It’s been a pretty great Saturday so far. This morning my son had a baseball game, and then we came home and watched some of the World Cup. We’re getting ready to head out to the movies to see Jurassic World, but before we left, I thought I’d try to squeeze in a beer. I’ve been trying to finish up the Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Across the World Series, since I still have a few left. Since it sounded like this one might be a bit different, I’ve been putting off trying it. The bottle says, “Denmark’s Mikkeller brewery is famous for pushing the boundaries of beer, so when we decided to partner we knew the result would be a wild ride. This beer was inspired by flavors of a classic.: Thai iced tea. It’s sweet and rich, with warming spice notes and delicate fruit flavors that maintain a drinkability from the use of black tea in the finish.”
Location: Poured into a pint glass at my home in Bloomington, IL.
Numbers: 7.2% ABV, ~260 Calories
Appearance & Aroma: It’s deep orange in color and very hazy. It had a thin, bright white, bubbly head that dissipated fairly quickly – almost like a soda. It has a nice orange and spice aroma to it.
Taste & Feel: The body is light-medium and the mouthfeel is smooth and a bit oily. The flavor up front is a mix of maltiness and orange flavors with a little bit of spiciness. In the middle, the orangy-malty flavor grows richer, but is joined by some spicy bitterness. Everything opens up and becomes a bit brighter in the finish with a more citrusy orange flavor mixed with a lot of different spices. The spiciness lasts for a minute or so in the aftertaste with some of the orange maltiness in the background.
Food Pairing: This is definitely a citrusy beer with a good amount of spiciness. I think it would be perfect to pair with and help balance some very spicy Thai food, like a spicy chicken pad Thai or other type of spicy Asian food.
Overall Impression: It’s one of the more interesting and unique beers I’ve had in quite some time and despite my skepticism, it was actually pretty good. The lighter citrus and spicy flavors would make it a great beer for the beach or a hot day, or for simply just enjoying with some hot, spicy food. The mix of spices made it super complex, yet the brightness of the orange kept it both light and packed with flavor at the same time. Overall, I thought this was a very good beer for such a unique style.
My Rating: 
August 17, 2018
That beer has to be over a year old?
August 21, 2018
Yeah, it’s been in the beer fridge since I got it last summer.