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Speyside Barrel Aged Texas Ranger Chipotle Porter — Reviewed By: Pat
Brewery: Mikkeller
City – State – Country: At De Proef Brouwerij, Lochristi-Hijfte, Belgium
Style: Spiced Porter
Alcohol: 6.6%
Release/Date: No Date
Reviewed By: Pat
INFORMATION: Mikkeller is a so-called “phantom brewery” based in Denmark. It has no brewing equipment of it own and only brews in collaboration with other breweries. This particular Texas-themed concoction was brewed in conjunction with De Proef Brouwerij in Belgium, known for their Witte Noire and La Grande Blanc. I have no idea how old this bottle is, but this beer has only been available the last 6 months or so.
APPEARANCE: This beer pours a dark brownish-red, with no light penetrating except around the rim. The head dissipated almost immediately to a lonely, persistent ring of tiny bubbles around the rim.
AROMA: A light boozy smell accompanies some woody and dark chocolate aromas. None of the smells are particularly strong, though. There is a surprising lack of spiciness or pepper character.
TASTE: A slightly sour maltiness and a kind of light sweetness accompanies a very mild spiciness in this drink. The chipotle seems to be more noticeable the bigger the drink you take. There is a definite coffee undertone to the entire sip. The whisky is also very mild, mostly lingering into the back end and aftertaste. This beer is very smooth, but there are no big flavors. Hops are almost undetectable.
MOUTHFEEL: Light-bodied for a porter. Almost no detectible carbonation present.
PAT’S BOTTOM LINE: To be honest, this beer was kind of disappointing. From the bottle, I was expecting some pretty bold chipotle pepper and/or Speyside whisky flavor. Though while these tastes are present, everything comes across as very subdued, quite unlike the Texas attitude they sought to convey. Instead we have a relatively tame beer with flavors that are easy to miss if you’re not looking for them. Could be handy as an introduction or chipotle or whisky-aged beers.
Score: 3.25 out of 5
About Pat
I would love to cook with this beer — mmmm