Beer Hop Breakfast - Mikkeller ApS

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.26/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A-black with a sticky brown head

S-smells like oatmeal, more so than any other beer I've had. A bit milky and grainy as well. Smells good.

T-comes in with a great roasted flavor of oatmeal. It's simple, but clean and crisp. Nice after-taste of roasted grains.

M-medium carbonation. Very smooth though a bit watery.

O-definitely an awesome stout. Has a high quality flavor to it, something you expect from a high profile stout.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2013 16:28:58 | More by AdamBear

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pizza plant in buffalo, NY
The beer pours a dull black with almost no head. The nose is bitter with a faint roastiness. Tasting presents a bit of alcohol with a lot more burnt roastiness and much more of the juicy, piney hops, which announce themselves startlingly on my unsuspecting palate. The mouthfeel is heavy, but not thick/chewy like a ris, with a saturating bitterness. It's a good beer with a bitterness at the caliber of a fresh oak aged yeti.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2013 05:49:59 | More by ThePorterSorter

merc7186

New York

4.03/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Pizza Plant in Williamsville NY, into a snifter glass.

A: Dark Opaque Hue, Passes No Light, Thick Brown Head, Decent Lacing

S: Strong Coffee, Bittering Hops

T: Strong Coffee, Bittering Hops, Mild Chocolate

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium to Full Bodied, Semi Bitter

Overall, a little too much coffee for my liking but really good none the less.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2012 16:58:44 | More by merc7186

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Ordered a goblet for $8 at Top Hops in LES, NYC, and it made for a perfect fall beer. There was a deep, roasted malt character complemented by a sharp, citrus hop bite. The citrus hops didn't get much of a chance to stand out from the richly mocha barley, but they did blend in wonderfully for a long, lingering pine and cocoa finish. I like that the ABV isn't over the top, yet it's still a fantastic sipping beer. Get yourself a glass and let the dry cocoa, coffee bean, and American hops roll around on your tongue.

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2012 00:49:11 | More by tempest

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Local Taphouse, St Kilda. From notes.

A - Black pour with light carbonation. One finger of dark brown fluffy head left a small film of retention and sticky rings of lace.

S - Coffee, hops, a heavily hopped stout is what's at work from the aroma. Roasty as well. Quite nice.

T - Really rich darkness. Tons of aggressive hops follow with chocolate and coffee as well. Really roast too. Citrussy with mid pine as well. Both elements really rock and blend together.

M - Good carbonation, medium to full body and a bitter chocolate/hop finish.

O/D - Quite a good hoppy stout. Richness makes it clearly a stout and not a black IPA. Really drinkable. Nails it pretty good.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2012 02:05:37 | More by tbeckett

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Papago Brewing in Scottsdale, AZ.

A: Deep, dark brown/black with a medium brown, fluffy, frothy head. Some lacing and head retention. Big head forms quickly when giving the snifter a swirl.

S: Smoky, roasted malt with some good sweetness. Subtle coffee and dark chocolate undertones. Much more comes out as the beer warms, naturally.

T: Wonderfully roasted malt with a noticeable hop profile. Sweet, toasty, sugary, chocolaty malt lingers through the finish. I like that the roasted malt doesn't dominate. It's sweet with some hop flavors to keep it mellow.

M: Sweet, creamy, and smooth. Highly drinkable for the style and high ABV. No detectable alcohol. Very enjoyable and fairly unique for the style. Can become a bit cloying but only at the last sip or two.

O: Incredible beer that every beer lover should try.

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2012 20:36:59 | More by Gatch

Bung

North Carolina

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tap at Macs Steel Creek. Basic black, layer of light tan head. Just barely laced the glass.

Aroma, load of roast, very earthy. Light chocolate and nut.

Taste, oaky component really shoots through you sinuses. Lots of roast malt, coffee. Some anise and molasses. Can't help but think the hops have really faded. Listed as a black ale, buy this is a definitely a borderline stout. Not bad at all, just saying. The earthy, woody, chocolate covered walnut is very interesting.

Just to the light of mid bodied, nearly creamy. Drinks pretty easy, but there is a warming for only 7.5%. Wasn't sure what to expect with this, it is different but pretty good.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2012 04:00:37 | More by Bung

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appears a dark, opaque black with a creamy tan head that slowly fades into a hearty cap of fluff. Tons of scattered lacing is left around the glass.
Smell is of obvious coffee notes with cut wood, pine, hop resin, And danky weed.
Taste is of the aromas with a bitter blast of coffee beans, and heavy hopping. Some sweetness that kicks into a bitter wood.
Mouthfeel is full bodied, creamy...yet the bitters of the hops and coffee are very overpowering. Nothing wrong with that on many levels but just not a preferred lingering mouthfeel that I enjoy.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2012 17:54:14 | More by weeare138

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On Tap at Blue Dog.

Beer Hop Breakfast is a very dark black color with a thickish look. The dark brown mocha colored foam up top has great retention with minor sticks. a slick coats the glass when sipping. Smell is very hoppy, pine is very in charge with earthy tones and coffe grinds. Roasted malt plays a part as well. Tasting this, Beer Hop Breakfast delivers, hops and coffee. Some flaked oats (oatmeal) with roasted malt and a somewhat astringent bitter taste towards the end. Like most Mikkeller beers, Im not a big fan of this one. Feel is a nice healthy medium and probably bigger than that. Fair carb with a piney, lasting aftertaste that kills things (at least for me). Mikkeller is hit or miss with me, and this one was not a hit. I could not even finish my glass.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2012 05:27:21 | More by onix1agr

BearsOnAcid

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draft at the Publick House.

Big cocoa colored head, black body.

Fresh coffee aroma, chocolate, and dark malt balancing well with a piney resinous hop aroma.

Lots of coffee and a strong piney, grassy hop flavor. Malty with moderate sweetness and dark chocolate. Not that thick which makes this pretty easy to drink. Just the right amount of bitterness and doesn't clash with the roasty flavor of the beer making it astringent. It drinks like a black IPA. Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2012 15:45:35 | More by BearsOnAcid

seanyfo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

1/2 pint on tap into a tulip glass at the brewdog pub in Edinburgh

A- pitch black body with no light penetration. Thick creamy 2 finger head that reduces quickly to a thin later which is well retained with good lacing

S- subtle treacle toffee sweetness sandwiched between passion fruit floral hop notes and roasted malts.

T- roasted malts in the beginning fade to a slight caramel sweetness before the hop bite comes through in the end which shares the finish with an underlying hint of coffee. No alcohol heat present

M- low to medium carbonation with full cream body

D- an interesting stout. Not had an American version yet and this was enjoyable. Not overly hopped with roasted malts notes working well with a subtle coffee hint.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2011 21:37:23 | More by seanyfo

ThePaleRider

California

4.16/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A - Very dark and rich brown. Dark chocolate two finger head with really nice retention. Nice legs on the glass. No light passing through the glass on this one.

S - Smells a little boozey for the ABV. Lots of coffee and chocolate with a slight citrus. Very intriguing aroma.

T - Not picking up on the hops very much. Mostly light coffee and chocolate notes. Very drinkable stout.

M - Full bodied and very smooth. Not much carbonation to speak of. Really nice after taste.

O - My favorite that I've had from the breakfast lineup. Very drinkable but like usual, Mikkeller is just so expensive.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 18:33:08 | More by ThePaleRider

laituegonflable

Australia

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark brown, with a glint or so of mahogany up to the light. Head is darkish beige, bit whispy but decent lace left around. Looks pretty good, although it could easily look better in all aspects.

Smells quite resiny, actually. Fair floral hints coming off that, with some citrus, pine and rubber. Mostly light, and even though it's deliberate, I'm missing something darker, more heavy or just earthier, as it all seems a bit unsubstantial. Nice, but I'd like more.

Taste is a bit better. Still a little light body-wise, but plenty of that resiny hop note upfront, with floral and woody, organic sap notes that transition smoothly into a long, bitter finish. Lots of astringency on the back, with charred roastiness and resinous hop oils competing for the bitter crown. A bit too much, really, kind of lemon pithy and doesn't quite clean up to make me want more.

Body is quite light for the style, but there's a presence by the end. OK.

Have had better dark beers, this one tastes quite heavy but not quite a full enough flavour to compensate for the weighty bitterness. Just a bit ashy and astringent. Not an everyday beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 08:14:23 | More by laituegonflable

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.09/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Visually really really appealing, pitch black body flowing huge tan head frothing above the sides of my chalice, fine even lacing as it slowly fades. Aroma has dark chocolate bitterness and hint of pine and citrus tone hops in the background with a somewhat creamed coffee in the middle. Bitterness unwavering bitterness green hops assault the palate with a pelletized hop concentration black malts (mainly black patent bring out the charcoal and roasted malt bitterness) so there's a bit of a tag team combo hitting me hard right now. I really couldn't tell you they used oatmeal, but dark bitter coffee, dark malts, and hops are screaming hello!!! Mouthfeel never gets past any one of the waves of bitterness it coats all dimensions of the palate, medium bodied even solid carbonation no issues there just the lacquer known has beer hop breakfast is left behind coating the entire palate with a lingering unbalanced bitterness. Overall I wish the gypsy brewer had a stroke of finesse in his paint brush, maybe due to the country where the brewing scene is breaking out like a punk rock movement do most of these guys feel the need to brew this way. Believe me I like extreme beer I just like well balanced big beers.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 22:58:12 | More by WVbeergeek

larryi86

Delaware

4.09/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

16.9 oz bottle poured into a tulip

A- Black with a two finger tan head.

S- Roasted coffee, piney hops, roasted malts, some dark chocolate, citrus hops.

T- Hoppy, piney, touch of burnt hops, some citrus, roasted coffee, touch of smoke, dark chocolate.

M- Smooth, medium body, dry.

O- I enjoy Beer Geek Breakfast more, but this is still a solid beer. Hoppiness makes it almost taste like a black IPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 23:30:44 | More by larryi86

Kendo

New York

4.15/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: First, a note on the bottle. I cracked it open and there was sediment on the neck and the lip of the bottle. It's been in my fridge, standing upright, for at least 2 weeks. I wonder how it was stored before then - and how old this bottle might be. . . . Anyway, on to the review. . . .

Poured into a Sam Smith's nonic-style pint glass. Body is black with a 1+ finger light-brown head that leaves behind some Yoo-Hoo colored lacing.

S: I get coffee right away, but it subsides and is replaced by an earthy, tobacco scent and plenty of citrus. Reminds me of an American Black Ale that was brewed with coffee more than a stout.

T: First impression: wow, this is surprisingly hoppy and bitter. Roasty malt underneath, along with plenty of roasted coffee beans and some charcoal. Finishes with citrusy bitterness and roasted grain husks. Reminds me of a cross between a hoppy Imperial Porter (e.g., the roast and char) and an American Black Ale (the citrusy hops). Again, I don't get the overall sense that this is all that stout-like. . . . ABV is noted on the end of the sip, with heat felt on the way down into the belly. Lingering bitterness - grapefruit and burnt grains - on the aftertaste.

M: Medium in heft, maybe a touch heavier. Carbonation is modest, provides a bit of sharp prickliness at the back end of the sip.

O: This is good stuff, just not really what I was expecting given the Stout style description. I suppose the word "Hop" in the name should've been a give away, but still. . . think of this as an American Black Ale and you'll be pleased.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 01:10:11 | More by Kendo

stumac

Texas

2.46/5  rDev -39.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Please don't tell me that Mikkeller is pumping out outrageous gross beer and up charging like Saint Arnold does with the Divines. Any hoot, sippin this brew while reading the end of Stephen King's The Mist as my roomies are loud as shit downstairs. No biggy.
Pours up amazing foamy dark tan head. Great lacing. The head made it thru the whole journey. Aroma is very hoppy, some malts creeping thru. Nice aroma. Now the taste. It's too much. You've got big bold malts battling heavy hops. I don't ever eat chocolate with ketchup. It's too crazy in this bottle! It's not bad but it's not good. Full bodied. Heavy crispy carbo. Meh. Just an experiment I suppose

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 04:09:11 | More by stumac

TheFightingMongooses

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

16.9 oz bottle features a dark label with minimal graphics and no freshness info. Poured into a tulip.

Appearance - Nearly pitch black except for the smallest, deep amber highlight at the very bottom of the glass. Caramel colored head forms a thin ring and some froth at the surface, leaving some spotty lacing behind.

Smell - At first the aroma seems pretty straight forward, then it warms revealing different layers. Initially I get a big roasted character from the coffee and the roasted malt which contributes moderate sweetness. There is an herbal tinge, and it is apparent that this brew is hopped up more than your typical coffee/oatmeal stout. As it warms I get wafts of bitter baker's chocolate. The finish is a little briny, making me think of dark chocolate covered pretzels. When the liquid level is low in the glass, solvent alcohol presents itself when I inhale deeply.

Taste - The taste follows the aroma very closely. Hop bitterness and roasted coffee linger on the palate, drying the mouth and leaving it screaming for another sip. There is definitely a briny character to the aftertaste which I'm actually enjoying.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, a little oily and smooth. Good for a stout.

Overall - A nice imperial stout with an extra dimension from the hops. It's not uber complex but there are some nice layers here that make it interesting. I won't go out of my way to search this out but I will pick it up again if I see it for a decent price.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 00:59:12 | More by TheFightingMongooses

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.15/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Coffee and hops, really? With the sharpness of citrus hops, pine, roast, and bitter colliding in the glass, its easy to anticipate these flavors clashing in a very unfavorable way.

But like many other stouts, the beer pours with the darkest of brown colors that hedge on black. Complete opaqueness disallows light penetration, as the haze does as much to contribute tot he cloudiness as the color does. Froathy with its foam character, the beer builds a tall head of mocha-stained color, built for long lasting and lacy persistence.

Two beers seem to live in the glass as the stout-like aromas provide the coffee, roast, and dark sugar notes while more IPA character delivers hoppy citrus, pine, and grass notes. Both battling it out, not allowing one to command the other. The culmination of scents are almost too much for the nose to comprehend, but the quality of both are good enough to keep the nose returning to the glass.

But in taste, the flavor of stout wins over, if ever so slightly. Roasted grain, toast char, burnt sugar, and French pressed coffee embark on a lush and robust taste. Trailing shortly behind are the hops- rising to absolute IPA status, the roast is met with flavors of white grapefruit peels, under ripened oranges, spruce, and cannabis-oriented botanical. From the middle palate on, the beer seems to alternate in its lean with each sip, before the high hop bitterness outlast the char by a thin margin in its extended finish.

Surprisingly drinkable, the beer has an airy roasted texture that's suited well as both American stout and IPA. It's forgiving rate of drinkability is in stark contrast to the power of flavor that the beer delivers to the taste buds. It's full carbonation engulfs the middle palate and ushers in a dry, roasty-astringent texture with resinous hop dryness and understated alcohol warmth.

Beer Hop Breakfast is a fascinating beer, that even after an entire bottle I still don't feel that I have fully explored the beer, nor decided about its character. It's certainly a complex beer that has some bully-ish overtones. Though it's taste is brash, it seems to work somehow.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 18:15:54 | More by BEERchitect

CStrife187

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a .5L bottle into a pint glass

A - Pours a thick, dark brown with a one finger head. The head is a creamy chocolate brown, and fades somewhat quickly leaving moderate lacing.

S - Hops. Bitter, super grassy hops. Under that a bit of roasted malt and perhaps some coffee. Hard to pick anything out from under the hop.

T - Slightly smoky at first, with a bit of coffee. Then come the hops. If you love stouts, and you love that fresh, blooming grassy hop flavor this is the beer for you. As I continue to sip, my palate adjusts to the hoppiness and the coffee flavor really starts to shine. Behind that are some really nice hints of smoke. The flavor seems to develop a little bit with each sip.

M - Medium carbonation and slightly thick. Not as thick as a milk or cream stout. The feel really seems to match the flavor.

O - While the bitterness from the hops seemed a bit overwhelming at first, the flavors really start to blend and work together as the beer goes along. A stout hopped like a pale ale is certainly an interesting experience. While I wouldn't drink this beer regularly, I definitely appreciate the experience and I think Mikkeller did a great job with this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 17:34:24 | More by CStrife187

ngeunit1

California

4.28/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark black with a touch of brown and a finger of frothy khaki-chocolate head. Fades fairly slowly.

S - Roasted dark chocolate malts, roasted coffee, milk chocolate, citrus and mild earthy hops, molasses, black licorice, oatmeal.

T - Roasted dark chocolate and light caramel malts, roasted coffee, citrus hops, some hop bitterness, molasses, black licorice, oatmeal, vanilla.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Super smooth and a bit silky with roasted, sweet, and warming finish.

D - Nice hoppy stout. Great overall balance.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 06:09:03 | More by ngeunit1

barczar

Kentucky

3.78/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an opaque deep brown with ruby highlights and a frothy 3 inch mocha head that lingers, eventually leaving sheets of thick lacing.

Coffee, chocolate, licorice, roast malt, dark fruit, and dank hops form the initial aroma. Grapefruit, resin, and fresh cut grass surface as it warms.

Roast malt, cocoa, coffee grounds, lime, and grapefruit are evident in the early flavor profile. Bittering hops combine with roasty bitterness to finish the sip. Resin and fresh cut grass are subtle in comparison with the underlying citrus. A slightly sweet malted milk ball flavor emerges late.

Body is moderate to full, slick, with low carbonation and an astringent bite. There's slight alcohol warmth.

Interesting combination of flavors. The citrus juxtaposes the roast malt and coffee, which are complemented well by the bitter, resiny hops. But it's too bitter for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 04:32:14 | More by barczar

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.48/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

yup, i think this tops the beer geek breakfast for me, what an awesome brew this is! big thanks to my lovely girlfriend for hooking this up as an xmas present for me. the pour is real dark, pushing black, no light through at all. big frothy four fingers of white lace on top, settling some, but not going totally away. the nose and taste are both coffee first, rich and black, fresh brewed, but its not as intense as mikkellers other coffee stouts. its tempered here by a lot of oats and some malt sweetness, and hops! the hops are low key, bitter but not oily or pungent too much, just a nice complement to the bitterness of the coffee and a knife through the sugary malts. heavy roast, delicious. finish is long and complex, evolving. feel makes it though, so much smoothness in texture from the oats, no coffee acidity at all, i have no idea how he does it, but this beer as extraordinary. full body, just enough carbonation. i would honestly be more than happy to drink this beer for breakfast anytime. it has everything you need. couldnt feel the caffeine in this one like i could in some of his others, but nevermind that. this is outstanding, more than outstanding. one of his best, and thats saying a lot from me.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 22:59:42 | More by StonedTrippin

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours an opaque jet black in color with some very dark amber highlights at the edges of the glass and light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation near the surface. The beer has a two finger tall dark tan head that slowly reduces to a thin film covering the entire surface of the beer with a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of citrus hops with moderate aromas of roasted malts and coffee.

T: Light to moderate flavors of roasted malts and coffee upfront. That is followed by fairly strong flavors of citrus/grapefruit rind hops and pine/resin hops. There is also a light amount of cocoa towards the finish as well. Light to moderate amounts of bitterness in the finish.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Relatively smooth but not quite a thick as some of the other Mikkeller Breakfast beers.

O: This is an enjoyable beer (as are most of the Mikkeller Breakfast beers, in my opinion) with a nice complexity of flavor and a pleasant hop bite. The alcohol is well hidden and I would be happy to have another one of these.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 16:33:59 | More by dbrauneis

joiceed

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Looks like oil, very little had. Bits of tan fizz will skim o'er the top set by the edge of the glass as you lift and move the glass.

Smell: Strong coffee, smokiness, chocolate.

Taste: Forward with huge coffee odor which instantly impacts your reaction, but very smokey as it goes down. Notes of chocolate, slight vanilla undertones.

Overall: Enjoyable beverage, comparable to Founder's Double Chocolate Stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 05:29:47 | More by joiceed