Black Hole (White Wine Edition) - Mikkeller ApS

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Liam's bottle, part of the Black Hole blind tasting. This was my favourite of the night.

Pretty much jet black, solid ring of tan head with nice lacing left on the glass. Smell is roasted with some smokey notes, oak, ashy and burnt scents, vanilla, subtle spice as well, coffee and chocolate are there but quite mild. Taste is of roasted malt, coffee, vanilla, more smoke flavours than other Black Hole variations, nice oak finish, chocolate also in aftertaste with more roast. Mouthfeel is full, light to medium carbonation, good feel. I was surprised to learn this was the White Wine barrel, this was the cleanest and most balanced version of such a monster beer, quite drinkable and would certainly come back to this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 18:12:40 | More by peensteen

wyatt13

Illinois

2.99/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

My dad is always intrigued by strange brews like this one, so he gave me this beer a few months ago. Poured from a 375 ml. bottle into a snifter.

A – Pours a beautiful hazy black color. A surprisingly large mocha head erupts for something that is such a high ABV. Very good level of visible carbonation. Immense alcohol legs, yet a surprising amount of lacing.

S – The scent of the white wine barrels is very strong – an enormous oakiness like a young Chardonnay is quite strong. At the same time, there is the expected chocolate and coffee notes. In my opinion, these smells do not work well together at all, and I find it off-putting.

T – Massive oakiness hits the taste buds right away, before transitioning to a sharp white grape acidity. A sweet vanilla character follows up, with a lingering chocolate and a mild coffee roast. The oaky beginning and vanilla ending complement each other well, but the white wine acidity contrasts strangely with the stout characteristics.

M – Rather heavy mouthfeel, with a slight bit of granularity to it. I have had a lot of sediment with previous Mikkeller bottles as well. A high amount of carbonation for such a big stout.

O – This seems like something that only Mikkeller would try to make. Unfortunately, it’s another miss for me. I have tried a few of these strange Mikkeller brews, and I almost always end up dissatisfied. I appreciate the creativity, but that’s about it.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 02:24:36 | More by wyatt13

bostonbeans

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%

05-16-2013 23:33:26 | More by bostonbeans

pixieskid

France

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%

04-30-2013 07:14:15 | More by pixieskid

csustar001

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +23.1%

04-27-2013 22:23:15 | More by csustar001

trodam

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +3.6%

04-20-2013 19:42:59 | More by trodam

WiscoBrewsco

Wisconsin

4.39/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter

Appearance - Black as night but very thin, lots of very light carbonation with smell white bubbles almost like champagne

Smell - Very sweet for a stout, honey and vanilla sugar with a hint of wine

Taste - Very complex, small malt bill but very present, the sweet wine and vanilla mix take over though immediately and finishes with a honey after taste

Mouthfeel - Very thin for a taste, feels almost like water thanks to the wine barrel aging, but because of the flavors this mouthfeel seems more appropriate than a chewy stout mouthfeel would.

Overall - This is a very complex and very interesting beer. It may be trying to do too many things at once but that does not mean the flavor will disappoint. The sum of its parts may not be greater than they were alone but that doesn't mean this isn't still a good beer and worth trying if you can find it

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 17:16:10 | More by WiscoBrewsco

Orancy

4.5/5  rDev +16.6%

03-01-2013 03:39:34 | More by Orancy

ngeunit1

California

4.16/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark brown-black with a finger of frothy chocolate colored head. Fades at a normal pace.

S - Dark chocolate and dark caramel malts, roasted coffee, molasses, black licorice, oak, vanilla, white wine, some dark fruit, and some booze.

T - Dark chocolate and sweet dark caramel malts, roasted coffee, black licorice, molasses, oak, white wine, vanilla, and some dark fruit, some citrus and pine hops and a bit of bitterness, and some booze.

M - Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a warming and sweet finish.

D - Nicely balanced big imperial Stout. Nice body and mouthfeel. White wine adds some nice depth and complexity.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 04:17:26 | More by ngeunit1

JMBSH

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%

01-28-2013 03:49:44 | More by JMBSH

PsilohsaiBiN

New York

4.2/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

bottle of unknown bottling date:

Appearance: Pours black as expected with a ginormous 2 finger head that has great mountain rangey qualities as it recedes a bit. The lacing on the glass from this brew can be summed up as nothing but epic, really impressive.

Smell: Strong aromas of coffee, caramelized brown sugar, roasted malts and nuts.

Taste: Definitely a unique stout. The white wine barrel character really shows itself in the middle of the drink and lends itself to the particular flavor of this brew. In the beginning, a nasty combo of coffee and white whine barrel hit the palate and then fade into more malt/barrel punch that sees the malt recede and in turn makes you perceive the barrel character fading back in. Like nothing I've ever had.

Mouthfeel: Very drinkable. I'd venture to say that this has above average carbonation for a stout. The mouthfeel is nowhere as thick as say a BCBCS, but definitely not as thin as a DFH WWS. The nice balance agrees with me, and lends to the drinkability(please, stop awarding Bud Light this term!!!).

Overall: Extremely drinkable for the abv! Like nothing I've ever had and so enjoyable. Would gladly drink again and look forward to many more Miks!

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 04:33:23 | More by PsilohsaiBiN

CGMLS3

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%

01-02-2013 03:07:00 | More by CGMLS3

cvm4

Mississippi

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours black, looks thick, 2 finger tan head and not much lacing.

S - Semi-sweet chocolate, roasted malts and sweet honey with a trace of the white wine (sour).

T - Definitely chocolate, then the wine and it's oh so good. Followed by vanilla, honey and roasted malts.

M - Medium bodied, medium to low carbonation. Not cloying or syrupy at all.

O - The white wine and this stout go well together. I really enjoyed this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 01:07:24 | More by cvm4

eawolff99

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%

12-13-2012 21:40:28 | More by eawolff99

MarkyMOD

Colorado

4/5  rDev +3.6%

12-04-2012 06:16:58 | More by MarkyMOD

JaysusJr

1/5  rDev -74.1%

11-14-2012 03:10:43 | More by JaysusJr

valdieu2

Maine

4/5  rDev +3.6%

11-10-2012 21:48:42 | More by valdieu2

brez8791

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%

11-03-2012 17:12:42 | More by brez8791

t0rin0

California

3/5  rDev -22.3%

10-29-2012 01:25:48 | More by t0rin0

Jules11788

California

4.5/5  rDev +16.6%

10-28-2012 21:11:00 | More by Jules11788

thagr81us

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from bottle into a Mikkeller oversized wine glass (proper!). Poured pitch black with a half finger light brown head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, roasted malt, dark fruit, wood, sweet alcohol, spices, and a hint of white wine. The flavor was of sweet malt, dark fruit, spices, wood, white wine, dark chocolate, and sweet alcohol. It had a heavy feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a good brew. I really went into this one a little worried if I am completely honest. This was due to the fact that I had no idea how well a Russian Imperial Stout would carry over if it were aged in a white wine barrel. However, I am a fan of both white wine and RISs so I figured I would give it a fair shot. I really liked what I found though as the white wine barrel imparted a nice sweetness that one would expect from a good white wine while still having the robustness and booziness one would expect from a RIS. A really well done brew. I can’t wait to crack open the rest of the series (the Tequila one might be my downfall though).

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 11:49:02 | More by thagr81us

QCABeerTour

Iowa

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%

09-24-2012 00:39:53 | More by QCABeerTour

zaphodchak

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Oily black body, and I poured myself a nice thick tan head. Fine lacing.

A trace boozy, a hint of dry honey and dry malt.

Kinda tart, a trace of cherry or even citrus. Surprisingly indicative of the white wine barrel.

Smoothish, decent.

Good, but a bit extra tang than I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 02:04:17 | More by zaphodchak

GOMECK

Georgia

3/5  rDev -22.3%

08-09-2012 16:22:41 | More by GOMECK

savagepm

Colorado

4/5  rDev +3.6%

07-14-2012 18:59:56 | More by savagepm