Porter - Mikkeller ApS

Bung

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml. Sturdy black pour, nice layer of cream colored head. Sinks into the brew a bit to give that nice layered look. Laces just a bit.

Aroma, pretty earthy, some herbal/piney hops. Lesser roast and dark chocolate. Just a little hop forward for me.

Taste, earthy roast and hops. A little pine, roast, anise and chocolates mesh very well. A little tart red fruit in there. Finishes with a nice dark chocolate. The slight piney hop belch is produced from this.

Solid medium body. Carbonation is a tick higher than creamy, but it is close. Abv plenty well hidden. Normally I don't care for the hillier porters, though this is only slightly so, but this is pretty nice. Worth trying depending on the price point of Mikkeler in your area. It's a bit high here so probably a one and done for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 02:54:01 | More by Bung

woodchip

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

05-31-2013 00:13:26 | More by woodchip

GaryMarkle84

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%

05-17-2013 23:03:50 | More by GaryMarkle84

Kevincredible

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -3.4%

05-15-2013 01:07:08 | More by Kevincredible

bholby87

Nevada

4.75/5  rDev +14.7%

05-13-2013 09:53:37 | More by bholby87

caverog

California

4/5  rDev -3.4%

05-10-2013 19:48:22 | More by caverog

Trower

Maine

5/5  rDev +20.8%

04-20-2013 18:27:05 | More by Trower

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

4.46/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

500 ml bottle with no noticeable freshness date, even on the usual cap. Poured pitch black and opaque, head was quite slight, and was a rich dark caramel brown in colour. One of the darker heads I've seen. But there was really good lacing and some whispy film. 4.25

Smell: huge notes of dark roasted malts, full bodied coffee, dark chocolate, some definite spice along with dark cherries. Hops provide some of strong bitter espresso notes, nuttiness, a trace of alcohol. Really rich, but still very balanced. 4.5

Taste: A big roasted malt profile before some of the herbal astringent hops kick in. Really roasty, bbq meat, dry bitter coffee, leather with a subdued fruitiness, a hint of molasses sweetness. The hops come through nicely on the end with tart lychees, dry wood on finish with a drying bitterness. Really tasty, a nice balance of the roasty dark malts and the hops and between both, some really interesting complexity. 4.5

Mouthfeel: Obviously quite big and very rich, but with a nice silkiness to it, a little alcohol spice at times but really well contained and balanced. A big malty mouthfeel, coating and luscious. The balance is excellent, leaving a residual lingering hop bitterness. Warming and surprisingly drinkable and tasty. 4.25

Really great. An exceptional interpretation with a lot of countering hop bitterness leaving a satisfying coffee and dark molasses aftertaste. Really well done to let the various ingredients all come through yet keep the balance throughout. Not overly boozey with enough big malt to pack some serious complexity, still really pleasant and satisfying to too drink. As a beer verging on Imperial territory it combines some of the Imperial Stout malty complexity with good drinkability and some acidic hoppiness. Excellent, seek this one out.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 18:50:59 | More by mick303

Paonz

Hawaii

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

04-17-2013 05:29:47 | More by Paonz

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

From a 500 ml brown bottle. Pours out a heavy, dense, seemingly oppressive pitch black shade, nearly ominous for what it's worth. For a Porter it looks like one hell of a Stout! No dark brown here, this is light impermeable black. Quick splash of loose tan head that retreats to a ring around the top of the beer.

Toasty, roasty, nutty malt on the nose, prevalent coffee and some mild cocoa.

Toasty, roasty malt up front, molasses, soft milk chocolate, cafe au lait, with a healthy kick of herbal, citrusy hops on the finish. Toasty, nutty character lingers on into the aftertaste along with grapefruit rinds. Once it warms the alcohol warmth really starts to blossom.

Mouthfeel is on the fuller end of the spectrum, not quite as heavy or dense as the appearance hints at. Texture is somewhat sticky yet also a bit thin, while carbonation is minimal.

It works, whatever it is, this American Porter was incredibly enjoyable to drink, and was pleasantly balanced for a Mikkeller offering--everything in its place and no particular aspect trying to steal the show or overwhelm. A total winner, I hope to snap up some more.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 06:01:45 | More by IronDjinn

Jamison85

Indiana

5/5  rDev +20.8%

04-02-2013 12:27:51 | More by Jamison85

captainbearcat

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +14.7%

03-31-2013 23:31:21 | More by captainbearcat

dphillips

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

03-23-2013 23:47:58 | More by dphillips

Poupae

Thailand

4/5  rDev -3.4%

03-23-2013 15:59:31 | More by Poupae

Axnjxn

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

03-18-2013 20:39:28 | More by Axnjxn

schnarr84

Alberta (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

03-01-2013 07:30:57 | More by schnarr84

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -15.5%

02-16-2013 19:46:02 | More by justintcoons

TallSaint

New York

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

02-13-2013 14:34:11 | More by TallSaint

BigTrubble

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

02-12-2013 22:48:11 | More by BigTrubble

aszatk01

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

02-08-2013 01:10:20 | More by aszatk01

crnipeter

Slovenia

4.45/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours opaque, very dark brown with an inch of tan creamy head that sets at medium pace, without being prone to create much of a lacing on the sides.

Nose is roasty and toffee-ish sweet with dominant chocolate and some coffee in the background. A faint, virtually non-existent dark fruit esters round the aroma profile.

The initially sweet flavor of rich deep chocolate and some dark fruit esters segues to the coffeeish roasty dry finish featuring moderate hop bitterness enhanced by the roasted malts.

Medium-full body with fine carbonation lays soft on the tongue.

Overall, a simplistic but by no means void of anything robust porter (500 ml lacking BB indication, into tulip).

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 21:55:42 | More by crnipeter

ngeunit1

California

4.16/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

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

S - Roasted chocolate and caramel malts, black licorice, molasses, vanilla, coffee, some earthy hops.

T - Roasted dark chocolate and caramel malts, black licorice, molasses, roasted coffee, cofffee bitterness, vanilla, some earthy hops and mild bitterness.

M - Medium-plus bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a roasted, dry, and sweet finish.

D - Nice strong porter. Great overall balance.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 06:31:11 | More by ngeunit1

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

500ml bottle, with a simple, for Mikkeller, label, the only niggling detail being the mention of sugar in the expectedly basic ingredients list.

This beer pours a dark, shadowy abyss, broken only by a sliver of cherry cola basal highlights, with two beefy fingers of puffy, bubbly, thick chocolate milk head, which leaves a solid array of honeycomb lace around the glass as it evenly subsides. Seeexxxy!

It smells of bittersweet chalky baker's chocolate, waxy black licorice strands, lightly breaded caramel malt, a touch of more weighty toffee, coffee liqueur, ash, black musty fruit, some brighter citrus notes, and peppy leafy, herbal hops. The taste is lightly roasted caramel/toffee malt, dry mocha latte, a more muddled dark, fleshy fruitiness, laid-back herbal anise, soft orange vodka notes, and softly bitter leafy, earthy hops.

The carbonation is average, if a bit on the low side, the body medium-full in weight, and mostly smooth, a herbal liqueur edginess taking a small nip as its pound of flesh. It finishes on the sweet side, the chocolate, demure cafe au lait, and lingering bashed-up fruit running the table, until a final oneupmanship from the lingering bitter pine and citric hops.

A nicely boozy, in a restrained, say what? manner, chocolate and coffee on open display, and the hops, well the hops are everything you would expect for something with the 'American' prefix tacked on to the name - interfering, sure, but quite pleasingly so. The booze, on a final note, is not exactly low-key, but does its best to keep the damage to a minimum. Big, brash, and warm - a hug for when you didn't know you needed one.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 03:47:42 | More by biboergosum

phishbone23

New York

3/5  rDev -27.5%

01-23-2013 13:56:22 | More by phishbone23

BeerBuddy2122

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -9.4%

01-23-2013 03:32:11 | More by BeerBuddy2122