Bridge Road & Mikkeller Dark Harvest

Another beer that just on announcement has built expectations to a level where it needs to perform pretty damn well to be considered anything like a success.

Was lucky enough to snag several of these in bottle format, and grab a pint also at Beer De Luxe Melbourne (long side note: great venue that but way to waste top beer pouring this so aggressively.. what a waste. And then I overheard two of the serving guys talking about porter being a combination of stout and stale beer .. wut?).

Back to the story - this beer is superb in both formats.. I've seen it listed as a porter it seems but feel like it's something between that and (more so) a black ale for my money. Sudsy, crystal head sits atop a dark inviting body which itself eventually dissipates to leave a lovely off-white fugue patina.

The nose is really roasty and grass-fresh but above that, this beer is exceptionally well balanced throughout. You don't need to search around or strain to hear what it's mumbling - just sit back and bask in the brilliance as you plow through the almost Guinness-like head through a slightly unexpected roasted grass flavour that lingers and gets just sweet enough to really fuel the imagination on the end. It's not brash but erudite and the hop character comes through along with the wonderful roasty overtones very nicely indeed.

Drinking this beer I get a distinctly reminiscent malt note that takes me right back to Beer Geek Breakfast and other Mikkeller stouts and porters, and sure enough looking into it a little further it seems the gypsy extraordinaire provided all the dark stuff himself. This is a good thing, take it from me - but those new (as yet unnamed) hops from Bridge seem like an interesting possible future goer too.

Look - go snap up a bottle (or a pint) if you are lucky enough to find one cross your path. 9.0