Last Thursday, Taps Beer Bar host an event called “Meet the Brewer: Mikkel from Mikkeller!”. The brewmaster of Mikkeller – Mikkel Borg Bjergsø present at the event. No speech nothing, just most of the beer fan boy meeting him in person. I was suppose to have an interview with him before the event start, due to some bad planning I wasn’t able to make it in time.

Is nice to able to meet up the man behind the brand that I respect a lot. As I like a lot of their beer. From the casual chat, I learned that he is opening a Mikkeller bar in Thailand, opening sometime in December. Which I can’t wait to go there, as they will have around 30 taps to play with.

After some light conversation, decided to bring him nearby Taps beer bar to explore some street food. I brought him over to the secret Kuey Teow Soup place for him to try some comfort food after some drinks. Rather then just chat about beer, the conversation is more on the relationship between each brewmaster. I bet people asked him all the time about his beer, what is his inspiration and where he got his inspiration. So I decided to ask a bit unconventional question to make him don’t feel that bored.

He did said about brewing Riesling wine in Germany now. As wine is one of his favourite drink too. Can’t wait to try it out and see how the result goes. One of his craziest ingredient is Black Truffle which he spent USD8k just for that brew which end up with not much Truffle character in there. Craft beer scene is not big Malaysia, yet was happy to see so many people turn up to meet Mikkel in person and snap picture with. I bet he feel like a rockstar for a while.

There is saying, never trust a skinny brewmaster but honestly if someone can brew beer that good, who care if he is skinny or fat. Mikkel for sure earn my respect. He for sure one of the top brewer out there for daring to used or try different ingredient to create some of the most awesome beer out there. We will meet again soon in Thailand. Cheers!

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When the beer poured out?
Have a nice pleasant aroma of light sweet malt.

How’s the taste?
The entry have this kind of taste that remind me of the chinese cough mixture. Body is not that thick, have a wine like smoothness to it. It end with some light grape flavour. As the warm get warm up a bit, can taste cranberries syrup with the like of bubble gum. As you drink a long the beer give a tart warm on your throat. A bit of citrusy at the end, at 8% abv the beer is well balanced.

What’s the colour of the beer?
Pale yellowish brown.

Where to drink?
Drank it at Taps Beer Bar @ Jalan Nagasari.

My Opinion:
This beer live up to it’s name. Is kinda alive. I don’t like the beer when is too cold, as the beer warm up different stages of taste and aroma start to reveal stage by stage. It’s something I didn’t expect. I would have kept this beer in the bottle and see how the beer mature further in few years time. Overall this beer is a love and hate thing. I love how the beer reveal itself. Taste wise, I still think it can slowly mature for few months to balanced up the flavour. Have a try and let me know what you thought of it. Cheers!

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When the beer poured out?
Very sweet malty with pleasant hoppy aroma.

How’s the taste?
Have hoppy entry with nice and bitter taste. Quite easy to drink with nice carbonation but the beer does felt creamy, with nice malty flavour as well. At 5% abv the after taste for this beer is not that strong but give a nice finishing.

What’s the colour of the beer?
Golden pale.

Where to drink?
Drank it at Brewers Craft, also available at Taps Beer Bar @ Jalan Nagasari, KL in draught.

My Opinion:
I quite like this beer to kick start my drinking night. It has a nice creamy body but not thick. There is this nice refreshing texture and light balance aroma. Is a all night long beer which is awesome for social time. I bet can paired nicely with roasted meat.

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When the beer poured out?
Toasted malt and very black coffee type of aroma

How’s the taste?
The entry start with full roasted coffee taste and aroma with thick body. Can taste some light alcohol at the end as the beer is 7.5% ABV. The toasted bitter linger around with coffee after taste. As it warm up, the toasted bitter do stay a bit longer with light coffee sour.

What’s the colour of the beer?
Dark brown black.

Where to drink?
Drank it at Brewfest 2012 @ Publika, KL, also available in Taps Beer Bar @ Jalan Nagasari, KL.

My Opinion:
If you like coffee, then this beer is something you fancy to try. Is like a beer with coffee taste, as that’s why the name of the beer is called Beer Geek Breakfast. To drink it for breakfast is too hard, may want to add some milk to make it white coffee… just kidding. I’m not a big coffee person, but if you are, then have a try on this beer to gain yourself the Beer Geek title!

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When the beer poured out?
Very balance pleasant aroma of caramel and fruity sweetness.

How’s the taste?
The entry have that fruity lychee sweetness with bitter linger end. At 9.5% percent the beer is well balance and don’t have that alcohol taste. As you drink a long the bitter became sharper and get more bitter at the entry. The after taste have nice sweet lingering aroma with bitter at the throat.

What’s the colour of the beer?
Pale Reddish Brown.

Where to drink?
Have it in Taps Beer Bar @ Jalan Nagasari.

My Opinion:
This beer is the collaboration between Mikkeller I Beat yoU and Brewdog Hardcore IPA. I was shocked to find out that this beer is 9.5% ABV and doesn’t taste like the regular heavy alcohol beer that have alcohol taste. If you like Hardcore IPA and I Beat yoU, this is not the beer you looking for. It has it’s own character which is a bit different from both, beside being a Double IPA – taste wise this 3 beer have their own taste and flavour. Interesting blend.

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