Jackie Brown

This is the third Mikkeller beer from my Christmas giftpack that I've been savoring over the past month.  I'm not usually a huge fan of browns as they lack a lot of the spice and bitterness that I enjoy in my brews.  But in what is perhaps the most creative period for beer in the past 100 years it's always important to try everything as styles are fusing and tastes are reinvented.  Ms. Brown (please, Jackie) is no exception.  

There's a lot going on in here, so much so that I'm almost tempted to classify it as other than a brown.  Mikkeller's stated intent was to make the roasted grains roll off into chocolate in your tongue.  His achievement of this ideal is not only a testament to his creativity but his mastery of the craft.  But to leave the description at that would be in the words of Jackie herself: " A damn shame."  

There's a lot of hop presence in here that makes the otherwise flat nose come alive.  The hops give the beer a surprising bittersweet taste (think chocolate, not tears) and add an element of freshness that makes the drink more of a journey than a short lived experience.  While the bitterness is an excellent addition, I wish it could mesh better with the flat front end.  Mikkeller used pale, munich, cara-pils, cara-crystal, brown and chocolate grains, flaked oats, hops include nugget, simcoe and centennial.  Alc. 6%

Jackie Brown: ***1/2