Ris A La M'ale - Mikkeller ApS

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I am sure its real cherry. Pink lace and head and pink lace is the outstanding appearance characteristic. A little sourness and lots of maltiness. The cherry is overwhelmed by smelling and tasting by its malting.
Jon's bottle.Ok drinakbility, bit what I can expect from a cherry beer is not delivered.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 02:57:17 | More by northyorksammy

womencantsail

California

2.78/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to Bobby for sharing this fine beverage.

A: It looks pretty. Pours a slightly hazed amber/orange with a minimal off-white head forming.

S: Smells mostly like yeast with a slight tartness. A lot of sugar notes and something that might even be described as corn. I don't really get either the cherries or the almonds.

T: Quite metallic on the flavor. There is no almond and no cherry flavor, but I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. There is a bit of a creaminess and tartness on the finish.

M: Medium in body with a low to medium level of carbonation.

O: For a beer advertised as being brewed with cherries and almonds, it falls severely short since it exhibits neither. It also doesn't taste very good.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 06:00:23 | More by womencantsail

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Served in a yellow Solo cup.

New Year's Eve is beginning to run down now, and I need something to purge my mouth of the Infinium. Let's try some fruit! It pours a mostly clear ruby topped by a thick helping of ecru foam. The nose comprises wheat, cherries, walnuts, and some light cedar. The taste finds the cherries watered down, the walnuts slightly more ascendant, and a large contingent of hard water moving in from the East. The body is a straight medium, with a light carbonation and a lightly syrupy feel. Overall, this was not as good as I was hoping (I couldn't easily finish the cup), though I still don't think it's as bad as others have said. Bottom line: a failed experiment in creating a marzipan beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2011 22:44:06 | More by TMoney2591

Mora2000

Texas

3.05/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer pours a pinkish-orange color with a white head. The aroma is heavy on the cherries with a little bit of toffee mixed in. The aroma has some grain notes as well as some almond and cherry aspects. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Not sure what Mikkeller was trying to do with this beer, but this is not up to their usual standards.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 04:12:43 | More by Mora2000

metter98

New York

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is hazy red in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter finger high light pink/beige head that has excellent retention properties and consistently left a small head covering the surface.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of almonds and cherries in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has some malty sweetness.
M: The feels medium-bodied and very smooth and a bit creamy on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer hides its alcohol and has some nice flavors that make this an interesting beer to sip.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 20:54:43 | More by metter98

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This poured out on tap at the Trapp Door, it gives off a reddish orange color with a decent looking head on top. The head fades and just leaves a slight ring around the glass. The smell of this beer reminded me of sweet apple cider and some spice. The taste is also sweet and spicy, really nice for a finisher or a night cap. The mouthfeel has a medium body to it along with a light carbonation. Overall I feel that Mikkeller strikes again with another really interesting brew. I can people not enjoying this but if you have it at the proper time of the day I feel that it will not the spot. I would be interested in having this one again some day.

Serving type: on-tap

11-23-2011 00:38:48 | More by Knapp85

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

2.83/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

375ml bottle. Brewed with cherries and almonds, though you would have to decipher the Danish-only labeling on the bottles shipped to Canada to know that. Not Mikkeller's fault, however, the distributor, WTF?

This beer pours a cloudy, sediment-specked medium orange-amber hue, with two fingers of puffy, rocky pink-tinged head, which leaves some crooked webbed lacing around the glass as it evenly subsides.

It smells mildly of sauced cherries, and a bit of caramel maltiness - nothing very much to reel you in. Anyways, the taste is sugared sour cherries, bready caramel malt, some earthy woody notes, perhaps a but nutty, but indistinct at that, and a very subtle gurgling booziness.

The bubbles are not present in any appreciable amount, the body a dodgy medium weight, and a bit too cloying to deserve any smoothness accolades. It finishes off-dry, the seemingly artificially sweetened cherries still running the show, tempered mostly by an herbal hop dryness.

After the initial sleuthing required to determine just what this beer is intended to be, I anticipated the almond adjunct greatly - would it be straight ahead oily nuttiness? Some nice marzipan notes? Nope, just a muddled, if inoffensive and ambitious, example of a fruit beer. Not really worth the $10+ this goes for around here.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 21:59:37 | More by biboergosum

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.21/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pink tinted head and body more cherry brown hues in the body with hints of glowing amber....fine bubbled Belgian style lacing. Aroma has tart cherries malt forward bread and a mild nutty finish. It's one you sip when you really taste the almond skins, and earthiness with tart cherries in the finish complex fine ale I'm glad this was my locals last bottle. Brewed at De Proef, you can smell and taste the BELGIAN influence here friends. Earthy cherry cider with hints of almond think a high class amaretto liquor blended in your favorite Belgian sour ale. Mouthfeel is fine with the carbonation light flowing bubbles with a textured hint of syrup from residual sugars left behind in fermentation overall classic sour ale, I'm glad Mikkeller showed that he does have some finesse.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 01:09:52 | More by WVbeergeek

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.63/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Max's tonight.

The beer pours a slightly reddish amber orange color with good head retention and considerable lacing. The nose is likewise attractive, showcasing sprite, orange citrus and light cherry. The flavors replicate the nose fairly closely, though its a bit light and watery. There's also something of a metallic taste on the finish that I don't understand and don't really like. Mouthfeel is fairly light, and as already noted, it has something of a watery finish. Drinkability is OK, but this beer just isn't interesting or fun enough to be called very drinkable. Mehhh...

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2010 23:51:30 | More by johnmichaelsen

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

First had: on tap at Trapp Door, Emmaus, PA

Poured a hazy orange-red with a small layer of off-white bubbles straggling on the top; no real head/retention/lacing to speak of. Tart aroma of ripe fruits, bready yeast, and light sugars. Taste was...not quite as good as I'd expect from the description, really. Sweet sugars up front, melded with bready yeast, tones of subdued cherries, over-ripe melon, and perhaps a touch of almond essence as an afterthought. Medium-bodied, chewy, a bit filmy. Maybe good for a one-time glass, but not something I'd see myself getting again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2011 15:21:32 | More by Rifugium

glid02

Georgia

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Leon's Full Service in Atlanta.

Pours a slightly hazy golden-copper color with a 1.5-finger slightly off-white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells interesting - light malts with a good deal of ripe and slightly tart cherries. Also present are hints of nuttiness, but it's not something I'd associate with almonds specifically.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Light pale malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by solid amounts of slightly tart cherry flavors. Midway through the sip the yeast cleans things up a bit and smooths out the flavor profile as the cherry flavors fade and it becomes more like a BSPA. Near the end of the sip hints of shaved almond flavors come into play, quickly fading into a moderately bitter ending.

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

Drinkability is OK. I didn't have any problems finishing this beer however I'm not sure about another.

Overall the cherries and almonds were not as intense as I was expecting and the base beer was actually quite good - it reminded me slightly of USAlive. Worth seeking out for curiousity's sake but don't get your hopes up.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2011 14:18:01 | More by glid02

kojevergas

California

3.1/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12.7 fl oz green glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a Fort Collins Brewery pilsner glass in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Points off for the green glass; Mikkel knows better than that. Reviewed live. Acquired at Wilbur's in Fort Collins, Colorado.

A: Pours a three finger head of light pink colour, hardly any cream, okay thickness, and good retention. Colour is a murky cloudy light gold-pink. It's interesting, but I don't know that I'd call it appealing.

Sm: Heavy cherry fruit ester hops alongside a moderate amount of yeast. The almonds come through as well when I look for them; elsewise I'd describe it generally as 'nutty'. The cherry in particular is very appealing. A mild to moderate strength aroma.

T: Heavy cherry is the first thing that hits me, but it's clean and fermented - not at all syrupy or artificial. The finish is bit thin on the yeast and features the dying cherry esters, which are too sweet for the third act balance. No alcohol comes through. Overall, it's a bit simple. I search for the almonds and find them deep in the layering. I'm a bit disappointed by the simple build, but the flavour is refreshing if understated, and certainly pleasant. I do like it, I just expected more from Mikkeller.

Mf: Smooth and wet, suiting the flavours nicely. It is, however, entirely too thin - perhaps its main weakness. The tradeoff is likely for drinkability, but I don't know that it was one worth making.

Dr: Highly drinkable, but lacking in full flavour. It comes off rather bland. I wouldn't even describe it as subtle. Very boring compared to other Mikkeller beers. I'm disappointed. Priced horribly as a result of its poor quality. I wouldn't have this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 06:36:42 | More by kojevergas

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.13/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

All right.... $9 at the COOP... and I already read the first review... What am I doing spending this kind of cash on one bottle of questionable quality? Oh well... Inflatablechair and I shared some brews tonight... neither of us thought it was terrible, just pretty ordinary.

Foamy 1/2" head is definitely pink tinged... sorta deep orange with a slight reddish hue... nice and clear except on the final pour .. descent cap and only splotches of lace.

Nose is a bit bland, but I swear I pick up on almonds... the cherry is there but muted and still seems like sweet cherries which sometime seem artificial in brews... sorta like the cherry in cherry cough drops aroma.... not bad... just not good.

Not much of a base beer flavor at all... maybe some toasty malt notes.... the cherry is bigger on the palate, but still seems a little artificial.. not getting the almonds really... a bit of minor cherry Ludens on the finish..

Body is an okay lite/medium.. the carbonation is abundant yet small bubble and still pretty smooth ...

Sam says it is like a fruited slightly sweet saison attempt.... I guess I can see that... but I think it is really just an attempt at something different that sorta fell flat on most fronts.

This brew actually really improved with alot of warmth... It's been open now for a couple hours and I'm polishing off the last cup or so, and it is okay.

3.5/3/3/4/3

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2010 07:08:31 | More by JohnGalt1

thagr81us

South Carolina

2.93/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

This bottle was purchased after, yes after seeing kipple's review of it. Also a BM was sent to him to let him know what I had done. Haha! Served from bottle into a Delerium Tremens snifter. Poured a hazy deep blood red with a two finger light pink head. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of only sweet malt and sour cherries. The flavor was of sweet malt, almonds (duh!), fermented cherries (duh!), and slight saison spices as it warmed up. It had a medium feel on the palate with mid-high carbonation. Overall.... This one was quite interesting, but not as bad as kipple made it out to be. However, I must say, my palate took a beating on this one. Just so many flavors that lingered well after your sip. I'm honestly just glad that I don't have to melt down my snifter to get rid of the flavor that I was expecting to forever tarnish it. I followed this beer with a world-class hefe to get the flavor out of my mouth. At least this one had AWESOME lacing and a decent mouthfeel though.... Gotta look at your positives.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2010 12:27:30 | More by thagr81us

avalon07

South Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a dark red color and a cloudy consistency. There was a big, off white, fairly long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: A somewhat subdued smell that was dominated by malt and cherries.

T: Tasted of cherries and malt, but for the most part was thin and mild. This is very surprising, as usually fruit beers are dominated by their advertised fruit.

M: A well carbonated beer with a dry finish. Medium-bodied.

D: This is a beer with some good qualities, but quite a few deficiencies. Not undrinkable, but not great either.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2011 03:23:50 | More by avalon07

gford217

Georgia

3.05/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

375ml bottle.

Pours a hazy reddish brown with a light pinkish white head.

Aroma is odd in that it's very light with a lot of pilsner-like aromas which I wasn't expecting. Hops and biscuity malts with only hints of the light sugary fruits and nuts mentioned on the label.

Taste is a bit fruitier with some cherry-lollipops mixed in with pale malts and noble hops coming through and forming a light backbone. The finish is fruity and dry.

The mouthfeel is light with lots of carbonation, very crisp but watery overall.

Overall, this was not that impressive for me. Very light and watery feel with less complexity than i was hoping for.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2011 03:41:05 | More by gford217

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Shared a bottle with my fiance as a digestive.

Color is a murky rose and caramel orange color with a khaki colored head of about one finger and OK residual foaming. Good bubbling.

The aroma was soft nutty alomnds with faintly tart cherry and biscuit aroma. Not a bad dessert beer aroma.

The taste is simple and sraight forward. Tartish maraschino cherry with light almond syrup flavors. Some toasty biscuit malt flavors come around the finish. The 8% abv. adss a nice warmth to this sweet after dinner brew.
The palate is well carbonated but little powdery dry.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 14:21:10 | More by scruffwhor

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

super cool beer, like no other that i am aware of in existance. it has a pleasant pale pink color to it, with majorly active carbonation accumulating a few inches of bubbly almost see through head. the nose is more cherry than anything, yeasty too, with a saison sort of wildness to it, and an essentially nonexistant malt smell and taste. the almonds kind of vill the void left by the light malt, adding a unique and not so subtle nutty quality, with almost a vanilla and wood essence, although the cherry is the star of the show here, not sweet, not tart, just very flavorful and ripe. the yeast ties everything together, and the alcohol is barely there. it has a mouthfeel like champagne, effervescent, light, semisweet, but dry also. could gladly drink a bunch of these, which i rarely say of a fruit beer. classic stuff from mikkeller here, worth the price (i hate to say), of 15 odd bucks for a 12.7oz. bottle. its too interesting to pass up. also a beer your non hop loving girlfriend might get into...

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 20:19:54 | More by StonedTrippin

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

375ml bottle poured into tulip 12/3/12

A murky pinky orange with a slightly pink foam two fingers deep, just enough clarity too see loads of pin prick bubbles feeding the foam that leaves random spider web lacing

S smell like a nutty cherry tootsie roll, that's the best description my mind can grasp

T some earthy twiggy notes that I just can't place with a little tea bag perhaps on top of the nutty cherry tootsie roll I could smell, I wont lie I don't quite understand this one but its decent

M slight heat, a little sticky and sweet, slightly sour and a little syrupy

O something different that's for sure, not really sure what this brew is supposed to be but I didn't mind it

like I just mentioned I really don't know what type of beer this is but I found it interesting nonetheless, I won't be stocking up on this one but it was worth a shot

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 06:11:59 | More by wordemupg

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.45/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Meh. This is a surprise from Mikkeller. Bottle was a little too cold; poured a nice, cream colored, thick, foamy head that settled down after a bit and some lace. Color is a murky pink orange amber with bits of sediment in suspension. Aroma is malt, cherry, yeast. Flavor is a rather uninteresting blend of malt, sour cherry, carbonic tang, maybe some almonds in there somewhere. Body and carbonation are good. Finsih is like flavor, tapers to a slight bitterness. A fairly mild beer overall, understated.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 00:34:45 | More by drpimento

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.45/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Note: This bottle is about 1 year old, kept in cold fridge

Pours a dark pink with pinkish white head. Foamed up to about 2 fingers, laced a bit as it drank.

Aroma of black cherries, Bing cherries, soft biscuit and some nuttiness.

Flavors are just as the nose. Cherries and nuts. The fruit isn't all up in yo face, and the sweetness is subtle. The almonds tame this down a bit and give a smoothness. Quite the contrast to those fruit beers that use syrups.

Feels a tad flat. A bit more bubble would help liven up that smoothness on the end.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 21:12:26 | More by Mebuzzard

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On Tap at Khyber Pass Pub for their 1st (56th??) Anniversary party. Poured into a tulip glass.

Mikkeller Ris A La M'ale goes in the glass easy like with a deep red hue bordering on ruby with a white head with the slightest tint of pink, fades quick leaving nothing. The beer looks dead after a bit. Smell is cherry, a lot of it. Some other fruit in the mix with some hard coated candy in the nose after a while. Also get some cream and Indian/Diaper scent with significant wsrming. This is a good representation of the style, similiar in taste like other fruited beers. A vanilla/cream component in the iddle, malt towards the end. Feel is medium with very light carb yet not on the dead side. Sweetness lingers for a bit, almost like a puree sitting on the tounge. A good beer, yet not my style. I would never cop a expensive ass bottle of this, even if I had the money.

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2011 04:26:58 | More by onix1agr

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a slightly hazy garnet red with orange highlights in color and some very light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall creamy pinkish off-white head that has great retention properties - the head reduces to a thick film and a thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Significant lacing is observed.

S: Aromas of sour cherries along with a strong presence of almonds. Slightly sweet with some extremely light amounts of funkiness.

T: The beer starts out kind of sweet with some cherry fruit, then the cherry sourness takes over. The almond presence comes out in the finish with some light bitterness. There is a very slight amount of funk and vinous notes.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate to heavy amounts of carbonation. Creamy and smooth which is unexpected for the style.

O: Very unique in appearance with an unusual combination of flavors that was successful. Enjoyable and I'm really glad that I tried this one even if it is not the easiest to drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 23:56:52 | More by dbrauneis

ngeunit1

California

4.16/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Hazy copper-brown with a finger of frothy off-white head. Fades fairly slowly.

S - Sweet caramel malts, cherries, almonds, and some bready malts.

T - Sweet caramel and biscuity malts, cherries with a touch of sourness, almonds, some residual sugars.

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

D - Nice fruit beer. Good overall balance and mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 04:00:51 | More by ngeunit1

GbVDave

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a synthetic cork and caged (and paper wrapped) 375ml bottle into a Mikkeller long stemmed tulip.

Back label code: 7511008

A: Pours a deep dark pink with two fingers of light pink meringue on top. Retention was excellent as was the lacing. Carbonation was somewhat active.

S: Cherries and almonds. As it warmed, it began to smell a bit like a cherry almond torte. I also picked up on some mildly Saison-ish spicing that, sadly, wasn't more in the forefront.

T: Pretty agreeable cherry flavor. I think the almonds actually tone down what could've been overly bright cherry. Once again, Saison spices lurking in the background with a bit of sweet malt.

M: The sweetness of a fruit beer with the spicy dryness of a Saison. Finishes dry and a bit peppery. Astringent spiciness cleanses the tongue of any remnants of fruit.

D: After glancing at kkipple's review score (KRS) for this I braced myself for a truly horrifying experience...and I was pleasantly surprised. Not quite sure what Mikkel was going for with this (an after holiday dinner dessert beer?) but I enjoyed it. This actually would function quite well as a stomache settler after a gut-busting Thanksgiving and/or Christmas dinner. Relatively light with almost non-existant alcohol presence.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2010 18:22:23 | More by GbVDave