on the top of it, I thought the retention was average, lacing a little bit above average. Different aroma of bright fruit, zest, not really offering anything in the way of funk though, which is a wash, sometimes funk is good, sometimes it ain't.

There is more brett and funk in the taste and mouthfeel though. Fruit is still there, tropical and citrus. None of that dark fruit shit. Hides the alcohol extremely well, this was a fun beer to drink. The body is perfect, not heavy, not light, some bitterness, from a little more hopping than I expected. What a hodgepodge of a bit of everything. Some tartness like a sour, some sweetness, some brett, some hops. . .

This beer kind of came and went really quickly in Reno, and I haven't seen it since. I would pick another bottle of it up, and age it next time. One of the few beers that truly defies categorization, but not for the sake of it, one that can pull it off.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 20:21:18 | More by Beerandraiderfan

tylerzander

Arizona

3.83/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - in the glass a cloudy sienna color with a gorgeous light tan mousse-like head, starts at about a pinky width in height with excellent retention and lacing

S - mostly fresh apple cider and white grape aroma, hinting of some acidity, with some hints of tropical fruit complexity to it; also some mid-range crystal malt notes of caramel and golden raisin

T - sweet caramel malt followed by slightly medicinal (in a good way) phenolic finish that lingers

M - a pretty hefty mouthfeel, surprising for a "wild ale," but not syrupy; a high carbonation level lightens the effect of the crystal malt on the palate

D - probably would like to see this beer a little drier and a little funkier; has a deeply complex aroma which I don't get sick of but the taste and mouthfeel slightly disappoint in comparison; still, a beer worth mulling over and held my attention well for one bottle, anyways

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 04:01:54 | More by tylerzander

DonDirkA

Arizona

4.63/5  rDev +26.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy golden brown with a white head that settles quickly to about a half finger. Nose is tropical with mango, papaya, some yeasty bready notes, a little musty with that Brettanomyces funk, a hint of banana, some citrus and grapefruit. The taste is orange, papaya, grapefruit, tropical notes, a bit of pine bitterness, some definite funky Brett notes but not in that typical musty kind of way. Its more bright and fruity. The mouthfeel is kind of light with a good amount of carbonation. This is definitely a delicious wild ale. I'm loving these sours and wild ales, I wish AZ got more of that style. Mikkeller is awesome, I don't think I have had anything bad from him.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 04:19:07 | More by DonDirkA

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

you never know with youre going to get with a wild ale, and you certainly never know what youll get from mikkeller, so this is a bit of a double whammy. pours a dark copper and hazy color, with a hint of caramely red to it, and a frothy off white head that settles to patches. the nose is funky for sure, sweet, and almost german malty. tons of farm and booze. the flavor is not quite as far out there as the nose. its definitely malt forward, nutty and sugary, but somehow dry at first. then a yeasty wash of wetness and even some bitter hops carries you well through the finish. its not as funked out as the nose suggests, but its got a cool earthy vibe that im not used to. its really bright and expansive in the mouth. medium body feels heavier from the sediment. alcohol is definitely big in this one. overall another clever mikkeller beer, but i wont buy this again. its a little weird, even for me. quite tasty with some fresh toasted garlic parmesean pumpkin seeds though...

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 02:29:26 | More by StonedTrippin

VWBuggirl

South Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: This has a dark hazy copper, almost brown color to it. It formed a moderate head that is slightly off white but didn't linger long. This is

S: You can definitely get the brett in the nose of this. I smell it immediately and it is fairly overpowering. This is great for me since I love brett, but if you aren't a fan, skip this beer.

T: Wow! This is extremely malt forward. With as malty as it is, I would have expected a darker, richer color. After the malt settles, the brett follows and is funky just how I like it. The blend of malt and funk is interesting for sure. At the very end of the taste, you can detect the alcohol, which isn't at all surprising as the abv is 9.39. I do wish the alcohol wasn't as strong.

M: The carb could be a touch less. It is almost too sharp for this beer, though that is much better than being under-carbed with the malt backbone in this.

O: This is a pretty good beer, though not highly drinkable due to the malt, funk, and abv. I wouldn't go out of my way for this. It sort of missed the mark.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 00:02:34 | More by VWBuggirl

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

3.6/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a goblet. I'm not sure how to decipher the bottling date (code on the back reads: 8071103).

A - Pours an apple cider brown with very little head apart from a white halo. Some obvious floaties throughout the muddy liquid. No light passes through the body. The only thing working in it;s favor is the nice lacing it leaves behind.

S - I get punched in the face with big sour cherries, pear, and funky yeast. Strong bready malt backbone adds an interesting element. No hops that I decipher. Every once in a while I get a gym sock aroma that is not welcome. Other than that, it's an enjoyable, unique aroma.

T - Heavy on bready malts to begin with. Some grape and cherry as well. A little bit funky and tart on the swallow with a sweet honey finish.

M - Carbonation is quite high while remaining silky smooth. Medium bodied.

O - I would have a hard time classifying this beer into a style. The flavors are bready, fruity, tart, and funky. It is unlike any other beer I have tried, but that is not all good. I'm glad I tried it once, but I won't be getting it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 23:58:09 | More by NoLeafClover44

mattsander

Alberta (Canada)

2.88/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Deep red, lovely fluffy white head that lasts forever. Decent clarity, nice looking beer.

S: An impressive wallop of dank earthy brett character is about the only thing I can smell on this beer. Its nice for an ounce or two, but the simplicity of this is its downfall I think.

T: Mimics the nose with a mushroomy, earthy kind of medicinal quality to the whole thing. Not an especially enjoyable flavor by itself.

M: Very creamy, fairly light on the palate. The head and carbonation last forever.

A big brett bomb from mehkeller, a bit too one dimensional to be anything more than vaguely interesting.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 03:38:19 | More by mattsander

mtlasley

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The pour is a murky, hazy brown with hints of burnt red, orange, apricot and amber. A super frothy head comes to almost 3 fingers but dissipates quickly.

Caramel and dark fruits are on the tip of the nose. There's biscuit, sweet sugar, plum, and fig dominating here. As you get past the top sweetness there's some Brett funk mostly dominated by rubber band and band aid. It's not super complex and it's definitely not a strong pale ale.

There's a slight Brett tang on the tip of the tongue followed quickly by caramel and dark fruit and roasting biscuit. There's a very slight rubbery/band aid taste here but I mostly get tropical fruit esters from the Brett. Yet again, not very complex. Extremely drinkable but just not worth the price.

Slightly oily but still slightly dry.

A decent example of Mikeller's ability to mix something up and produce a decent brew. Definitely not something I'd seek out again but a delicious Belgian nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 01:00:06 | More by mtlasley

ehammond1

California

3.55/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle (2012)

Thanks for opening this with me, Nathan!

Hazed light golden color with a quickly forming, large off-white head that eventually bubbles down into a thin film atop the beer. This doesn't leave much in the way of lacing down the glass.

Some tropical fruit aromas along with funky notes of earthy Brett. There's a hint of acidity and some grass, along with sweet, bready malts.

The flavor carries a lot of earthy funk/Brett, along with grass, hay, and some tropical fruit notes. There's a bit of a strange, chemical-like harshness, though as bad as it sounds, it's not particularly distracting.

Medium bodied with moderate-high carbonation.

Above average, and I would have this again, but I wouldn't seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 17:19:48 | More by ehammond1

rfbenavi80

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2 oz bottle poured into a tulip.
Bottle dating of 8071103 on back of bottle. Not sure what it means.

A- Pours a very cloudy, brownish copper with 2 fingers of off white, frothy head that seems to be lingering around for a while.

S- Smells of ripe dark fruits, not at all what I expected being a Belgian Strong Pale Ale. Not getting much of any hop presence. Smells more like a Belgian Dubblel.

T- Rich and malty. Sweet candied sugar taste mixes with over ripe dark fruits to create a sweet, rich, sipping beer. Not getting much of the Brett flavor.

M- Thick, mouth coating goodness. The 9.39% ABV (the bottle says 9.4%) is well hidden. Not much of any warming at all.

O- Surprised. This is my first Mikkeller, and I think they are worthy of trying more. Picked it up because of the Label saying it is a Belgian Wild Ale. The Brett does not shine through in this beer, but it is a rich, heavy, sipper that is quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 03:06:30 | More by rfbenavi80

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

4.28/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

330ml bottle. Tulip glass. Enjoyed on jun´12. Deep amber color. Haze. Off-white,close froth. Copious web on sides & good retention. Aroma profile shows sour fruit, moderate maltiness & wild yeast. Mildy sweet toasted malt, fructose & kind warming alcohol at first sip. Light to medium body, moderate to low carbonation. Sour/sweet palate & acidic fruit flavor –pears & Granny Smith apples. Oily texture. Dry sour/low bitter finish. Refreshing & complex. Comment: I absolutely disagree with considering this beer into Belgian Strong style. Nice spot of new wave Strong Flanders Red and/or Farmhouse style.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 22:38:48 | More by GONZALOYANNA

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

1.78/5  rDev -51.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

11.2oz bottle from Argonaut in Denver. Not sure on the price as I picked this up at least a year a go. Into a NB Globe. Happy Easter!

A: Hazy amber in color with a dense white light tan head, about half an inch thick that doesn't want to fade away. Huge spots of lacing are left behind. Not bad.

S: Very cidery, no noticeable brett notes, and slightly odd smelling. Has some definite notes of chewing tobacco, which is not appealing to me at all. Yikes, this isn't shaping up very well. As it continues to warm it takes on a definite bandaid aroma, and not in a good way.

T: Chewing tobacco flavor and apple cider compine with a slightly astringent hop bitterness. Slightly malty, with a bit of caramel in there. Slightly funky, but really more cidery. Not good. Apple cider ran through a chewing tobacco and bandaid filter is not tasty.

M: Thin, and highly carbonated, finish is surprisingly sweet.

O: Not a good beer at all. Something went horribly wrong with this one. I do not like the overly bandaid/chewing tobacco flavor that lingers and will not disappear. Very disappointed in this one, sad that I saved it for a year.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 21:08:22 | More by pokesbeerdude

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a fizzy but fluffy almost 1 finger head that fades fairly slowly, decent lacing, over slightly hazy orange red colored beer with hints of cranberry hue.

Nose is hard to really distinguish, there's lots of fruit and Belgian aromas, belgian yeast for sure, with some fruity esters, some Belgian sweet malts golden and reddish, hint of a candi sugar like aroma, the more I nose it the more I get more of the Belgian malts and a bit of booze, and quite a bit of that candy aroma, touch of toffee and caramel.

Taste is fairly strange, first starting with the Belgian malt flavors, candi sugar and candy all around sweetness, hint of nutty toffee and slight syrup flavor. Then moves to Belgian yeast, light fruity esters, hint of spices, and tons of carbonation. The esters and sweet candy bring some booze to the front, alcohol taste actually, with some tingle and warmth. The Brett doesn't really come through until the back end, a very light funk with some bready malt tastes, a bit of an earthy farmhouse slight barnyard like taste. There comes a slight bitterness as well towards the back end, hint of fruity hops with the funk from the Brett, and a hint of citrus. The finish dries way out but somehow still feels sticky and sweet, with a bit of the funk lingering and fruity flavors.

Mouth is a bit fuller bodied but with lots of carbonation that make it feel lighter, and some booze.

Overall interesting but not great, the Brett really doesn't showcase in this, it seems more about the malts, candy, and fruity ester flavors. Hops are there but don't really come through until the back end like the Brett. Not sure what they were trying to do with this beer but it seems like the main flavors they were going for are way on the back end and muted.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 16:40:19 | More by jlindros

Rickythejeweler

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Slightly cloudy copper, 1 finger off-white head, nice lacing ring sticks along with tons of spots on the glass, some carbonation bubbles at the bottom of the glass.

S - Clean yeast, tropical fruits, light hops; as it warms more funk and pepper are detected.

T - Starts with a blast of flavor: brettanomyce, candi sugar, mixed berries, fermented fruits; mid palate is caramel and light hops; finishes light and dry with yeast and a peppery hoppiness.

M - Medium body, moderate-high carbonation, feels heavy at first but quickly disappears.

O - Excellent beer, nothing less than another masterpiece from Mikkeller! Hides the abv very well, I could session this!

8071103, $6.49 at Stateline Liquors in Elkton, MD

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2012 17:48:23 | More by Rickythejeweler

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle poured into a 16oz tulip.

A - Pours a murky reddish-brown color with a small but potent head of bubbly off-white foam. The head recedes to a thin film and ring around the glass, that laces very well.

S - Lots of floral hops upfront, with sour apple, candi sugar, brettanomyces yeast and barbeque sauce. Some odd spiciness and touches of dark fruits as well. Certainly not very tropical or light; quite strange though. A little acidic, with a bit of funk.

T - I don't really know. Musty hay, floral hops, past-ripe apples and funky sourness. Odd spiciness in the finish along with bready yeast and unripe fruitiness. There's a candy like sweetness to it as well. Maybe some toffee and bready caramel malt. Sort of all over the place, I don't know if I like this.

M - Medium carbonation with a nice smooth feel to it. The body is nice a smooth like a BSDA almost. Distinctly Belgian for sure.

D - A strange offering from Mikkeller to say the least. My first beer that falls under the "funky" category, with some sour qualities I'm not used to. Enjoyable, but I don't see myself revisiting it.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 05:45:33 | More by Converge