Mikkeller Hop Burn (High)

Last night, work got in the way of my drinking and blogging...I vowed not to let this happen again tonight...so, time for a nice, fresh DIPA (excuse the fuzzy photo)...

Mikkeller Hop Burn (High) just showed up on the shelves this past week and (despite coming from Europe), it seems extremely fresh. The crack of the cap let out a nice pop and hiss, but the brew exhibits minimal carbonation (as do a fair number of double/imperial IPAs). According to the forums, there isn't much info out there on this beer, so the specifics are hazy..that said, it was obviously brewed at D Proef (Belgium) and is 10% ABV. Hop Burn pours pretty clear for a Mikkeller beer, and has the standard strong citrus aromas of many other Mikkellers; however, the overall drinkability of Hop Burn is greatly improved over some of Mikkeller's other double/imperial IPA  offerings. The bitterness is likely still going to be too much for a non-hophead, but there is a malty backbone in here that helps smooth out the boozy finish with a bit of sweetness. Don't be fooled by hearing the word "sweetness" though..this is certainly not the all-around easy-drinker that Hop Slam is...but it comes fairly close, especially if double/imperial IPAs are your gig..

ohtheguilt Ba score 4.0 out of 5.0