Walk on Water
Brewery: Mikkeller/To Øl
Type: American Strong Ale
Alcohol: 14%
Country: Denmark
The lightest beer in the world. Had to hunt down what they meant by that. They of course are referring to the fact that this beer has an amazingly low gravity, miraculous when you consider that it is a 14% huge ABV beer. They boast that this is a 100% attenuated beer. Meaning that they got the yeast to chew through 100% of the available sugars left behind by the malt during mashing. This was done with a combination of both ale and lager yeast, which is another cool thing about this beer. Now I know this is going to be a malt monster. Strong ales are usually something I avoid, due to the fact that I am not really a sweets type of guy. But I couldn't pass up the opportunity to review a cool beer like this, and I want to give strong ales and malty barley wines more of a chance. Full disclosure this beer is old, at least a year or two. Found it tucked away on a shelf in a far off beer shop. Not sure if this will effect the taste, but it certainly effected the consistency. This beer is chunkier then outdated milk! Ok so not going to look into the glass as I drink, and here goes nothing.
Pours a light orange, not nearly as deep burnt or ruby as these strongs can be. It is a very opaque and cloudy beer, lots of protein in suspension, but that is more likely a productive of its age. The head on this is nonexistent. Not like it faded quickly, but like it never existed in the first place. A head terminator was sent back in time to terminate the bubbles before they were born. The smell is just off the scale sweet. Huge malt sweetness, and fruit; pineapple and orange tones, but dipped in pure sugar. I expected a hot solvent alcohol smell but it is barely there at all, probably dulled by age. All in all it smells a bit like the medicine the doctor prescribes young kids. You know the one that is supposed to hide the medicine with artificial fruit juice taste, but never quite manages to cover it up. The taste is sweet and fruity, but not juicy, actually quite dry. It is like sweet sweet caramel. The aftertaste is dominated by pineapple, very big lasting pineapple taste. There is a tartness to the taste that makes up for no hop taste whatsoever. The massive attenuation is evident in the mouthfeel, very dry and thin bodied for a beer this big and sweet. It is so weird, the beer tastes like a sweet fruit juice, but just so dry. I can't decide wether I like it or not. I can certainly say it was an experience to drink it (an experience that left me stumbling and slurring my words).
Now usually I hate these sweet beers, but something about this one held back my low score button. Maybe it is because I am extremely drunk from drinking this, or maybe it is because I love To Øl and Mikkeller, but I am giving this a relatively high score. Please if you get a bottle, share it with a friend. Now I am off to have a nap/coma.
