What’s up good people?  For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Mikkeller Big Worse produced by the Mikkeller Brewery located in Kobenhavn, Denmark.

I always see this beer in my bottle shop when I visit, but for some reason I never pull the trigger on purchasing it.  Well, I finally decided to grab it and give it a test drive…. and I’m pretty excited.

Mikkeller.dk rarely has commercial descriptions of the Mikkeller beers, so I’m just going to pour it and create my own description.

Let’s drink.

This beverage came in a 12.7 oz. bottle and it boasted an ABV of 12.0%.

It poured a brown to deep, dull ruby color.  The cap was light tan and sized very well from a fairly easy pour at that.  The texture was mostly smooth, thick and soft.  The retention time was quite good and the lacing looked solid too.  We have a very attractive looking brew right here.

The bouquet released a strong waft of sweet and sugary caramel malt.  Also, a lot of earthy hops with a welcoming resiny attribute.  Hints of boozed soaked plums and a light whiff of some dark breads added some complexity and really helped harmonize the overall nose.

The sip greeted me with a nice shot of “rum like” booze quickly followed by sweet dark fruits and more sugary caramel .  The hops were mostly earthy, however I swear I thought I gathered a slight inkling of orange citrus. Who knows?  My mind may have been playing tricks on me.  Either way, still a very tasty profile.

The mouthfeel was medium to full bodied.  Smooth, slick, dry, sticky and chewy.  The carbonation was a little more lively than I had anticipated.  Especially considering it was of the Barelywine Style.  Obviously, a nice slap of warmth was felt from that 12.0% ABV.  It followed the liquid into the belly with ease.  A solid quantity of flavor was left behind on the palate after each sip as well.

I tell ya.  My first experience with the Mikkeller Big Worse did not disappoint   It’s a very, very nice Barleywine. One that I wouldn’t mind having again sometime that’s for sure.  I have heard of and read a few mixed reviews of this beer in the past, but I didn’t have a bit of problem with it.  I’d highly recommend it if you are looking for a fairly easy drinking and complex Barleywine.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a sipper and that high ABV will get on top of you pretty quick, but if you have some time to kill, give it a try and enjoy the undertaking. Be sure to let me know what you think about it too.

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone.  I’m most appreciative.

Until next time.  Cheers.

Score:  4.05 out of 5

Grade:  A-