RyansBooze

Microbrasserie Le Bilboquet La Nelligan Dunkelweizen at 5% ABV (C$6.95 at J. Webb Wine Merchant, 500 ml, packaged on 1-Apr-2017, acquired 30-Apr-2017, reviewed 17-Jun-2017)

Appearance: clear brown with two fingers of rocky beige head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dark molasses, banana bread, mild nuttiness, faint earth and leafy weed. (8/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate-low bitter. (8/10) Medium body, soft carbonation, off-dry medium duration finish. (4/5)

This is seriously interesting: I don’t think I’ve ever had a beer that was so malt-intense, yet not sweet. It’s like drinking blackstrap molasses: huge dark malt character, but very little sugar. I’m a serious hophead, but this, with essentially zero hop character, is totally my cup of tea. Give it a shot if you can. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Mikkeller Domino Real Estate Belgian Golden Strong Ale at 8.1% ABV (C$6.00 at Sherbrooke Liquor, 330 ml, best before 12-Jul-2017, acquired 17-Dec-2016, reviewed 17-Jun-2017)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one fat finger of rocky ivory head, good retention and moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: floral, candi sugar, pome and stone fruit, spices, earth. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate-low carbonation, sweetish warming finish. (4/5)

Now this – Mikkel’s apparently random naming scheme notwithstanding – is all right. Quite a decent Belgian Strong… Golden… Pale… whatever! I can say with certainty it’s not dark. It’s strong. It’s Belgian. It’s golden. You figure it out. I like it. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Mikkeller Domino White Lung – Kölsch at 6.7% ABV (C$6.00 at Sherbrooke Liquor, 330 ml,course content best before 12-Jul-2017, acquired 17-Dec-2016, reviewed 17-Jun-2017)

Appearance: clear pale to medium gold with one fat finger of rocky white head, good retention and moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: bready malt, light citrus, tropical fruit, hint of stone fruit. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (6/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry short duration finish. (3/5)

This one makes me wonder whether Mikkel not only names the beers by picking words at random, but whether he decides what style name to hang on it that way, too – after he brews it. I mean, come on, how the heck is this a Kölsch? It’s too dark, too heavy, too boozy, too pretty much everything. This is a Kölsch the way I’m a gentleman – which is to say, not even close. As one of my profs once told me, “I was torn between giving you an A for original content and an F for following the course content, so I split the difference and gave you a C – don’t appeal it.” (I quoted Metallica in a Philosophy exam I wrote while drunk. I think Mikkel was drunk when he named this.) (12/20)

6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Mikkeller Mikkelerberger American Pale Ale at 5.2% ABV (C$5.80 at Sherbrooke Liquor, 330 ml, best before 13-Jul-2017, acquired 17-Dec-2016, reviewed 17-Jun-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with three fingers of loose off-white head, excellent retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mild, citrus, doughy wheat, pine, floral and green leaves. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter finish. (3/5)

I guess I’ve got to damn this with faint praise: it’s not bad. It’s a bit muddled, and busy, and lacking focus, but it’s not bad. Don’t get me wrong: I’ll always drink anything Mikkeller brews – but I wouldn’t necessarily go looking for this one again. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Mikkeller / Liu Xiaodong Scent on the Air Session IPA at 4.6% ABV (C$5.80 at Sherbrooke Liquor, 330 ml, best before 12-Oct-2017, acquired 17-Dec-2016, reviewed 17-Jun-2017)

Appearance: hazy deep gold with three fingers (and growing) of fluffy marshmallow ivory head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: slightly funky citrus, yeasty pale malt, floral, pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, smooth off-dry lingering bitter finish. (3/5)

I didn’t exactly intend to keep the Mikkeller string going over a second day, but I noticed several in the fridge and figured there’s pretty good odds I’ll be at the Mikkeller bar in San Francisco tomorrow night, so what the hell, let’s see if it makes it to three? Anyway, as far as the beer goes, well… not a runaway success. I’ve had some hoppy Mikkellers in the past that have a truly ridiculous shelf life, but despite coming in four months under the wire on this one, I think it’s faded at least a little. Dunno how old it is, but since I bought it six months ago, it’s at least that. It’s not bad, mind you. I’m not detecting any oats in the aroma, but the mouth feel has the smoothness I associate with a little oat presence, and the overall character is more or less clean, with a slight mustiness that adds an interesting complexity. Gotta say, though, I’m starting to hit my saturation point with merely good Mekkellers. Maybe instead of adding fifty or so seven out of ten beers a year, he could dial things back a bit, and instead add ten or twenty nine out of tens, maybe one or two ten out of tens? (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Mikkeller Amoeba (Amøbe) American IPA at 6.5% ABV (US$2.99 at Knightly Spirits Orange Blossom Trail, 355 ml, packaged on 2-Dec-2016, acquired 15-May-2017, reviewed 16-Jun-2017)

Appearance: clear pale gold with three fingers of loose white head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, resiny pine, leathery funk, pale malt, floral, hint of onion. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter, mild funk. (8/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, crisp bitter and funky finish. (4/5)

I was initially a little surprised, thinking there wasn’t a whole lot of brett character there. After the first sip, though, the retronasal contribution really kicks in, and the funky, leathery aspects start to come to the fore. Another really good Mikkeller beer. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Mikkeller Sparks (Gnister) American Pale Ale at 5.6% ABV (US$2.49 at Knightly Spirits Orange Blossom Trail, 355 ml, packaged on 2-Feb-2017, acquired 15-May-2017, reviewed 16-Jun-2017)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale amber with three fingers of fluffy ivory head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy and pithy citrus, resiny pine, bready caramel malt, floral, earth. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)

Fairly big bitterness barely maintains dominance over sweet bready caramel. I’m not suggesting it’s unbalanced, or even tending towards an EPA, but there’s definitely a more emphatic malt presence than I was expecting. Still and all, well-balanced, with a lingering but not overwhelmingly bitter finish. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Mikkeller California Dream Pilsener at 4.6% ABV (US$2.79 at Knightly Spirits Orange Blossom Trail, 355 ml, packaged on 11-Nov-2016, acquired 15-May-2017, reviewed 16-Jun-2017)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one finger of loose white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: citrus, stone fruit, biscuity malt, pine, grass. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, building emphatic bitter finish. (4/5)

I’d be tempted to call this a fairly unique take on the Pilsener style, if I hadn’t already tried American Dream, which is another hoppy pilsener by Mikkeller. Pretty impressive hop character for such a light malt bill and ABV. Except for crackery malt instead of caramel, I’d be tempted to say this was almost an APA. Good stuff! (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Mikkeller Brand New Normal Berliner Weisse at 3.2% ABV (US$2.79 at Knightly Spirits Orange Blossom Trail, 355 ml, packaged on 12-Feb-2016, acquired 15-May-2017, reviewed 16-Jun-2017)

Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one fat finger of rocky white head, good retention and minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: lemon zest, soured wheat malt, light earthy funk. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, low bitter. (8/10) Light body, lively carbonation, crisp tart finish. (4/5)

Not as nice as the couple with added fruit I just tried, but still a decently clean example of the style. (15/20)

7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Mikkeller Hallo Ich Bin Berliner Weisse Raspberry Berliner Weisse at 3.7% ABV (US$4.99 at Knightly Spirits Orange Blossom Trail, 500 ml, best before 20-Oct-2017, acquired 15-May-2017, reviewed 16-Jun-2017)

Appearance: clear reddish gold with one fat finger of fluffy light pink head, excellent retention and well-defined lacing. (5/5) Aroma: raspberry, light funk. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate tart, low bitter. (9/10) Light body, lively carbonation, crisp tart finish. (4/5)

I was hoping the raspberry would work better than the passionfruit, and it did not disappoint. The raspberry dominates, with the only other aroma being a slight funkiness, but that’s not a negative. Slightly less tart, and slightly fruiter than the passionfruit version. Basically a super tart, low sugar, slightly alcoholic raspberry soda, and totally the kind of thing you could drink all day long on a hot sunny day. (18/20)

9/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com