Mikkeller: Beer Weak Brunch Weasel (Denmark: Stout: 4.8% ABV)
Visual: Black. Large frothy beige head, that descends quickly into a small covering of the base beer.
Nose: Cloyed cream. Smooth, complex, coffee. Praline. Chocolate liqueur.
Body: Chalky. Bitter coffee. Roasted. Nuts. Very bitter. Charring.
Finish: Chalk. Heavily roasted character. Bitter coffee. Charring. oats. Very bitter. Bitter chocolate.
Conclusion: Could it be? Could it really be? The awesomeness of Beer Geek Brunch Weasel – the intense complex coffee flavor and thick frothy texture – all at under 5% abv?
Somehow I doubt it.
Then again, Drink in the Sun and Snow exists, and I doubted that, so….
Well, the aroma is wonderful, lots of complex coffee – it is more traditional stout style, with that cloyed cream aroma, rather than the smoother BGBW style, but still you get the elements thick and showing that full on coffee character
So, a good start.
Dare I hope?
The first sip shows the major, and somewhat expected, difference between the two beers. The texture is – naturally- not as thick. It has more chalky character, but with still that massive complex bitter coffee. Here it is rougher and more intense due to the lack of a comparable sweet contrast and the lack of a thicker creamy texture. If anything this seems closer to Beer Geek Breakfast in influence and style.
It is more chalky and charred, but that core of coffee is there, uncontested and huge. It is definitely a different beer, but it shares the most important characteristics. There is some contrasting sweetness, but not much – the chocolate is bitter here, the texture is roasted, it is a much more traditional stout in a lot of ways and that makes it harsher edged when combined with the coffee.
Still, that coffee is awesome. It isn’t a patch on Brunch Weasel, and it is too rough with all the bitter intensity and lack of contrast. For a “Session” beer the flavor sure isn’t sessionable, but it is an ok one for slipping one into an ongoing session. I am impressed technically with what they have done here, even if it doesn’t all work.
An impressive accomplishment, and an ok beer.
Background: Beer reviews. Yes I should do them. Or at least write them up. I have a bit of a backlog, but took a break after the epic collabfest 2014 write ups. Can you blame me? Anyway, a lower abv version of one of my favorite beers of all time – Beer Geek Brunch Weasel. A stout made with high quality coffee beans.