Mikkeller In May
4.Brewdog/Mikkeller I Hardcore You 9.5%

Friday night, bank holiday weekend and time for something a bit special (as if the other's weren't (!) but go with me on this), and this most certainly is something special. Two very respected and unconventional brewers take their signature beers (Brewdogs Hardcore IPA and Mikkellers I Beat You) and blend them together superbly. Of course, given the reputation of these two brewers it won't surprise you to note that that they don't stop there. Oh no. They dry hop it twice, four, or maybe six times, apparently they lost count. However many times, it doesn't matter, it's absolutely stunning.
It pours a ruby red amber with a creamy tan head that quickly dissipates but doesn't completely disappear. The aroma is fantastic melange of spicy herbal malty grassy chocolate citrus piney orange. That's probably quite hard to believe, but all those olfactory triggers are there and completely distinct yet combined. There's an oily creamy smoothness over the tongue with incredibly delicious and sweet chocolate toffee orange marmalade flavours. Honeyed apricot bursts through with a marvellous smoothness and everything fits together perfectly. The aftertaste has creamy maple tinged roasted pineapple slowly fading, but actually not quite lasting quite long enough. I'm completely blown away by how integrated all the flavours, tastes and sensations are. It all works together magnificently to form a liltingly mellifluous Imperial IPA melody, and if you think I've over-used the hyperbole then you need to get this beer and you'll see for yourself. It sings.