Beer Geek Brunch Weasel - Calvados Edition - Mikkeller ApS

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer is black with a small tan head. Head dissipates quickly.

Smell is heavy. Brandy is strong, quite boozy. Wood, some smoke. Molasses, apple, raisins, prune. A fair bit going on, fairly intense. Strong.

Flavour contains oatmeal, coffee, brandy, apple. raisin. Wood, vanilla in the aftertaste. Alcohol. Fairly hot.

Full bodied, low carbonation. Silky smooth. Alcohol burn. If not for the burn, a really nice feeling beer.

Overall, some really nice flavours but the booze is too strong. Tone it down and this would be great.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 02:11:31 | More by jrenihan

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

8.5oz bottle into a brandy snifter. So very excited to try this.

Black. The beer... is black. Holy cow, is it black! Vigorous pour scrounged up about three or four millimeters of dark khaki foam. Swirling it around with force merely doubles the height of the head and shows off the legs. Looks like espresso. Period.

Dark roasty aroma with pinches of peat and smoke. Motherlode of dark fruit like blackberries and plums. Dark cocoa and espresso match up together with the dusty chocolate taking over. Vanilla chimes in as it warms and settles. Not ringing with sweetness, but it is odorously sweet. There's enough char and malt bitterness in the nose to postpone that. Traces of barrel wood creep in, but there is a defining liquor note of brandy. The apple is either muddled or overpowered. Be careful snorting this one too hard, you might catch a buzz because the beer is a bit hot.

The taste. Rich stout-y flavors upfront with tantamount roastiness and a firm malt bitterness piling with a peaty character and wood from the barrel aging. There is a light green apple candy flavor that is married to the exquisite complexity of the taste of brandy and the warmth of alcohol. The vanilla is very light and overmatched by burnt flavors of espresso and dark chocolate. The finish is heady and very bitter. A Mikkeller home run.

Thick and soupy with mild carbonation. Not gluggy. Super smooth and rich, like chocolate milk. Minus a punchy booze note, it feel superb.

Best Mikkeller beer tasted to-date. Award goes to the Calvados barrel for Best Supporting Role. Not overpoweringly strong or brandy-like or woody or coffee-forward. Just a cornucopia of great flavors that all work together rather harmoniously. A beefy beer, to be sure, but delicate and complex like all of the other great barrel-aged stouts. One glass risen very high.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 03:56:20 | More by thecheapies

scottfrie

California

3.53/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

8.5oz bottle purchased for $13. Ouch. Poured into snifter.

A: Pours deep black with a finger and a half of dark espresso colored head that slowly faded into a thin but well retained film.
S: Sweet notes of apple brandy mix well with rich notes of dark chocolate and coffee. Not especially complex, but those three flavors are easy to pick out.
T: The apple brandy dominates with flavors apple skins and booze, followed by notes of wood, kopi luwak and cocoa powder. I’m not getting as much cat shit coffee as I would have liked, but it is there. Having drank the real stuff from the source and loved it, I should be able to pick it out easily. Fruity.
M: The mouth is strange with this one. The brandy has really dried out the mouthfeel. I don’t think I’ve drank a stout that feels like this on my palate. It’s not necessarily bad, but it is noticeably different. Carbonation is well enough, and the body is just shy of full.
O: Good, but not an improvement on the original. At more than a dollar an ounce, I’m disappointed by this one, especially since the normal weasel was so great. I hope the cognac is better.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 02:54:00 | More by scottfrie

rodlavers

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bottle into Founders snifter

A. Very dark brown, almost black, with a thin mocha head that disappears pretty quickly. This edition appears a lot less thick than the regular Weasel, probably because of the calvados, and as a result, has this thin/watery element to it -- not in a bad way -- and, in this way, there do not appear to be any "chunks" that were discernible in the regular edition. It looks great.

S. Chocolate, alcohol, coffee, some malt, and a bit of hops, not much though.

T. Definitely taste the Calvados. I am not sure exactly what calvados tastes like normally, but I have tried to regular Weasel several times and this one is certainly influenced by the barrel aging. As a result, there is somewhat less of the other, more prominent flavors so present in the normal version. Still, there is coffee, bitter chocolate, and lots of alcohol. I definitely like it.

M. Smooth with a bitter aftertaste, lets me know the booze has thinned it out. Little carbonation.

O. Very good beer, not sure if I like it better than the regular edition of the Weasel, but it's close. Expensive bottle that was worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 01:35:04 | More by rodlavers

Jsenay

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served from bottle into a tulip glass

A - Pours tar black with medium carbonation

S - Molasses, plums, raisins, dark chocolate dark sugars and creamy espresso.

T - Rich and full flavors of chocolate espresso, brown sugar, milk sweetness and toffee

M - Very creamy. Lots of warming alcohol. Light and crisp carbonation with a bitter, dry, alcoholic finish. Coffee flavor lingers on the tongue.

O - Absolutely delicious! Like nothing I have ever had before. Perfect balance of flavor. Just reminds me of drinking coffee and cream. Excellent stout that would be perfect on a rainy or cold day.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 07:22:49 | More by Jsenay

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared by Darrell. Very excited about this one, as I am a huge fan of the base beer.

The beer is very dark brown, nearing black, with a thick beige head that lingers for several minutes before settling as a viscous, oily, 1/4" layer of head atop the beer.

The aroma offers barrels, coffee, roast, oak, light booze. Fantastic.

The flavor does not disappoint. Excellent. Well balanced. Plenty of roast and barrel character. Delicious.

Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation. Palate coating.

A superb offering from Mikkeller. I definitely recommend this outstanding brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 23:40:37 | More by Huhzubendah

SpeedwayJim

New York

3.45/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

8oz. bottle into a Cigar City snifter. Shared with schen9303.

Frothy dark mocha head with decent retention. Beer is thick, viscous black. Lacing is spotty and stringy with ok stick. Huge legs. Solid.

Nose is big and bold. Liquorice, barrel, roasted malt, and chocolate. Strong booziness. The usually apparent kopi coffee is distinctly missing. Not as good as the original.

Opens chocolate, roasted malt, coffee, and fudge. Booziness in the middle with a lot of sweetness towards the end. Hot. Molasses. Finishes coffee and cocoa. Good but the barrel presence is too strong that it covers a lot of the complexity here.

Full bodied with low carbonation. Thick and oily in the mouth and hot going down. Messy finish with a long, sticky aftertaste. Great for the style.

This is a solid beer but it goes to show that not everything improves in barrels. A lot of the kopi presence in the original is covered here and the complexity is really lost in the booziness. Still a decent offering, but not close to the non-BA version.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 01:24:31 | More by SpeedwayJim

WesM63

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 8.5oz bottle into a large snifter.

A: Pours near pitch black with a tiny dark mocha colored head. Very minor retention and lacing are present.

S: Smells of roasted malts and brandy. A tiny hint of oak and maybe coffee and vanilla.

T: Much stronger than the nose. On the tongue you're hit with some vanilla sweetness then comes the coffee and finishes with the brandy. You get a long aftertaste were all flavors are present.

M: Full body, plenty of carbonation.

O: Downright superb. It really does sneak up on you and takes you for quite the ride. The flavors last and the brandy is not overpowering. Excellent BA Stout.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 02:10:15 | More by WesM63

hamster

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured unto a chalice this deep dark beer surprised me. Upon opening, coffee was moderate to the nose yet very aromatic. Initial drink feel was surprisingly large and serious yet tempered quickly with nuisances of clove, lightly sweet cinnamon, anise and salt (more akin to a Fleur de sel) Really a very cherishible beel but for the serious minded as this is more a stout than otherwise noted and more for those interested in exploring the darker depths beer can offer.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 05:36:05 | More by hamster

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours an opaque jet black in color with some light hints of brown at the edges when held up to the light. The beer has a very thin tan head that reduces to an extremely thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate lacing is observed.

S: Strong aromas of apple brandy with some more moderate notes of coffee, dark roasted malts, and light chocolate hints.

T: This beer is complex and very well balanced. The flavors start with dark roasted malts and apple brandy. Next the coffee flavor comes out and finally there are notes of bittersweet chocolate. Some light lingering bitterness is experienced.

M: Medium to full bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth and coats the inside of your mouth.

O: Delicious - perfect combination of flavors in this one (even better than the original). Alcohol is very well hidden and I would happily sit on this beer for hours.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 23:35:03 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

4.38/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is jet black in color and poured with a very thin tan head that quickly dissipated, leaving lacy patterns of bubbles on the surface.
S: The smell has aromas of apple brandy along with some notes of coffee.
T: The beer has strong tastes of chocolate, coffee beans and apples from the brandy (no alcohol is noticeable)
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied and very smooth on the palate. The beer coats your mouth and has a moderate amount of carbonation. No warmth from the alcohol is noticeable.
O: This beer is quite easy to drink considering its strength—no alcohol is perceptible in the taste—and has a great balance among the flavors. The barrel aging in calvados barrels does not overpower the taste of the underlying beer and instead nicely complements it.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 13:43:04 | More by metter98

jjanega08

Minnesota

4.4/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

No freshness dating on the bottle

A= Pours a deep black color with a dark brown color head that falls slowly to a ring around the glass. The head holds great lacing on the side of the glass.

S= The smell is a really strange mix. Lots of coffee and toffee. I actually get a lot of caramel in it and a sweet boozyness. I don't know what Calvados is but it smell like a brandy or something. The barrel is very prominate.

T= Again a great mix of coffee stout and booze. The booze isn't as bad as I thought it was. The taste hides it nicely. A sweet booze again I think brandy or something similar. A little alcohol flavor comes through but not too much. The flavor profile keeps the alcohol in check.

M= Super thick and creamy. Much thicker than the regular edition I think.

O= This is a tasty brew. I've heard it's boozy but this wasn't too boozy for me. It actually seemed pretty well tamed. Try this beer and seek it out. This is a lovely brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 05:09:03 | More by jjanega08

gford217

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

250ml bottle.

Pours pitch black with a small tan head, looking just like all the other weasel variants I've tried.

Aroma is boozy and roasty, those are the words that come to mind. There is some charred black malts, espresso, but also some green apple sweetness and caramelized sugar.

The taste is even sweeter with the fruits still there but also an interesting butterscotch type sweetness. Coffee and barrel character dominate. Thick, roasty and dark, seriously boozy.

Mouthfeel is bitter, roasty and heavy on the barrel character.

Good stuff, though a bit harsh right now, though that's what I've come to expect from Mikkeller barrel beers.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 03:10:19 | More by gford217

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.83/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Small bottle into a 25cl Duvel tulip. Thanks to Tony for sharing. Enjoyed along with the Cognac and Islay treatments as well.

A: Identical to the Cognac version, which is to say a pitch black body with a thin, fine head of light brown foam that settles into a ring. Pretty nice.

S: Very similar to the Cognac here as well, with coffee, spice, booze, and wood. Not much Calvados per se, but still good.

T: Ok, here's some fruitiness up front, with bitter and spicy coffee and roast filling in behind. Very spicy booze on the finish. A little harsh.

M: Soft, creamy, well-carbonated and full-bodied. Excellent.

O: I really enjoyed this one, but much like with the Cognac I didn't think the barrel added enough, but rather just took away from the amazing coffee dominance of the base beer. Still, it's a tasty, intense brew in its own right.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 04:17:51 | More by woosterbill

brystmar

New York

3.9/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Shared by Joey, thanks!

Black pour, medium brown head. Whiskey barrels and booze in the nose, balanced against the dark roasty malt backbone.

Roasty, boozy flavor profile with calvados whiskey at the forefront. Taste is extremely dark overall. Tons of booze; could really use time to mellow out.

A nice variation on the BGB base, though I do prefer the base beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 22:59:17 | More by brystmar

Tim460

Maryland

4.95/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured into a stout glass.

- Appearance was jet black. I poured aggressive and got a two finger brown head. The head had a bit of a reddish tint to it.

- The smell on this beer was incredible, the Calvados (apple, brandy) was apparent, roasted malts, oak, coffee. The complexity of the scent was really nice.

- There were a lot of flavors I got from this, apples, roasted malts and coffee up front. More roasted malts and nuts in the mid. The finish was crazy, a bit of cocoa, oak, brandy, and slight tobacco. Seems like a lot going on but worked great.

-If there could be any improvement to this beer I wish it was a little heavier on the mouthfeel. The mouthfeel was heavy and smooth but I felt with all the flavors going on it could stand to be even heavier.

Overall this is one of my favorite Mikkellers and one of the best beers I've ever had. It is expensive and hard to find but if your a fan of Mikkeller or very complex flavor profiles this is one to seek out.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 01:20:05 | More by Tim460

ATLbeerDog

Georgia

4.28/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From a sadly small 8.5oz bottle.

Pours a super thick pitch black topped majestically with a frothy medium dark tan head that just refuses to dissipate. When it does, sticky lacing clings to the glass. Smells of booze, overly roasted malt, milk chocolate, and chalk comprise the nose. First sip is intense with plenty going on with flavors going in and out. Sure there is coffee, charred malt, chocolate, and plenty of booze thanks to the Calvados barrels. The real treat here is the beautiful intense bitter finish that lingers and lingers. Mouthfeel is excellent too. The 10.9% ABV is somewhat hidden.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 00:52:29 | More by ATLbeerDog

Rickythejeweler

Maryland

5/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

8.5 oz. bottle poured into snifter.

A - Jet black, thin mocha head, nice moderate lacing.

S - Wood, cocoa, oats, candi apples, black malts, almonds, light alcohol fumes of brandy.

T - Super complex! Starts with oatmeal, almonds, appleskin, pears, light alcohol; middle is dominated by cocoa powder and dark bitter chocolate; finishes with coffee beans, burnt sugar, black malts, oak.

M- Smooth, full bodied, low carbonation, alcohol and oak linger on your tongue.

O - Impressed, as usual! I love Mikkeller!

Thanks France 44!

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 16:27:12 | More by Rickythejeweler

smakawhat

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a snifter, Thanks ED!

There is a lot of red hue and opacity to this body. Classic dark brown to black walnut body with red shimmers, gives a tan whispy collar and top throughout, looks impressive and foreboding.

On first whiff is a distinct brandy sense. Mild sense of coffee, and a classic light crisp fruit apple almost tart. Biggest surprise, there's even a hint of black pepper. Really fascinating.

Seems like all systems go for greatness on taste. Huge ridiculous charing malts on this, with big roast character. Roast turns into the palate of burnt ashes and wood. Lightly carbonated but very wet bodied and weak feel, not accentuating the nose notes very much if at all. Finish brings a very weak whiskey quality (say 80 proof).

Overall thought it's still an impressive brew mostly because of the great nose, but the texture just isn't there to make this a real home run.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 02:26:14 | More by smakawhat

Greywulfken

New York

4.43/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: oily black, not much head, a quick swirl will stir up a pinky-thick deep tan foam

S: first smell to hit me was apples, secondary notes come forward like chocolate malt and espresso, and then I couldn't smell the apple anymore. Lastly, earthy, dank aromas

T: mellow, smooth espresso and dark malt flavors, cleanly bittered, mildly sweet, brighter hints of a woodsiness - like cedar or oak

M: creamy, rich, smooth, dry finishing with just a touch of tip-of-the-tongue tartness and then its gone...

O: as I'm about to leave, my beer guy says, "oh, yeah, we got something else in you might be interested in," and pulls this tiny bottle from a small unmarked box behind the counter, nestled amid random clutter. "Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch, Calvados Barrel Edition." I take one, momentarily terrified when I see the price (like, $14 for an 8 oz bottle).
Norwegian brewers have made a stout that contains coffee brewed from beans extracted from civet shit (ca phe chon in Vietnamese, a.k.a, kopi luwak) and aged in Calvados barrels (apple brandy brewed in Lower Normandy). This unlikely confluence of influences has yielded an amazing stout. If you don't mind the price, and you like stouts, civet shit, apple brandy, or Norwegians, then make sure to get one while they're around. I have a feeling this is a beer you're going to be lucky to find.

Revisited 11/16/12
So, a 6-mos (at least) aged bottle (no bottling date shown). Toned down review somewhat. I may have been more into the idea of the beer that it biased me, or maybe I've just come to appreciate stouts differently. Drank it at - I dunno - 55F? - it wasn't room temp, but it was close - in a tulip/flute hybrid looking glass. Picked up some astringence after 6 mos aging; the softer flavors were not as prominent - I found there to be less chocolate and more sharp wood-notes. Still a good beer, but it took on a thinner-feeling, more solventy character with less lushness of flavor and aroma than I remembered when I had it initially.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 00:31:54 | More by Greywulfken

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.45/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

this is an amazing beer. about 16 dollars for an 8.5oz bottle is a bit cost prohibitive, but i had to try this one. pours s motor oil textured burnt brown color with a cool whip-like head the color of almonds. smells like alcohol, espresso, and warm apple cider. taste is outrageously complex, with notes of chocolate, strong coffee, fermented apples, wood, spice, vanilla, and tobacco. one after the next they all layer on eachother. finish is remarkable as well, the booze just sneaks its way to the fore, carrying the last vestiges of the fruit and coffee flavors, a touch spicy, very strong. mouthfeel is perfect. nothing to complain about here. mellow carbonation, fullest body, but velvety smooth and improving constantly as it warms up to room temperature. i highly recommend this brew if you can find it and have a 20 in you your pocket. i am not totally excited about mikkeller beers and am keen to try my next one. this is a gem here, a true beauty.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 15:33:33 | More by StonedTrippin

aasher

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

After having the Cognac version a couple weeks ago, this was a must try.

This version pours a beautiful lifeless black, soft and velvety with no head at all, only a dark khaki lacing around the glass. The nose is very heavy on both sweet and bitter chocolates and very roasty. That said the coffee that is present in the original Brunch isn't there and the nose is a little sweet. I wouldn't say I get any Calvados or apple characteristics either, bit I could see the base beer being dominant. The flavors are a vast improvement. There is blended of blended and smooth chocolate, slight char, light roast, residual sugars, and a nice Calvados finish in the after taste and on the sides of your tongue. I would even say that it's more of a neutral Calvados spirit as opposed to a cider esque Calvados. It drinks on the higher side of medium in body and is incredibly smooth and coats your palate with chocolate. This beer has great flavor and is definitely worth a try, alongside the Cognac. I don't know which I preferred but it s very close.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 03:19:39 | More by aasher

JackieTH

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Beer Geek Brunch Calvados Edition. Calvados is a French apple brandy- I looked that up on Wikipedia.

Pours a thick, oily black, opaque, with a thin cafe brown head that dissipates quickly with no lacing.

Smell- raisins, coffee, tootsie rolls, heavily roasted malt, black strap molasses, burnt sugar, vanilla.

Taste- heavily roasted dark malts, coffee, char, semi-sweet chocolate, dark fruits, hint 'o anise, toffee, vanilla, brown sugar, burnt sugar, oak. Burnt/bitter/slight anise elements clear out any lingering sweetness and continue teasing the palate between sips. Layers of flavor complexity. Very nice.

Mouthfeel- low carbonation, seems a bit light for the style, but is smooth and serene. Could be a bit more velvety.

Overall- many complex favors play well together. There is a nice hop bitterness that mingles perfectly with the semi sweet chocolate elements, the coffee bitterness, and the Calvado barrel nuances. I was wondering where the hell the ABV was but now I'm starting to notice it. Yep.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 03:47:03 | More by JackieTH

ZombiesAteMyDog

Indiana

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

250ml bottle; $11.99... pricey!

A solid 4 all around.

Danish: Denne imperial oatmeal stout er brygget med den vietnamesiske kaffesort Ca Pe Chon, som er en af verdens dyreste kaffesorter. Ca Pe Chon kaffen er lavet af afføringen fra væseldyr. De sydøstasiatiske dyr spiser kun de bedste og mest modne kaffebønner. Enzymer i deres fordøjelsessystem hjælper til at nedbryde bønnerne. Herefter indsamles afføringen som indeholder de hele bønner og bruges til væselkaffen. Kaffen har en kraftig smag og en endnu kraftigere aroma. Nogle mener endda, at kaffen øger sexlysten!

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 15:55:36 | More by ZombiesAteMyDog