Red/White Christmas - Mikkeller ApS

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From notes taken at the Armsby Abbey's yearly Belgian Christmas on 12/15.

A - This had a great two finger super fluffy head with just HUGE side lacing. This just wouldn't quit! The head rested atop a nice dark amber pour.

S - Getting some nice peppermint spices and some ginger along with some light sweet carmel malts. Very slight hop notes too.

T - Getting some great winter spices here. Ginger again is intermixed nicely with the other malty flavours.

M - Light carbonation but nice body. Very crisp and refreshing with a dry finish.

D - Really great appearance and taste. Each sip brings forth a nice mouthfull of sticky, foamy head. Really enjoyed this dark ale.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2011 06:01:02 | More by rudzud

gatorbreath

Fiji

4.5/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Huge bottle into a snifter

appearance is dark orange cant see thru it, foamy head that is out of control, looks like creme for sure...wont go away and laces the heck outta yer vessel..nose is spice, hoppy golden goodness, a floral bouquet and holiday cheer...not kidding this brew just puts you in a better mood.. taste is grand, of hops slightly of malt, grain, mostly reminiscent of an ipa with a floral less citrusy hop character...awesome.. mouthfeel is medium to full bodied and very satisfying, not hard to drink at all and the alcohol is very well hidden...amazing offering this one is and i will be looking for it next year, indeed.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 19:37:03 | More by gatorbreath

BeerImmediately

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Have been cellaring this 50oz magnum for the past year, and finally broke it out last night at a gourmet dinner party.

Pours with a very moussy, off-white head over a somewhat cloudy amber to orange body. Great lacing.

Aromas are fantastic - very piney / Christmas tree-like, with tons of citrus sweetness, and some nice holiday spices.

Flavors continue the citrus angle, with some orange peel/zest, grassy bitterness, and well balanced with some sweet malty qualities and touch of cinnamon.

Mouthfeel was also nice - great carbonation level keeps it zesty and prickly, with a clean finish.

Drinkability is fantastic - I probably had about 3 wine glasses worth, and others gladly dipped into it as well - everyone was very complimentary of this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2010 01:50:26 | More by BeerImmediately

endovelico

Portugal

4.45/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Clear golden amber beer with little to no foam or lacing and unperceived effervescence.

Aroma: Intensely malty and flowery (highly reminiscent of Orange Blossom).

Taste: Caramel, grapefruit, mango, pollen aswell as other flowery notes. Very beautiful and sophisticated.

Palate: Medium bodied. Medium carbonation. Medium low bitterness. Medium, crisp carbonation.

Overall: Such a great brew! This beer is criminally underrated and overlooked by the Beer geekdom and is certainly one of the best beers I've had from Mikkeller.

Serving type: on-tap

01-18-2013 18:46:39 | More by endovelico

jdklks

Nevada

4.4/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

One of Mikkeller's best for sure (certainly their most well-carbonated beer). Pours a hazy gold color with a hint of amber at the edges and a thick white head that hangs out for awhile and laces the glass thickly. The smell is strong with hops and citrus fruitiness.

Taste reminds me of a mix between the Rogue "Glen" ale, and Lagunitas "Little Sumpin' Sumpin'". Bitter hoppiness all the way through. sweet and bitter fruits (the flavors oscillate between peaches and grapefruit, the former up front and the latter in the finish). Piney, earthy, some wheat, and overall just a lot of great hoppiness. Its pretty much a DIPA.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and, as previously mentioned, carbonated better than any other Mikkeller beer I've tried, which earns it extra points by contrast. The drinkability is great; very refreshing and goes down easily. It could just as well be a summer release.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2010 01:45:57 | More by jdklks

mltobin

Connecticut

4.35/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on-tap over in NY state.

The appearance of this holiday beer from Mikkeller is a hazy orange with 1 finger of white head. It looks enticing, but certainly not as dark as some other season beers this time of the year. The nose has pine, herbal tea, tropical fruit, some hops. Its` taste is sweet, but not overly so. More of that tropical fruit, tea and some sugar. But, it is all very well balanced. None of it is overdone and it makes for a very nice beer. Medium mouth, low carbonation level. If you see a bottle, I recommend picking it up.

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2012 02:38:59 | More by mltobin

blammasterj

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy burnished bronze with a ridiculous head that pours to an initial 4 fingers and only dies down to 3 and a half. Because of the fluffy head it's hard to get at the nose but I do get some spicy belgian yeast and some citrus hops. The taste is mostly hops up front: citrus, grapefruit, lemon rind. But then follows a nice spiciness and the witbier profile really opens up with orange peel and a nice clovey spice. The finish is pretty fruity and bitter and the alcohol is nowhere to be found. The head leaves crazy sheets of lace down the glass and the body is ridiculously light and fluffy. It changes as bit as it warms, and takes on a slight medicinal tone that in no way mars the experience.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 00:45:25 | More by blammasterj

rfgetz

New Jersey

4.28/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy golden amber color with dense white head. Good retention yet minimal lacing. Smell is of grapefruit and peach, grass, wheat and earth. Taste is a blend of peach and grapefruit flavors backed by an earthy, grassy and wheaty profile... some carmely and candied sugar sweetness to it and a nice spice blend. ABVs well hidden. Medium bodied, very smooth and creamy, good carbonation and a somewhat dry finish. From a Strong Ale, I was not expecting such a wonderfully balanced and pleasing brew, would love to have more.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2009 15:00:22 | More by rfgetz

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought a bottle for Christmas dinner about 2 years ago. The family was amazed by the size of the bottle it came it. I let the beer chill out side in some snow for a little before opening it up and pouring some for everyone. The giant bottle was the perfect size for everyone in my family to get some. It poured out as a very nice bright orange color with a fluffy white head that had a really good lacing. The smell of the beer was hoppy and a little spicy. Smelled a lot like most IPA's but with some herbal elements in there too. The taste was very good too. There was some citrusy herbal flavors coursing throughout this brew. The flavors didn't necessarily represent Christmas too much in my opinion but they were still really good. The mouthfeel was smooth a had a medium body. Overall I enjoyed this beer quite a bit and would enjoy having it again sometime.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 14:47:00 | More by Knapp85

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.22/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A very sturdy IPA or a moderate Double IPA, this beer abandons the general notion of Christmas ales by making a hearty hop-forward beer instead of wreckless use of desert spices.

Pouring a rusty orange hue with a viscous haze, the beer carries a sturdy and persistant eggshell head and lacing all the while. Again, signature Mikkeller.

Citrus and pine notes dominate the glass. From initial aromas until the long and bitter finish, the beer exhibits boastful elements of spruce, orange zest, red grapefruit, and a resiny-grassy taste; the beer has a complex hop matrix that reveals more and more flavors as the beer warms. Not to be completely over shaddowed, the malty/bready taste and texture offers hints of sugar cookies, graham crackers, biscuits, and fresh baked breads. Fruity esters and mild spices seem more of a yeast character than any fruit or spice additions, making the beer believable and focused.

Creamy early, the beer holds onto its weight until just before the finish, when the hop dryness and alcoholic warmth rise to give the beer a quick fade and high drinkability.

If the price of the 1.5 L bottle is off-putting, no worries. This beer tastes very similar to many other IPA's that Mikkeller produces in smaller/less expensive bottles.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2010 02:28:15 | More by BEERchitect

glid02

Georgia

4.22/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the Brick Store.

Pours an almost opaque dark red-orange color with a one-finger off-white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving thick lacing.

Smells of sweet malts with good amounts of floral hops. Also present are sweet Belgian candi sugar soaked pear aromas along with just a hint of clean funkiness.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Somewhat dry medium malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by pear flavors. Hints of lighter fruit - pineapple mostly - make a brief appearance before earthy hop flavors and light citrus hops turn things toward the bitter side. As with the aroma, very slight amounts of funk make an appearance before fading out into a moderately bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with smooth carbonation.

Drinkability is very good. I finished my glass quickly and could easily have a few more.

Overall I was expecting for some reason a BSDA but was pleasantly surprised with what I was served. A nice, complex, and clean Belgian-esque beer. Well worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2010 13:02:59 | More by glid02

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Mikkeller
Red/White

Pours a dark copper with reddish tints. Aromas of pine, citrus, damp hay and pine. Belgian yeast is noticeable, which has a subtle fruityness. In the taste, fruity, with notes of cherry, lemon and peach. Plenty of hops, with pine and citrus notes. Mild peppery spice, grated ginger, and orange peel. Solid bitterness, very IPA like. Mouthfeel is medium bodied. Overall, this was very tasty, and a worthwhile Christmas offering.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2012 18:32:11 | More by Stinkypuss

marikoangel

California

4.05/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a huge magnum bottle into a short water glass

A: It pours a slightly hazy, yet still clear orange caramel color with little lines of tiny bubble. The end of the bottle there is more sediment that clouds up the beer. The head is a beautiful thick and very fluffy ivory, with some thick and sporadic lacing.

S: This beer has a nice malty nose with caramel notes and yeasty notes. There is a bit of spice in there with a nice hop aroma coming up behind it. There is some citrus and s light sweetness.

T: There is a fantastic balance between the malts and hops in this one. The malts are mild and the hops are present without being overbearing. It tastes a little more IPAish than Belgian. The spices are the thing that take the main stage though. They are wonderful and very Christmasy to me. There is some caramel, clove, cinnamon, allspice maybe...there seems to be a lot of different flavors in there, and I can't quite place them all. A little Belgian yeast. Overall, nicely wintery

M&O: The mouthfeel is medium light, crisp, but low carbonation. Boozy but drinkable. The alcohol is present, but not over bearing and or offensive. Overall a very nice beer. It was perfect to break out and share with friends on a cool evening.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 00:50:14 | More by marikoangel

GbVDave

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a magnum bottle into multiple pint glasses. Thanks to Steve and Chris for the assist!

A: Pours a deep amber color. Sitting on top is an impossibly thick and creamy, three finger, eggshell colored head. Fantastic retention and lacing.

S: Aromas of spicy christmas cookies and fruity/spicy alcohol.

T: See above. Fruity alcohol, spice rack, cinnamon, toasted nuts, and something along the lines of candied orange peel.

M: Prickly and spicy. Tingly on my lips. Oily and sticky as well.

D: Really friggin' good! So glad I had help to finish this bottle. Thanks guys!

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2010 13:17:51 | More by GbVDave

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this at the Armsby Abbey during a holiday lunch.

Served in a tulip glass the beer came with a nice cap of foamy off white head. There was a huge amount of lacing all over the inside of the glass. A hazy, dull dark amber color. Classic Mikkeller hoppy aroma with lots of pine notes. A hint of fruitiness to come.

I really enjoyed this. A bit of a slight red wine note here. I don't get too much spice here at all, but a nice fruity flavor mixing with the toffee malt notes. Quite hoppy and even floral.. Overall pretty interesting.

Medium bodied with very slight carbonation.

Pretty interesting.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2010 00:32:12 | More by Reagan1984

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

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

1.5 litre bottle, for Americans that's twice the size of a good bottle of Scotch. I was not expecting it to be so hoppy, and good hoppy, with a ittle spiciness in the seondary. The aroma is the same. Good mouthfeel. Yellow with huge bubble head, lacey. Yeast comforting in the finish. High alpha. This is the final beer of the night, and closer to sipper. From Half Time.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 23:34:42 | More by northyorksammy

dansmcd

Australia

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

A - Dark caramel brown with a thin white head and nice lacing.

S - Ginger, cut grass, savoury spices, fruit cake, booze.

T - Ginger, honey, rye bread, thyme, christmas cake.

M - Low carbonation, medium body. Spicy and smooth on the tongue.

O - Great wintery treat. Check it out if you get the chance.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2011 10:36:06 | More by dansmcd

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

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

1.5L bottle, with some nice red and white (natch) snowfall imagery on the label. Once again, props go to John, the rep for Mikkeller in Wild Rose Country, for the stellar sample on a Saturday afternoon.

This beer pours a somewhat hazy, dark golden amber colour, with one finger of tightly foamy pale beige head, which leaves a solid, slightly pocked wall of panted lace around the glass as it genially fades away.

It smells of crisp, bitter citrus hops, caramel and toffee malt, soft Belgian yeast, a bit of sweet drupe fruitiness, and leafy, earthy hops. The taste is bitter citrusy pine hops, semi-sweet caramel malt, soft bready caramel malt, weakly astringent wheat additions, some understated savoury spiciness, and a twinge of earthy yeast. A middling booze edginess does well to linger in the background.

The bubbles are rather laid back, the body a hefty medium-heavy weight, and adequately smooth. It finishes on the bittersweet side of things, the citrus hops still unexpectedly outshining any other normative component of the holiday aspect, leaving the rest of us with a confusing mish-mash of the sweet and the bitter.

If this this was made Stateside, I would have to duly classify this as a Yankee Strong Ale, with a weird, though still tame Belgian yeast offset. The X-mas aspect gets quite lost in the mire, which at this point on the calendar is really no big surprise. Get a bottle of this for your eventual seasonal party, is all I can say, hop-heads.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 02:23:11 | More by biboergosum

vfgccp

New York

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2010 1.5L bottle, shared in May 2011.

A – Hazy neon orange turmeric. Almost like an orange creamsicle. Fine white head with nice lace and retention.

S – Bright citrus: orange, lemon and candied ginger.

T – Boozy with a soft, earthy-green hop bitterness. Coriander and honey middle into an herbaly thyme / sage backend.

M – Medium body. Lightly boozy with a big, herbal bitter finish.

O – A touch sharp on the booze.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 00:14:53 | More by vfgccp

KajII

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

[Suggested Glassware: Weizen Glass]

The pour was a clear copper brown with a huge (3-4 fingers) cream colored fluffy head that had great retention and lasted throughout, reducing finally to a large cap with excellent sticky runny lacing.

The aroma was of a biscuit malt, pine hops and a sweaty yeast with notes of caramel, citrus (grapefruit and orange peel), corriander and a touch of clove.

The taste was a bitter malty with a mild caramel sweetness and a hint of citrus from the beginning, the finish on the other hand became rather hoppy with a slight citrus peel bitterness and a bit of spice towards the end. The flavor lasted a good long duration following the swallow, with a bitter hoppy and a spicy sweet taste left behind to linger on the taste buds.

Mouthfeel was a step or two past light in body with a mildly dry texture and a medium carbonation.

Overall this was an interesting brew for sure. Even though I really did not get much of the Witbier yeast flavor coming through, I did notice the slightly spicy citrusy flavor. But the Red Ale in this hybrid most definitely is the most dominant of the two...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 21:05:31 | More by KajII

MasterSki

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked this one up at West Lakeview Liquors. Magnum shared with friends. Served in my Surly pint glass. This is about two months old.

A - Pours with a ridiculous amount of off-white creamy meringue foam. Retention is excellent, as is the lacing, which makes attractive circular patterns. Body is a hazed golden orange color.

S - Zesty pine and grassy hoppiness, tangy wheat, a touch of citrus rind and grape. Yeast is present, and definitely smells foreign - somewhere between German and Belgian. Spices are thankfully understated, with a touch of nutmeg but nothing else overtly obvious. You wouldn't know this was a Christmas beer from the smell.

T - The taste is a little more muted, with some aggressive bitterness peeking through. There's a little bit more Christmas spice in the finish - maybe a touch of cinnamon - but again it's in the periphery. The basic flavor is a cross between an amber and a wheat ale, but aggressively hopped. Sugar cookie malt base, malted wheat, grass and floral hops, a touch of grape. Alcohol is very well-hidden.

M - I'm guessing all the carbonation went into the head, as the body is very low in carbonation, and surprisingly thin. It needs a little more oomph to match the 8%, but otherwise it's quite pleasant and velvety smooth.

D - You definitely need a couple people for the magnum, but I downed my glass pretty quick and went back for seconds. My only knock is the slightly faded character - not sure why they put a hoppy brew into a magnum. The price/oz was actually reasonable for a Mikkeller beer. If they made this as a collaboration in the US, and it came in six-packs it'd be a nice alternative to A Lil' Sumpin' Extra!

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2010 04:50:09 | More by MasterSki

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at Armsby Abbey Belgian Christmas night.

A big fluffy Belgian head forms, with sticky lacing, over hazy peach orange wood colored beer.

Nose is light grassy earthy hops, light golden Belgian malts, sweet malts, fresh hops.

Taste is fresh hops, a little watery, fresh grassy spicy hops, bitter, and pretty astringent, light sweet malts, Belgian golden malts, a bit of sugar cookie, very light bright fruits, little chewy, light citrus, light herbal flavors as it warms. A slight touch of booze as it warms.

Mouth is medium bodied with good carbonation.

Drinkability isn't the greatest, with all the bitterness and some astringency, but a decent dry finish, and just a hint of booze.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2010 23:25:00 | More by jlindros

mrfrancis

Kentucky

3.93/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy, ruddy amber with orange highlights and a puffy, lingering white head.

S: Aromas of lemon, bitter orange, spices, wheat, and honey are present on the nose. I'm not quite sure what to make of this one.

T: Notes of lemon, bitter orange, minerals, lime, coriander, honey, wheat bread, grass, and lavender with just a bit of acidity and wood around mid-palate. The finish is long, hot, and spicy with bitter orange, lemon, coriander, and honey notes.

M: Medium bodied and initially dry, though it does become slightly more syrupy before the finish. Carbonation is present, but does not seem particularly forceful. Feels heavier than it really is.

O: This is a fascinating hybrid ale, and I'm really not quite sure what to make of it. There's just so much going on here that it is difficult to process. Mikkeller continues to simultaneously impress and confound, though what else should one expect?

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2011 23:15:39 | More by mrfrancis

MattSweatshirt

Texas

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the huge 1.5l bottle.

Big pillowy head that just doesn't subside the whole time you drink. It has a hazy orange/caramel color to it. Lots o' bubbles.

Mostly orange smelling hops in the nose with a slight spiciness.

The bitterness from the hops hits first. It is still fairly well balanced as the malts come through nicely. The spices aren't super prevalent which allows the beer to shine. The alcohol is super subdued.

The mouthfeel is fairly smooth with lots of carbonation. Med-full body. Stays on the tongue for a while.

This definitely makes a good Christmas day brew since it is large enough to fill a few peoples glasses and is pretty tasty to boot.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 02:22:59 | More by MattSweatshirt

prototypic

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Red/White Christmas Ale pours a deep red color. It’s hazier than you might expect. Backlighting gives it a bit of an orange look. An off-white head covers the top and stands about two fingers tall. It’s slow to recede and leaves a thick, sticky web of lace trailing down the glass. Good lookin’ stuff.

The nose is alright. It could use a bit more strength, but isn’t bad by any stretch. It kicks off with quite a bit of caramel malt. Definitely smells sweet and sugary. There are quite a bit of hops in the mix. They’re mostly citric. Grapefruit and orange are noted. Pine follows and smells equally as strong. It’s a bit earthy and grassy at times. Belgian yeast is noted, and adds a spicy twist to things. Alcohol is blended well. It doesn’t smell overly strong. It’s not bad. A bit more strength would bump it up a notch.

The flavor is pretty impressive. I like it. More than I anticipated. It does have a caramel malt base. It’s very sweet and sugary. Hops waste little time getting into the mix, adding a jolt of grapefruit and orange flavor. It’s a little bitter, but that’s balanced a great deal by the malts. Piney notes are also present. It is a little spicy. Orange peel and a little coriander are noted. Belgian yeast is there and adds some spicy esters. It all comes together nicely. Alcohol isn’t all that noticeable. Finishes sweet, fruity, and a little spicy.

The body is medium. Carbonation seems pretty well restrained and soft. It has a nice feel and goes down nice and easy. I’m sharing this 1.5 liter bottle, but I’m handling my fair share.

Red/White Christmas Ale is good beer. It’s not your traditional Winter Warmer, but it’s a good Christmas release. If you’re looking of a holiday release to share with some friends, this is a pretty good choice. It’s good beer that probably wouldn’t be too much for anyone. Worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 04:31:15 | More by prototypic