Beer of the Weekend #425: Mikkeller Challenger
The beer tonight is another edition of the single-hop series: Mikkeller Challenger, brewed by Mikkeller of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Serving type: 330 ml bottle. A batch code is printed on the cap but there is no discernable freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is cloudy orange/amber. Two fingers of fairly dense, buttery, eggshell-colored head dissipated to a billowy and spotted lacing, leaving tails of foam on the glass. A little sedimentation had collected in the grooves at the bottom of the bottle, but it was easily loosened.
Smell: It is mostly grassy/earthy, reminiscent of English pale ale, but it is tinged with orange citrus and lemon zest. It has its vinous moments but they are (thankfully) fleeting. There is a nice base of pale malts, caramel, and toffee.
Taste: Whoa — pretty good. Grassy hops, a little spice, orange and lemon citrus, exotic fruit, pale malts, caramel, and toffee. It also has that unpolished astringency to it.
Drinkability: Of the beers I have tried in the single-hop series, this edition the closest to being drinkable on a regular basis. I would definitely buy this one again.
Fun facts about Mikkeller Challenger:
-Style: American IPA.
-Price: No clue.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 6.8 percent ABV.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
Serving type: 330 ml bottle. A batch code is printed on the cap but there is no discernable freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is cloudy orange/amber. Two fingers of fairly dense, buttery, eggshell-colored head dissipated to a billowy and spotted lacing, leaving tails of foam on the glass. A little sedimentation had collected in the grooves at the bottom of the bottle, but it was easily loosened.
Smell: It is mostly grassy/earthy, reminiscent of English pale ale, but it is tinged with orange citrus and lemon zest. It has its vinous moments but they are (thankfully) fleeting. There is a nice base of pale malts, caramel, and toffee.
Taste: Whoa — pretty good. Grassy hops, a little spice, orange and lemon citrus, exotic fruit, pale malts, caramel, and toffee. It also has that unpolished astringency to it.
Drinkability: Of the beers I have tried in the single-hop series, this edition the closest to being drinkable on a regular basis. I would definitely buy this one again.
Fun facts about Mikkeller Challenger:
-Style: American IPA.
-Price: No clue.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 6.8 percent ABV.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
