The World's Most Bitter Beer? ~ Mikkeller 1000 IBU
What is the threshold of bitterness for humans? How bitter can a beer get before it becomes undrinkable? With their 1000 IBU India Pale Ale, Mikkeller are testing the limits of what our taste buds can tolerate. IBU stands for International Bitterness uint, and according to thebrewenthusiast.com, most brews fall within the range of 5 to 120 IBU. The beer I am about to review today has 1000 IBU! Oh geez, I am anticipating unpleasant moments because I am nowhere near being a hop-head...
That dude doesn't look happy
My shelf with extreme beverages and sauces
Color and Aroma
It pours hazy amber with a small, moderately lasting white head. When I hold the glass against the light, I can see that the beer is full of floaties (aka sediment). The aroma is grassy, hoppy and sweet at the same time, with some notes of caramel and citrus.
Taste
The taste is... surprising; bitter, but not unpleasantly so - its hoppiness is fairly well-balanced with strong caramel sweetness and hints of dark chocolate. The carbonation is mild, and the brew feels smooth in my mouth. The aftertaste is bittersweet and long-lasting. I would say that it's pretty consistent from start to finish.
Verdict
Mikkeller 1000 IBU didn't live up to my initial expectations, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Is it the most bitter beer in the world? On paper, probably yes. In reality, I have the feeling that I have tasted beers that were more bitter than this one. Will I recommend it? Yes, absolutely! I am awarding it 4/5 stars.
Thank you for reading!
Cheers,
Dan
That face in the last picture tho ...Contemplation 😁 Don;t know why but it made me giggle.
Ema, you always make me giggle with your comments 😁Thank you!
Sounds like they managed to make it work! Whenever you see these kind of extreme taste experiments I expect the worst. Will have to get my hands on this sometime to taste it.
They certainly did! :) I was expecting the worst too, and I was even considering filming my facial expression... I'm kinda disappointed that it didn't feel that bitter 😂
Great review I wonder if the ones you tried in the past that tasted more bitter were just flavored that way or if they actually had higher IBU and maybe didn't think to list it or know they had the highest.
Thanks a lot @isteemithard! It must have been the combination of flavors that made them taste more bitter :)
Dan, I was expecting some, "Oh, shit! This is really bitter!" moments. :))
Haha, I was expecting that too! :) What a surprise... 🙄🍺
I would have bet this would be undrinkable for a not "bitter-trained" person!
Seems like all the other intense flavours cover the bitter taste :D
Yes - spot on! I think too that the other flavors neutralize the bitterness to a certain degree :)
Ah :) I must try this :)
You can hardly go wrong with Mikkeller's beers :)
Good :))
how'd you manage the last shot?? double exposure?
Yes! My Lumix has a multiple exposures feature :) 📷