Mikkeller’s Beer Geek Breakfast.

I’d never had it, despite having had its newer sibling Beer Geek Brunch and a couple of its variants. How odd. So when I went to pick up a bottle of Beer Hop Breakfast (stay with me…) and saw that Beer Geek Breakfast was available, I grabbed a bottle.

Beer Geek Breakfast is supposed to be special because of the addition of ‘gourmet’ coffee. It’s too bad they don’t actually specify what coffee – don’t they know some people are sensitive about this sort of thing?! I mean, come on, we’re avid (or rabid?) coffee snobs here in Melbourne.

This imperial stout is rich, but smooth. Whatever the coffee may be, it is very prominent and complements the beer well. I was quite surprised that it’s actually got a fairly savoury finish – the coffee taste lingers on after you’ve swallowed. For some reason, I was expecting it to be sweeter. As you can see above, it’s very dark and completely opaque. The head is lighter than that of the Brunch. Unlike the Brunch, I think I would actually drink this with breakfast. The Beer Geek Brunch I would leave for the end of an evening.

As can be imagined, the newish Beer Hop Breakfast is very bitter. It’s a curious bitterness given that the stout and coffee compete in the flavour too. I find this a less savoury beer than the Beer Geek Breakfast and a little less coffeeish. I don’t think it’s limited to hopheads for enjoyment and full appreciation, but admittedly it is a challenging beer. Thinner mouthfeel than its vanilla sibling. My head is still twisted due to the fact that one doesn’t really expect coffee, hop bitterness and oatmeal stout to work. Am beginning to think that Mikkeller’s head brewer has signed some awesome pact with the devil…or perhaps with Bacchus. Truly – can the fellow do no wrong?

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