I Beat YoU - Mikkeller ApS

Lee45102

Ohio

2.83/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.25

The smell, look, and the first upfront taste was great. The malt flavor at the end doesn't meet my expectation for an IIPA. This beer was very tough to get through. I normally love Mikkeller Beers and I am a huge IIPA lover. Good luck to those trying this beer that are big IPA drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 20:44:34 | More by Lee45102

gabrielsyme

Virginia

4.86/5  rDev +24.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12 oz bottle served in a tulip. This is so heavenly. Dark amber color, off white head. First aroma was overpowering spruce pine; later smells sweet. Taste is grapefruit and woody pine, with a honey sweet finish. The only *possible* improvement would be if there were slightly more carbonation. But overall this is amazing and I can't wait to get more. Be careful - definitely can't tell that this is 9.75%.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 22:13:25 | More by gabrielsyme

BuddyE

Louisiana

2.63/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

This beer is all over the place. The original pour is nice, with a wonderful deep caramel color and moderately foamy head. The aroma was fantastic, rich in spicy fullness with nice, subdued fruit undertones. Unfortunately, that was the best part of the beer. Upon first sip, the liquid is heavy in the mouth, with a hit of bitters that is to be expected, but with an astringent follow-up that makes the beer hard to swallow; harder still to try again. When they can be descerned, the cacophony of flavors fight with one another rather than melding into anything approaching harmony. I understand wanting to go all out and make a high IBU offering, but other companies have done so successfully while creating beer that, though potent, is still drinkable. I think this one misses the mark.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 02:43:17 | More by BuddyE

Samuel906

California

3.56/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

My first experience with Mikkeller, and I'm pretty sure the only Scottish IPA I've ever had. Pours a nice amber color, slightly cloudy, with a copper tinged head. Good retention and cling on the head. Huge aroma; tons and tons of hops with clover honey, lemongrass and vanilla. Some of the Scottish heritage comes through in the taste, bearing a passing resemblance to a Wee Heavy with the thick, molasses like sweetness, and grassy background.. Very very sweet, thick and creamy, with little felt carbonation; almost feels like nitro out of the bottle. Lots of lemon on the palate, caramel and loads of malt and hops. Leaves a citrus aftertaste. Not boozey, but you can feel the heat of the nearly 10% ABV.

Good but not great; better examples of the style can be found in the 90 minute, Hop Stoopid, or Simtra.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 05:22:35 | More by Samuel906

Ego

New Jersey

3.01/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

eyes...
cloudy with a chance of yeast, sheesh, this looks like the water luke and solo got stuck in during empire... muddy orange hue with some bubs careening through the thick looking murk, decent head and lacing, the particles are all in suspension like some sort of sick looking snow globe, interesting enough

nose...
dark honey herbal hops, kind if like ricola on crack, some dry sugar, swamp grass, like the look this is different from most DIPAs so far, not sure if
different = good, we'll have to see about that score

taste etc...
boy, that is going to take a sec to process...
extremely bitter dark honey, completely cloying on the first sip, almost hard to go back, but it settles down as my palette adjusts...
decently thick but not gooey, the bitterness seems at war with the flavor, the beer does not drink smoothly in that regard, the phases are all at war with each other here, there is big bitterness, hooray, here's a medal, but man this is just too harsh to enjoy, the hops are almost hard to enjoy here.

verdict?
the ABV is decently hidden but the mess of flavors is not, this is certainly a different DIPA so if you want to try something that definitely does not taste run of the mill... go ahead, this one just is not for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 05:32:31 | More by Ego

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Served in a snifter at Firkin.

I didn't even know I was playing a game... Anyway, this stuff pours a clear sunset amber topped by over a finger of cream foam. The nose comprises candied grapefruit rind, pine resin, caramel, and light earthy greens. The taste brings in more of the same, with a sharper pine character and a general increase in direct bitterness. The body is a light-leaning medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, a solid DIPA, but one whose intense bitterness verges on unpleasant, luckily falling just short of such an ignominy.

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2013 01:20:05 | More by TMoney2591

rajendra82

Georgia

4.24/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

The copper-amber color, cloudy body. and two finger thick head made of large bubbles made this beer look good to me. The smell was very aggressive at an arms length, as the hops gave out a grassy, spicy aroma. Right under the nose, the aromas mellowed a little, as the honey like malt started to come through. The was not as bitter as the American IPAs originating on the US West Coast. There was a honeydew melon and papaya like sweetness up front, with notes of pear as well. The hops were clearly there mid palette, and in the finish, but they were not the typical citric types, and were instead more herbal, earthy, and spicy. This beer was quite hefty in body and stuck to the corners of the mouth, giving the beer a drawn out aftertaste. Hid the alcohol well, and went down quite easily.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 05:44:55 | More by rajendra82

ngeunit1

California

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

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

S - Grapefruit, citrus, and pine hops, sweet caramel and biscuit malts, some light booze.

T - Grapefruit, orange, citrus, pine hops, some lightly resiny bitterness, sweet caramel and bready malts, a bit of booze.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a dry, bitter, and lightly sweet and warming finish.

D - Nice DIPA. Good malt and hop balance.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 06:59:04 | More by ngeunit1

merc7186

New York

3.78/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a tulip

A: Amber Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head, Some Lacing

S: Sweet Malts, Mildly Bitter, Mildly Boozy

T: Sweet Bread, Grainy Malts, Resin

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Sweet, Mildly Boozy

Overall, a decent DIPA but a little too sweet on the maltiness.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 22:13:39 | More by merc7186

TheBeerCarl

Idaho

3.28/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer has a beautiful clear amber body and pours with a nice white head. The head has good retention and lace.

S: Not a lot of character on the nose but I do get caramel, heat and light floral notes.

T: Sweet rich caramel flavor at first with some light bitterness and citrus tang.

M: The beer is full bodied and has sharp carbonation resulting in a perfect mouthfeel for IIPAs and exactly what I expect.

Overall though this beer was a bit disappointing. I expect more hop character in my IIPAs, both in the nose and the flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2012 08:30:03 | More by TheBeerCarl

AaronHomoya

Indiana

3.43/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Orange-amber hazy appearance with a thin, sticky tan head of foam. Nice retention. Super hoppy aroma, with honeyed, floral, resinous smells. A bit earthy and dank. The taste is also super hoppy, but actually has a very sweet finish. Almost like an unfermented wort. It starts out with the citrus, honey and hop flavor, then blends to the sweet light malt and finishes pretty dry and bitter. Mouthfeel is pretty thick and lightly carbonated, but the dryness of the hops keeps the feel from being too cloying in the end.

I wish it didn't have the sweet, 'raw' taste in it. I like the aroma, but overall this is a below average IPA (relatively speaking, for a respected craft brewer) for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 00:01:09 | More by AaronHomoya

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

one of those special beers that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. this is a big bastard ipa. it pours a clear radiant orange color, sticky white foam on top. the nose is really bitter, oily, high alpha west coast hops. less booze than expected, and a tangerine honey waft as well. love the taste of this, bitter as hell, almost concentrated hops, but there is some fruity sweet notes in there too. mouthfeel is sticky as hell, like nice weed. its thick but well carbonated, perfectly balanced in that regard. mikkeller has come to make some outstanding big american ipas, and this one is among the best. wow, so much flavor, really strong, but scary drinkable. yum

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 00:41:12 | More by StonedTrippin

mscudder

Georgia

4.08/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint.

A - Amber/orange hue with a nice two-finger creamy head. Nice retention and lacing.

S - Little bit of citrus, malts, touch of hops and alcohol.

T - Syrupy flavored malts up front followed up by a good quantity of bitterness on the back end.

M - Medium body with good carbonation and leaves a nice coating in the mouth for such a big beer.

O - A highly drinkable IPA for such a hefty ABV. I would love to come back to this, but at a price of over $5 per bottle, I don't think it trumps the wide selection of elite IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 02:30:21 | More by mscudder

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-dark orange amber with a thin tan head

S-really strong scent. Like caramel and age hops. Smells more pungent than 120.

T-doesn't taste as strong which is a good thing. It comes in with mellow but full citrusy hops. It's a good and full taste. Lasting after-taste. Not too bitter

M-medium creamy carbonation with a dry finish

O-this was actually much easier to drink than I would've expected. It basically just reminds me of a 120 that is much easier to drink.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 15:54:54 | More by AdamBear

julian89

Georgia

4.15/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this beer with a buddy along with 3 other Mikkeller IPA's.

Appearance: A warm orange pour with a pale ~2 inch head. Great retention with a small amount of lacing.

Smell: A fair amount of alcohol smell. Medium level of orange zest and rich smell of malts and syrup.

Taste: Very rich light malt almost a syrup infused taste to it. A fair amount of bitterness on the back end.

Mouthfeel: Smooth. It's a big IPA, medium bodied. Highly drinkable for the high ABV. Great progression and finishes with a fair coating of the palate.

Drinkability: It seems as though it would be interesting to cellar. If the cost were lower ($6.30) I would return to it more often.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 16:02:56 | More by julian89

hopheady4me

3.63/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- The appearance is a hazy medium light brown.
S- The smell has strong hints of honey, caramel and citrus notes. T- The taste is boozy and strong. It is heavy and has hints of caramel and pine.
M- The mouthfeel is strong, satisfying and intoxicating.
O- Overall the beer is well worth experiencing and has enough complexity to satisfy most Imperial IPA lovers.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 02:29:11 | More by hopheady4me

Aml42000

Washington

3.98/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Dark amber body with a fluffy off white head. Sticky lacing all down the glass.

S- Hops dominate the nose with floral notes. Pine and sweet orange as well.

T- Intense pine resin and grapefruit flavors along with a bit of caramel. Massive hop bitterness on the finish.

M- Oily and a little thick on the tongue, but the bitter hops keep it from feeling flabby. Medium bodied IPA.

O- Well crafted DIPA. Hop forward for sure. This represents a good mix of east and west coast versions of IPA. I'd buy again.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 06:04:45 | More by Aml42000

tlazaroff

Virginia

3.45/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

There is a yummy sort of sweet maple syrup-like nose coming off of this one. Its very much like Resin, only toned town a bit, which is good. Other scents are floral, and candied fruit.

The beer is hazy, quite a hazy light orange.. It makes me think it was bottle carbonated, though, I do not think this is the case. The head is a thin thin white layer which leaves little to no lacing.

POW! WHAM! BIFF! It hits you like batman slugging the joker. All booze upfront and through the finish. Mid-palate brings a few flavors of an floral & herbal variety, and it finishes with caramel. Its very hard to get past the alcohol, as it's not hiding at all, but the flavors that sneak through are nice.

The beer is full bodied with medium carbonation and drinks hot. Finishes sweet, sticky sweet in fact, and is defiant to be anything but a sipping beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 03:09:25 | More by tlazaroff

DrFayhee

3.8/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Hazy almost brownish color. Almost no head.

S: Much richer and maltier than any "American Imperial IPA" I've smelled. Yeasty, bready aroma with some honey and alcohol.

T: Pretty much what the smell would lead me to expect. Very bready with a hoppy finish. Again, a bit richer than a typical American Imperial IPA, less fruity.

M: Quite rich and smooth with a dry finish. Medium to light carbonation.

O: It's in interesting take on an Imperial IPA. Almost has some Belgian dubbel vibes.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 03:58:38 | More by DrFayhee

Murrhey

Montana

4.05/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 11.2oz bottle into a pint glass in high altitude Libby, MT. Reviewed live.

A- Two finger tan colored head, with middling retention and some sticky lacing. Roast caramel color with low clarity. Looks quite nice.

S- Citrusy and piney hops,light and sweet smell, just a touch of alcohol present in the nose. Brown sugar and caramel. Quite sweet smell. Really lovely.

T- Sugary alcoholic tastes, brown sugar, some citrus flavor in the first taste. The after taste is where the hops come in, a pine and citrus beat with a distinct earthiness. Like hop-flavored whiskey. Caramel malts tie it all together.

M- Heavier than I might have thought, but a very light finish. Slightly wet in the tail end. Choppy sort of feel.

O- Very strong beer. The taste is powerful, and the smell is divine. The feel is just north of average though.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 00:50:52 | More by Murrhey

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

2.58/5  rDev -33.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

From notes:

P: Cloudy, dirty tannish orange color with a finger of off white head.

S: Grapefruit, juicy pineapple, mellow earthy characteristics. Mainly fruit forward, toasty malts and a spiced background. Peach juice and syrup are also present.

T/M: Heavy grapefruit and sweet syrup. Not as smooth as the nose and has a rough unpleasant taste. The malts is almost offensive, syrupy and overpowering. Floral hops with toasted grains. Finishes wet with a timid dryness from the grapefruit.

O: For the advertised amount of hops I was truly disappointed. Not impressed with this at all and I'm disappointed beachside I had high hopes for this. I almost poured it out at one point but made myself finish. The malt was just not right for the beer and too overpowering. The smell was nice but not enough to save it.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 22:15:25 | More by Hopswagger

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This brew was served from the tap at The Owl House in Rochester, NY. It arrived in a Great Lakes snifter showing a rich tawny color. It held a one and a half finger tall off-white head. Retention was nice, giving spotty patterned lacing around the glass. A thick haze permeated the brew, but no outright sediment was noted. Carbonation appeared medium. The nose lifted with candy corn sweetness, thick pine and floral hops, caramel and chocolate malts, and a fiery sting of booze. There was an additional sugary, fruity sweetness, but this was from the deepness of the malts and booze, rather than from the hops. Our first impression was that this was one boozy, hoppy, mishmash of flavoring. As we sipped, fusel alcohols crashed up front. No hiding that at all. This was curbed a bit by sweeter caramel malts and huge hop bitterness of pine, as in the nose. The middle moved forward with sweeter alcohol, plum and peach sugars, and raw and dirty hop bite. This continued without any real transition into the finish, with more huge fusels, more mixed fruit sweetness, residual sugar, and malty caramel thickness. The aftertaste breathed thickly of citric and piney hops, deeper caramel malt sweetness, raw honey, and earth. The body was fuller, and the carbonation was medium. The mouth was left thickly coated with this syrupy brew, and the palate puckered a bit with astringency due to the dirty hops. To each sip there was great slurp, but little froth or cream. The abv was appropriate, but due to it not being hidden very well, this one was a definite sipper.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the funky interplay between the hop bitterness, fruity sweetness, and massive booziness through the taste. The malts were deeper, with sweetness and great complexity. The caramel, here, was huge, and so were the residual sugars. This big sweetness was necessary to curb the overwhelming booze character, which became a bit much by the end. This would be a great beer to split with someone for dessert after a hearty meal on a cold day.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2012 17:21:22 | More by TheBrewo

nickfl

Florida

4.48/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours with one finger of white foam on top of a somewhat hazy copper-brown body. The head settles fairly quickly and leaves nice lace.

S - Pungent pine and grapefruit hops with dark caramel and toffee malt notes pushing back against the green aromas.

T - Equal parts pungent hops and dark, sugary malt up front. Notes of pine and caramel in the middle with a touch of mustardy character from the hops interacting with the atypically dark malt character. Finishes with sugary notes of caramel and brown sugar as well as grapefruit and fairly strong bitterness.

M - A thick, almost syrupy body, moderate carbonation, and a sweet finish.

D - This is an unusually big and malty DIPA with a strong hop character but an emphasis on the malt. Caramel and brown sugar have an interesting effect on the hops that is not unlike what one often experiences in an American barleywine. Very nicely done, and more than a little reminiscent of Dogfish Head 90 min.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 01:22:55 | More by nickfl

kylehay2004

Florida

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: two finger head with little retention on a cloudy crimson body. No real lacing.

S: resin, citrus, light floral and caramel malt notes.

T: lots of caramel malt with a tangy and tart citrus flavor in the middle transitioning to a more piney and grassy finish.

M: heavier side of medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: as my friend nickfl points out this one is moving into barleywine territory with a more malt backbone like 90 minute. A nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 01:21:58 | More by kylehay2004

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.03/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cheers to biergaternOK for this one, thanks Freddy!

Pours a chill-hazed amber with 3+ fingers of cream colored head. Never quite clears, great lacing & head retention

S: Bready, piney with some lemon-grass thrown in

T: Big time malt mixes with grapefruit, pine, woody hops &herbal bitterness up front. Tanic bitterness comes through as this warms along with orange peels, caramel & shortbread, some booze bite as well Finishes with caramel sweetness, some dryness, herbal & woody with grapefruit & a bit of pineapple on the edges...

MF: Big chewyness, slight carbonation. liking the balance but not super in-love with the hop mix

A drinkable enough DIPA, but the heft does get to you after a while. Pretty good, but not great

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 03:29:59 | More by russpowell