Mikkels Monster
Nørrebro Bryghus

Mikkels MonsterMikkels Monster
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From:
Nørrebro Bryghus
 
Denmark
Style:
English Barleywine
ABV:
13%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.09 | pDev: 4.89%
Reviews:
9
Ratings:
14
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 24, 2014
Added:
Mar 02, 2009
Wants:
  10
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.75 by olradetbalder from Sweden

Nov 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by spycow from Illinois

Nov 01, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by mdaschaf from Indiana

Apr 29, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by ChrisPro from Illinois

Dec 16, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by whartontallboy from New York

Nov 23, 2011
Photo of MasterSki
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)

4.2/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Thanks to Papsø for this unusual offering. Served in a Glunz taster weizen glass.

A - A finger-plus of tan foam settles to a thin cap and thicker collar, leaving behind some splotches of lace. Transparent amber body.

S - Plenty of brown sugar, as well as some nice caramel and toffee notes. Smells like there might be a bit of candi sugar in here? Red licorice, port and other vinous notes, light oak and vanilla, and a touch of oxidation. Alcohol is masterfully hidden.

T - Taste is super mellow, with plenty of sugar, red fruits, port, and vanilla. Finish actually has some vestigial hop bitterness, along with some light oak and vinous character. Definitely more port-forward than the aroma - you can tell that was the largest part of the blend.

M - Smooth, creamy, medium-full body, low carbonation, mildly dry finish with some residual stickiness. Alcohol is nowhere to be found at three years of age.

D - This was actually quite enjoyable - from the description I thought it could go either way. Easy-drinking beer, with well-hidden alcohol and some really interesting and unique flavors. Not as masterful as the barrel-aged Korknys but well worth checking out if you can actually find a bottle.
Nov 21, 2011
Photo of AgentZero
Reviewed by AgentZero from Illinois

4.07/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A - Amber colored beer with just a tiny bit of head that faded to a bit of a ring.

S - Caramel malts, toffee, bit of fruit. Beer is pretty mellow, but that's expected given the age on this one. Not sure if I am picking out the port versus the wine, but it's definitely some sort of barrel goodness.

T - Good dark fruits, malts, toffee, and other things you would look for in an English Barleywine. The port/wine influence adds a really nice touch and has melded together with the traditional barleywine flavors over time. Something a little odd about the finish that I don't care for, but this is pretty good.

M - Sticky, close to full bodied, low carbonation.

O - Very good beer. For something that could sound little gimmicky (port/wine barrel blend) it worked very nicely.
Nov 21, 2011
Photo of lacqueredmouse
Reviewed by lacqueredmouse from Australia

3.96/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
How can you not love the idea of a collaboration between Nørrebro and Mikkeller? Let's see if reality matches with expectations.

Pours a lovely thick and rich deep red colour, with a fine and freckled head of creamy yellow-white. Lacing is extraordinary, especially for the ABV. Some floating sediment from a slightly inattentive pour. Body is thick, and leaves rivulets of extremely fine carbonation when tilted. Looks really good.

Nose is sharp and slightly boozy, but without a lot of depth. Certainly some metallic, coppery bite and a twinge of alcohol heat, but there's only a suggestion of depth and sweetness, and certainly not a lot of hops to lift it. Smells like a very, very old English Old Ale.

Taste really brings it up. Incredibly smooth, rich and still quite boozy flavours, which liven up the rather heavy palate. Hint of darkness on the back, which gives a slightly bitter finish, and cuts off the palate nicely.

Really nice beer. Very smooth, tasty and enjoyable. It's very complex, which I love, but it's all really well integrated.
Aug 13, 2011
Photo of BigMcLargeHuge
Reviewed by BigMcLargeHuge from Arizona

4.28/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
0.6L bottle courtesy of madmitch76 over on ratebeer. It pours murky amber with full milk shake looking tan head. The aroma is full rich dark fruity esters with sun dried plums, dried sweet cherries and dates as well as sweet caramel and candy and really no sense of the huge ABV. The taste is nice and smooth starting with some subtle spicy yeast and spicy wood then moving into rich prune notes, pureed and sugar stewed ripe cherries, ripe red apples and then creamy caramel candy. I get only modest booziness and warming into the finish. This is one fine English style barelywine.
Feb 13, 2011
Photo of mdfb79
Reviewed by mdfb79 from New York

3.85/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From 5/21/10 notes. Had at a local DC tasting.

a - Pours an amber color with no head.

s - Smells of sweet, fruity malts and caramel malts.

t - Tastes of oak, caramel and smooth pale malts, and maybe some fruit.

m - Medium body and light carbonation.

d - A decent barelywine but nothing special. Would try again.
Jun 09, 2010
Photo of Mora2000
Reviewed by Mora2000 from Texas

4.2/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to bu11zeye for sharing this bottle at a recent tasting.

The beer pours a hazy amber color with an off-white head. The aroma is very nice with brown sugar, caramel, toffee, alcohol and oak. The flavor is just as good if not better with notes of oak, vanilla, brown sugar, caramel, toffee, dark fruit and some alcohol. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
Jun 07, 2010
Photo of weeare138
Reviewed by weeare138 from Pennsylvania

4.32/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to NoLiberty for opening this via Shaun E. Hill...

Appears a hazy brown with a small, off white cap. Spotty bits of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of heavy sugary, caramel, toffee, vanilla, fruit, and gentle hopping.
Taste is of resinous, sticky sugar, raisins, ripe fruit, oak, vanilla, and a touch of molasses.
Mouthfeel is sticky, hoppy, sugary, smooth, with mild heat shown from the abv.
Nov 11, 2009
Photo of HopHead84
Reviewed by HopHead84 from California

4.37/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Thanks! Mikkel's Monster was brewed as collaboration with Mikkel from Mikkeller. This is the blended version, aged in Port and Bordeaux barrels. This is 50% Port, 25% Bordeaux, 25 % unoaked. 160 IBUs. Bottled October 1st, 2008. I've never had an English Barleywine aged in Port or Bordeaux barrels, much less a blend of the two. This should be interesting.

Poured into my Deschutes snifter. The beer is deep amber with a half inch frothy white head. The retention is good, and the beer leaves some scattered lacing on the sides of my snifter as it recedes.

The aroma is indeed interesting. It is of caramelized malt and toffee, as well as dates, brown sugar, and figs. The wine barrels add fruit notes, such as plums, grapes, and raisins. Some citrus is noticeable in the distance, but it's not prominent. A hint of alcohol is present beneath the rich and fruity aroma.

The flavor is initially of an English Barleywine, with some caramel, toffee, dates, figs, and earthy notes. Midpalate the alcohol and wine barrels become evident. Sugary port soaked dark fruits notes are apparent, as well as notes of plums, cherries, and raisins. The bitterness becomes apparent midpalate, and the hops impart bitter grapefruit notes. The finish is aggressive, exhibiting a high level of hop bitterness and noticeable sugary alcohol notes with a warming effect. The taste left on my palate is more similar to port wine than beer: sweet, fruity, and alcoholic. The port barrels left a strong mark on this barleywine.

The beer is medium bodied with a low-medium level of carbonation. The mouthfeel is creamy, smooth, and leaves a

This beer is very complex and definitely a sipper. I like what the Port barrels have done to this English Barleywine, but the combination of bitterness, sweetness, and high alcohol takes a toll on the palate. I'd love to try this again in a year to see what happens when the hops mellow out, though I doubt I'll see it again as only 1000 bottles were produced.
May 25, 2009
Photo of Nickls
Reviewed by Nickls from District of Columbia

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
(From notes and a huge special thanks to Shaun Hill for this rare treat)

A - Poured with a slightly off-white, creamier looking head. Tawny, coppery brown in color that could almost be described as a burnt orange.

S - Fresh fruit that's more like apple and citrus at the same time. Touch of sweet maltiness.

T - The fresh fruit continues in the taste but shifts to a more pineapple flavor and some darker fruit flavors as well. Definitely a touch of port-like qualities, with a touch of raisin (more like a hint). A bit of citric hop bitterness on the back of the palate. Alcohol is completely masked.

M - Creamier MF with very muted carbonation. Very rich, coating, and satisfying.

D - Definitely a great warming brew, and very much enjoyed it on a cool evening. Relaxing sipper with a ton of complexity. Very high drinkability for what is a sipping style.

Overall, this is very much within the English tradition for the style and really interesting in the complexity of flavors. Nice break from the amped up US barleywines and reminds me that complexity can be achieved without hop-smacking. Very much recommended if you can find it.
Mar 02, 2009
Mikkels Monster from Nørrebro Bryghus
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 14 ratings