SSS - Brouwerij De Molen

beerdrifter

Germany

4.2/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up at the Brouwerij De Molen beer store. Dark brown, almost black pour that turned into a total gusher when I opened it. Had this happen in the past with De Molen beers so I was somewhat prepared and saved most of it. For all that foam and head, it didn't last long at all and had minimal lacing. Huge roasty nose with a ton of coffee along with hints of cocoa, espresso, and just a touch of hops and black licorice. The taste follows suit with loads of coffee and chocolate with hints of tobacco, soy sauce, and a bit of caramel and toffee. The mouthfeel leaned more towards a Porter than a stout and was slightly fizzy. The finish was extra dry with a nice bitter hop bite. The alcohol was totally hidden making this extremely drinkable. Another great beer from De Molen!

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 16:16:45 | More by beerdrifter

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

05-13-2013 23:48:03 | More by Kelp

Bonko_the_sane

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%

05-13-2013 06:09:12 | More by Bonko_the_sane

Resuin

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +3.1%

04-21-2013 02:37:17 | More by Resuin

spycow

Illinois

4/5  rDev +3.1%

03-10-2013 20:06:54 | More by spycow

unclekeith

Alaska

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%

01-29-2013 21:35:18 | More by unclekeith

TonyTalon

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

01-14-2013 23:34:16 | More by TonyTalon

hyoung41

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

01-02-2013 00:21:40 | More by hyoung41

Bung

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml. Bot march 2011. A very dark brown, some light does get through especially around the edge. A thin layer of white.

Aroma, dark fruit and dark chocolate. Maybe a little peaty maltyness.

Taste, a good dose of raspberry, cherry up front. Works quickly to more toasted malt, chocolate. Finishes pretty dry with a mild roast and cocoa.

Carbonation is just a bit too sharp to be creamy at first, but it gets there as it sets a bit. Solidly mid bodied. A very faint warming.
Knocking out a few more of the Belgian characteristics would have put this over the top. As it is, pretty good, though a tough price point.
The best I have had from the DeMolen brewery.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 03:11:25 | More by Bung

beergoot

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Brewed: 16 February 2011
Bottled: 21 March 2011

Clear yet dark brown body topped with a rich, creamy tan head. Roasted grains, slightly toasty; baking chocolate in the aroma. Lightly charred grain flavor, bitterness sneaking in midway and lingering in the finish, slight alcohol warmth; slight sourness. Medium-light bodied; clean with lingering sugar residuals.

A great looking stout; great roasted scents. I was somewhat surprised at the relative lightness to the body. The rich, dark malted character dominates the initial taste, giving away to a nice hop bitterness (and, perhaps, grain huskiness or tannin note) and a faint hint at the relatively high ABV.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 00:07:53 | More by beergoot

yossarian14

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -22.7%

09-12-2012 20:31:24 | More by yossarian14

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev +3.1%

09-02-2012 16:08:35 | More by t0rin0

rbrefbeerman

California

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

08-14-2012 05:09:06 | More by rbrefbeerman

Sean9689

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On-tap at Holy Grale at their De Molen Tap Takeover Event.

A - Pours black, mocha-colored head, thin collar.

S - Dark chocolate, toasted malts, light roast, light coffee.

T - Pretty much right in line with the nose with a mix of bitter dark chocolate, toasted bready notes, malts, some coffee beans. Alcohol is well-hidden for 10%. Finish is chocolate & roast.

M - Medium body, over-carbonated, creamy finish.

O - A decent Export Stout (of some sort) but not something I'd really go after again. I didn't hate this beer, but I also didn't think it was good enough to order again or seek out a bottle of.

Serving type: on-tap

07-20-2012 21:32:43 | More by Sean9689

DruC4

Michigan

4/5  rDev +3.1%

06-18-2012 20:25:42 | More by DruC4

eawolff99

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

06-14-2012 14:14:51 | More by eawolff99

polishkaz

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

06-13-2012 00:35:09 | More by polishkaz

biglite351

Pennsylvania

2.78/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Brewed August 4, 2010, bottled September 15, 2010, drank June 10, 2012.

A - amber brown light through center of glass. Off-white head is tighter than any other that I have seen.

S - mildly toasted malts, dark chocolate, dark fruit and a hint of caramel.

T - this might be off... odd bitter yeast, toasted malts, dark chocolate. The off taste goes away after a few drinks, but it is still bitter.

M - Good thickness and coating. Very mild tingle on tongue and throat.

O - I would like to try another bottle to see if the taste is the same. However as it stands it is a pass.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 22:49:02 | More by biglite351

westcoastbeerlvr

California

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%

03-29-2012 15:45:30 | More by westcoastbeerlvr

codynevels

California

4/5  rDev +3.1%

03-01-2012 01:58:17 | More by codynevels

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Cheers to Goblinmunkey7 for giving me this (also, I split this with him)

Review adapted from notes taken 9/18/11

Note: Brewed 2 April 2008, bottled 23 May 2008, bottle 509/616

Appearance: Dark brown starts with a huge, tan head, fades to a nice cap - foamy lacing

Smell: Cooked, roasted malts, and a ton of chocolate - a lot of sweetness, a lot of booze - kind of smells like a burnt barleywine (similar sweetness level) - lots of dark fruits

Taste: Follows the aroma - dry, dark chocolate malts and burnt, roasty flavors - an interesting malt profile - cooked, caramelized malts - chocolaty - a lot of dark fruit flavors that lend a slight tart flavor - plum, fig - booze becomes more apparent as it warms

Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium body, could be heavier given the flavor, a bit overcarbonated

Overall: Weird but tasty

The label describes this beer as a porter, but it definitely isn't. It is somewhere between a light, chocolatey quad, a Belgian stout, a Belgian Dark Strong Ale. Whatever this is, it was interesting.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 07:01:33 | More by angrybabboon

SLeffler27

New York

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours dark b rown to black in a Dogfish Head snifter with ruby red highlights when put to the light. A big, creamy manila head drops quickly to half an inch, then waits out the session.

Deep roasted malt with burnt sugar and some burnt coffee grinds.

Flavor follow the nose adding baker’s chocolate and nuts with a hint of dried fruits and cigar. This is yet another stout that improves with warmth.

Well balanced with a medium body, light carbonation and surprisingly no alcohol.

This is a laid-back beer for conversation. While there is not much to this one, it is done well and would match with a cigar. Having aged 18 months in the bottle, it has clearly mellowed out.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 22:35:42 | More by SLeffler27

dprophet

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +16%

01-22-2012 10:23:49 | More by dprophet

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.1%

01-19-2012 13:29:38 | More by sholland119

Metalmonk

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Tons of info on the label, including "Original 1914 Recipe London triple Stout." Brewed 16 Feb. 2011, bottled 21 March 2011. Bottle # 1116 of 1182. 9.99% ABV.

Ok, this is only one of two caged beers that doesn't twist off in exactly six turns. The other was some U.S. beer. Sure the Belgians would never break such tradition. Once uncorked it offers a superbly opaque dark brown (darkest brown) liquid, topped with an absolutely gorgeous light tan head of fluffy stuff, stiff and long lasting. Sheets of mocha lace left on the glass. This thing looks legendary.

Aroma is immediately problematic. Has that stiff, coin-like whiff of something way too mineral/chemical, which masks what seems to be a very bitter roast smell. Also a bit phenolic, chemical, plastic. Uh oh.

Taste isn't as bad as the smell suggests. If you like bitter dark roast mainstream coffee (like Folgers or something) and the allure of powdered chocolate milk mixes (Quik). These are the prevailing flavors, along with a decidedly mineral snap. Alcohol plays into the taste, in a good way, giving it a nice glow that helps keep it on the enjoyable side. Pretty huge layer of smoke; raisin too. In fact, with warming, raisin abounds. Hops are definitely big, bigger than I imagine they were in 1914, betraying the citrus-y ghost of U.S. influence.

I would like this beer a little more if the texture weren't so tingly and sharply carbonated. It's smooth enough but not at all stout-ish, neither in the traditional nor amped-up super-thick American sense. Feels like a bubbly IPA of some kind. Bothers me, as this demands a much milkier texture.

Love the shit out of this brewery's Heaven & Hell (one of the best-ever stouts), but SSS is merely okay. It fails biggest in the Smell and Mouthfeel categories. It has redeeming elements too, but considering how transcendent H&H was, I'll be sipping on it with less enthusiasm than expected.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 22:08:26 | More by Metalmonk