Category: Beer

Mikkeller Berlin

The Danish brewery Mikkeller is regarded as one of the best in the world and has bars in several major cities around the world. Mikkeller Berlin is located at Torstraße 102 in Mitte and is only a short walk from Rosenthaler Platz (U-Bahn line U8).

The bar is small with seating arranged into three areas plus tables outside for when the weather permits. The decor has a very Scandinavian feel and creates a relaxed and calming environment, ideal for drinking a beer or two!

There are twenty four beers available on tap. Most are Mikkeller’s own brews but there are also a number of guest beers. Staff are approachable, helpful and knowledgable so navigating the menu if you are unsure is not a problem. Servings are available in two sizes, 40cl and 80cl.

Mikkeller Weird Weather. Gluten Free IPA 6.7% – Amber, slightly hazy, good white head, some lacing. Aromas of malt, pine, citrus and a slight herby note. The palate is crisp, low bitterness, grassy, malty and some tropical mango. Full flavoured.

Mikkeller Einar…. You Are a Funny Man. NEIPA 6% – Yellow,hazy, thin white head, some lacing.Aromas of tropical fruit, pineapple, grapefruit and caramel. Gentle carbonation, low bitterness. Flavours of lemon, grapefruit, pineapple and orange. The finish is subtle lingering citrus.

Mikkeller Chill Pils with Yuzu. Pils 5% – yellow/orange, hazy with very small, thin head and nice lacing. Aromas of malt, caramel and subtle citrus – lemon and lime. Palate is low bitterness with nice carbonation. Flavour is citrusy malt   with a hint of perfume. Palate is crisp and refreshing. Very drinkable.

Mikkeller Hallo, Ich Bin Berliner. Blood Orange Berliner Weisse. 3.7% – Yellow, hazy with a small white head.Aroma is quite aromatic, orange, haribo. Palate is sour but not overly so with flavours of orange, caramel and malt. Maybe not everyones style but very nice.

Mikkeller Mitte Wit. Wit. 4.6%. – Yellow/orange, hazy with a small white head. Aromas of caramel, pine, resin, orange and some slight citrus. Palate is soft, round, very gentle carbonation and low bitterness. Flavours of lemon and spices; coriander and clove. Very nice.

Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast. Coffee Stout. 7.5% – Black, opaque with a thin tan coloured head. Aromas of coffee, malt, some chocolate, espresso and a leathery smokieness. Palate is medium bitterness, gentle carbonation and with less pronounced flavour than expected. Gentle coffee, chocolate and caramel. A nicely balanced beer which has a lingering finish with a hint of dark cherry. Very good.

Parasite Produktions. Hops Hopstadt Berlin IPA. 7% – light orange/yellow, hazy with a very thin non persistent head. Intense hoppy aromas; lemon, grapefruit pith and pineapple. Palate is low carbonation, low bitterness. Slightly creamy texture with pineapple and apricot. A slight bitter finish.

Epic Armageddon IPA. 6.7% – Amber appearance, clear with a thin white head. Aromas of malt, caramel, orange, bread, toffee and a slight floral note. Palate is low bitterness with gentle carbonation. Full flavoured with lots of orange and malt.

Tiny Rebel

Tiny Rebel brewery was founded in 2012 and is based near Newport in South Wales. In 2015 it won champion beer of Britain for its Welsh Red Ale CWTCH, a beer that it continues to make. It has recently produced three gins, distilled to complement beers in their range. They have an excellent range of beers and here are my tasting notes from recent samplings. If you haven’t come across Tiny Rebel then seek them out. The artwork on the cans is good too.

CWTCH. Welsh Red Ale. 4.6% – Dark amber, clear with a good, frothy, tan coloured head. There are aromas of malt, caramel, citrus and a hint of pine. The palate is low to medium bitterness, gentle carbonation and a slight sweetness. There are flavours of malt balanced by a nice touch of citrus. There is a slight tropical note underlying the malt. The finish is long and lingering.

CLWB Tropicana. Tropical IPA. 5.5% – Hazy orange in appearance with a small, light tan head. Aromas of mango, pineapple, peach, orange and penny fruit salad sweets. The palate has gentle, light carbonation and low bitterness. the palate is fruity with lots of peach and burnt orange together with a big hit of pineapple and a slight sweetness.The finish is excellent with tropical fruit and a lovely citrus tang. Excellent.

Dutty. Vermont Session IPA. 4.2% – Orange/yellow, cloudy and pours with a good off white head. Aromas of mango, grapefruit, peach and pineapple along with a touch of pine. Palate has nice carbonation, low bitterness and a slightly creamy mouthfeel. Flavours of malt, citrus and hoppy fruit. A nice bitter, pine finish.

Cali. American Pale Ale. 5.6% – Golden appearance with a slight haze and a small white head.Aromas of pine/resin, tropical fruit and a hint of citrus. The palate is medium bitterness with pine, lemon and a touch of caramel and tropical mango. Mouthfeel is a little soapy.

Fubar. Pale Ale. 4.4% – From cask. Yellow in appearance with slight haze and a good white head and nice lacing. Aromas of gentle citrus, malt and pine. The palate is smooth, low bitterness, gentle hops and a touch of caramel. Easy drinking is style, very quaffable.

Juicy. Tropical Golden Ale. 4.8% – From cask. Golden, hazy with little or no head. Aromas of tropical fruit, pineapple and mango. Very fruity with a malty core. Palate is juicy tropical fruit and fruit salad sweets. low bitterness, nice mouthfeel and a slight sweetness. the finish is lingering mango. Very nice.

Stay Puft. Marshmallow Porter. 5.2% – Dark brown, opaque with a thin tan head. There are aromas of coffee, malt, dark brown sugar. Palate is marshmallow, coffee, chocolate, molasses but without the sweetness, Low bitterness but with a nice crispness and gentle carbonation. Slightly creamy mouthfeel. A nice roast coffee finish. I done usually drink a a lot of porters/stouts but this was very enjoyable.

Beer Round Up 2

A few notes about some of the beers that I have enjoyed recently. There is no particular order to the listing. A couple of them have featured in some earlier posts.

Northern Monk. Heathen IPA 7.2% – yellow/gold with a haze and pours with a good head. This is really appealing with citrus aromas of grapefruit and lemon with tropical mango, pineapple and a slight touch of pine. There is a slight creaminess but also a crispness which make sit very refreshing. Low bitterness, nice mouthfeel. The finish is dry with an aftertaste of bitter oranges. This is excellent and very drinkable. Beware the ABV.

Northern Monk. Moobing on up. Triple IPA 10% – Yellow and as cloudy as it gets! Aromas of peach, banana and lemon. Palate is low bitterness, creamy, smooth, tropical fruit, merest hint of liquorice, gentle sweetness. This is a lovely beer, packed with flavour and a long, long finish.

Brixton Brewery. Low Voltage Session IPA 4.3% – Unfiltered, unpasteurised, natural beer. Light amber, hazy with a non persistent small head. This is  a very clean, refreshing beer. the nose has lovely aromas of malt, orange, grapefruit and a touch of mango. The palate is low bitterness with excellent character, hoppy with a touch of pine. Well made and very drinkable with a nice touch of bitterness on the finish. just what you want from a session beer.

Top Rope. Papa Mango, Mango Pale 5.1% – Vibrant orange in colour, cloudy with a strong white head. Aromas of mango, pineapple, banana. Palate is intense mango, low bitterness, nice carbonation. Mouthfeel is good with a slight creaminess. Long, lingering finish of mango puree!  Have been rather unimpressed with this beer in the past but this example was rather excellent.

Wylam. All Formats. DDH Citra Pale 5.2% – Yellow,cloudy, nice persistent head. Aromas of lemon, peach, apricot. Palate has low bitterness and is nicely carbonated. Tropical fruits, bags of lemon citrus. There is a lovely bitter lemon finish.

Verdant. Maybe One More PSI. DIPA. 8% – Orange/yellow and cloudy. Pours with a strong, bubbly white head. Aromas is complex,  orange, mango, peach and grapefruit, there is a lot going on here. The palate is juicy, tropical, low bitterness with gentle carbonation. A very well balanced beer with a lovely orange finish. This is so good, very drinkable despite the high alcohol.

Verdant. Track and Field. IPA. 7.2% – Yellow, cloudy, thin white head. Aromas of tropical fruits, pineapple, mango and banana, malty with a touch of pine. The palate is creamy, excellent mouthfeel, gentle carbonation, low bitterness with bags of tropical fruit and lemon. Nice finish. Very nice.

Yakima. Great Heck Brewing. IPA. 7.4% – Dark amber, clear and with a small white head. Aromas of malt, caramel, toffee and nuts. This is a serious west coast style IPA with bags of sweet malt flavours, it is creamy with low bitterness and hints of citrus and dark muscovado sugar. Very nice.

Rigg and Furrow Farmhouse Brewery.. IPA. 5.6% – Yellow, cloudy with no head. Aromas of orange, lemon and malt. The palate is juicy with a slight sweetness, good mouthfeel, low bitterness, gentle carbonation. A very refreshing beer that is very drinkable. A brewery based in the North East that is new to me.

Magic Rock. Cannonball IPA 7.4% – Amber, hazy with a strong white head. Aromas of citrus, pine, orange, earthy, malty. Palate is medium bitterness tropical fruits with orange, creamy with nice gentle carbonation. Finish is bitter orange. Very good.

In conclusion a lot of IPAs and several with high ABV. Perhaps I will look at some different styles in the next instalment.