Mikkeller From Via To (barrel aged edition)
Mikkeller are a Danish brewer I havn't tried nearly enough given how popular they are amongst beer bloggers. This 8% porter was aged for 8 months in Bourbon barrels. Pours a deep black with a big brown head. The aromas strangely resemble much of the stuff I've given the Elizabeth treatment in my past home brewings (really dry raw woody notes) but with dry cocoa powder, alcohols and hints of citric hops.
This then rolls over into the taste which kind of has a chalky feel to it. Wood, cocoa, big drying fruits, salty notes and dark chocolate lead into big resiny hops struggling to come through in a drying finish that holds a hefty dose of warming fruity alcohols. Overall its damn distinctive, bold and although not instantly lovable it does grows on you to the point that you wish you had a second bottle.
I do love Christmas Eve, probably the ultimate evening to drink specially reserved beers at home before bed. O my present pile looks pretty good this year, and I've already got tucked into some of the stilton. To all RBQ readers, have a good christmas.
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