Hel & Verdoemenis - Brouwerij De Molen

GregSVT

Texas

3.6/5  rDev -13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a wine glass

A: Pours very dark brown with a huge brown head that fades to a layering and leaves a ton of lacing on the glass. Besides the over carbed head this looks beautiful.

S: The nose reveals great notes of cocoa, vanilla, earthy hops, and bakers chocolate.

T: The taste has a ton of chocolate, hops, vanilla, and a slightly fruity wine flavor like dark grapes on the finish. It may be the alcohol that makes it taste a bit like wine.

M: The feel is thinner than a normal RIS and is definitely overcarbed with the alcohol very apparent on the finish.

O: Nice aromas and flavors but the alcohol burn and over carbonation make this tough to appreciate.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 04:43:12 | More by GregSVT

MattSweatshirt

Texas

3.6/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 10/11/2011

Light brown head, amber around the bottom of the pint glass. Head settled quickly.

Pretty much roasted malt and chocolate on the nose and palette. Straightforward. Slightly bitter but sweetness is pretty prominent.

Smooth medium-full bodied beer with a nice level of carbonation that makes it easy to drink.

The bottle seemed a little weird. The beer was way up in the neck of the bottle and the carbonation died quickly.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 05:02:59 | More by MattSweatshirt

trappistlover

Arizona

3.63/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(12oz bottle with red wax). Bottle 497/2040. Bottled June 2010. Pours dark brown with loads of yeast and tan head. Aroma has lots of chocolate that I can smell it from a distance. Also getting some anise, leather and wet dog. Taste is roasty bitter with a sweet malt backbone. The alcohol is very noticeable at first sip. Full bodied and slick texture. Finish is dry and roasty. Fairly hoppy. A nice impy and one I'd probably prefer with some age on it.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 04:02:48 | More by trappistlover

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bottle picked up at Capone's a few weeks back and served side-by-side with the Misto and Wild Turkey versions. Served in a FFF-Intelligentsia snifter.

Pours near black with a really big and creamy tan head. Great retention and quite a few rings of lacing on the way down. THe nose brings a large amount of roast. Really, really roasty. Some dark chocolate in the background as well. The flavor is mostly roast with just a touch of chocolate and espresso behind. Really highly carbonated with a modest boozy presence. Finish is a bit dry and over-roasted.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 13:24:50 | More by Thorpe429

drabmuh

Maryland

3.7/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by Thorpe recently served side by side by side with Misto B.A. and Wild Turkey versions, quite a cool thing to do.

Beer is black with a big tan head (might be a tiny bit over carbonated here). Head sticks around too long too, it becomes a barrier to the beer. Some lacing left behind, heavily carbonated.

The aroma is roasty with a mild sweetness to it. The roast wins out over the sweetness though.

Out of the three this was the least interesting but it still had some nice flavors. The body was thinned otu by the carbonation artificially but there was a lot of roast at the back, a mild sweetness up front and the finish wasn't bittered with hops but with a kind of chocolate / coffee bitterness. Finish is dry. Overall it is fine.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 21:20:32 | More by drabmuh

vandemonian

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

De molen Hel & Verdoemenis is an Ok RIS. Find something better if you can.

A: Black without much head. 3.5

S: Noticable alcohol with some smokey wood. 3.5

T: Has a woody malt flavour and a smokey aftertaste. Lacks the rich maltiness that I was craving. 4

M: Watery. 3.5

O: Meh. 3.5

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2011 03:05:17 | More by vandemonian

brystmar

New York

3.75/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Red waxed bottle #1442/2080 shared by Denise. Bottled on 4/11/2011.

Dark brown pour; thin and watery-looking body. Zero head. Swirling the glass leaves chunky sediment on the sides of my glass, but no real lace. Strong aroma of deeply roasted coffee hits my nose from afar. Traces of fruit esters and alcohol lie in the background.

Espresso dominates the flavor profile. Very roasty. Not as much malt as I'd like, and really not balanced enough for me. Minimal alcoholic warmth as it descends, which is certainly impressive for an imperial stout. Would love to try this again in a few years to see how it develops.

Body is unacceptably weak and watery for the style. Low carbonation is perfect, though. Can tell this blend of flavors was well-crafted, but for now it needs work.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 01:26:34 | More by brystmar

DoubleJ

California

3.78/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

It's the attack of the numbers! 99 EBU, 1031 FG, 308.9 EBC Colour, 468 bottles in 33 cl bottle. Enough of the numbers, on to the beer:

Ink black in color, topped off by a good, slight tanned head with decent retention. There's some unwanted sediment which gives the overall appearance a little eyesore, even as a few ounces were left in the bottle. The aromas are pleasant, though mild. There's a chocolate coffee combination with a touch of cherry. Also a little bit of alcohol.

I can't make much of a complaint about the taste. Big and bittersweet. It grabs your tongue with a whipping of chocolate sauce and coffee combination. As the sweetness hits its peak, a modest kick of solvent alcohol and a thrashing bitterness (with some piney notes) give the coffee character more of a bitter coffee flavor. If the booze were hidden better, this would be very close to Darkness. It's full bodied and leaves a satisfying stick around the lips.

If De Molen were looking to make a good American-style imperial stout, mission accomplished. Price aside, fans of the style should give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2011 05:41:03 | More by DoubleJ

ehammond1

California

3.8/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

On Tap

Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA

Black as night with no head. This has very little visible carbonation activity and leaves nearly no lace down the glass.

Incredibly aromatic beer with lots of roast, coffee beans, rich dark chocolate, and a strong ash/burnt/smoke component as well.

The roast and chocolate are dominant in the flavor along with a mild coffee component. The ash character isn't a distraction though there is a strong, boozy element as well. Tasty and complex--changes as it warms.

Medium to full mouthfeel, a bit oily, and very little carbonation.

An incredibly aromatic and flavorful beer, but I wish it had some more bubbles.

Serving type: on-tap

10-25-2011 22:31:33 | More by ehammond1

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

2011 red wax edition. i wanted to like this one more than i did. it pours a dark woody brown color, apparently thin, with a quarter inch of tan bubbles. the smell is quite smokey for a russian imperial, a little sweet, very earthy and booze heavy. my girlfirend said it tastes like aftertaste. not totally sure what she meant by that, but i somehow agree with her. the beer is very subtle for being so big, and i guess does kind of taste like its already been swallowed as soon as its sipped. some tobacco notes mixed in with the smoke. this is very alcoholic, especially as it warms up. the mouthfeel is relaxed on the carbonation and fuller bodied but still somehow on the thin side, like watery. i actually like the way it felt, less filling and overbearing than some other examples of the style, but to me this beer tasted like an old closet. the bottle says it could be good for 25 years, who knows, maybe it should go in an old closet for awhile to develop...

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 20:34:21 | More by StonedTrippin

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.86/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.75

33cl red waxed bottle, bottled Sept 16, 2010, #715

Appearance. Pours a dark brown, close to black with a thin light-tan head.

Smell. Sweet chocolate liquer, creamy coffee and a bit of dark malts. Quite sweet and boozy.

Taste. Big coffee and dark malts, semi-sweet dark chocolate, rum and some bitter grassy hops, especially in the finish. Maybe a little wood too.

Mouthfeel. Medium body and a little thin for what's going on, low carbonation.

Overall. A good tasting, big stout that just didn't have the feel to back it up. Enjoyed it and felt like this beer is almost something great, but missed the mark.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 04:19:21 | More by Rutager

nhindian

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

11.2oz bottle poured into a Mikkeller wine glass.

Batch 152

A - I barely crack the cap before I'm greeted with a very loud POP. I barely have time to react before I have thick, black foam coating my glass, hand, counter, and whatever is between me and the sink. Yep, it's a gusher. I clean up, pour it SLOWLY down the side of the glass and have about an inch of liquid when the rest is full of mocha-colored head. I turn to grab my camera, and by the time I turn around it is foaming over again. I now hate this beer. When it finally settles, it does look nice, with a pitch black body and great lacing. It sticks to the glass, my hand, paper towels, dishes...

S - The nose on this is almost entirely all roasted malts and give off a fresh-brewed coffee aroma and a bitter chocolate. There is a touch of char as well, but overall it's pretty straightforward, if not intimidating.

T - Given the explosion upon opening, I was expecting this to be infected, but I don't really get any tartness that would indicate a flaw. There is perhaps a trace of dark fruit in the back-end, but that's not uncommon for the style. Otherwise this is roasted bitterness through and through. It's a bit smokey and the char gives it an extra grit as well. Somewhat hoppy as well which is a surprise, but the hops are more earthy and spicy, fitting in with the robust theme of the beer. A good deal of alcohol astringency in the finish is noticeable.

M - Mouthfeel is moderately heavy-bodied with high carbonation. A tad on the syrupy side with a long, bitter aftertaste.

D/O - Drinkability is moderate. This is a big beer and one sip can leave you with a mouth full of flavor. This makes the languishing task of drinking slow both for enjoyment and the fact that the flavors don't exactly lend themselves to being quaffed.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 04:17:56 | More by nhindian

ThreeWiseMen

California

3.9/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled on September 26, 2008. Poured into a Cigar City snifter.

Appearance: So, a brief aside: I uncaged the bottle and then set it sit for a minute or so while I answered a text. During that time, the cork burst out (hit the ceiling even) and the beer began overflowing uncontrollably onto our dining room table. Don't worry, all was fine afterward. Moving on: poured out black and opaque, producing a massive stack of dark brown, fluffy, foam. When held to light, the beer shines reddish orange around the edges; it's opaque elsewhere. No lacing. Head retains as a loose, fluffy, crown. Looks like a delicious Belgian Dark Ale.

Smell: Rich chocolate, molasses, and loads of sugar. Once it's warmed to room temperature, I get a hint of sweet, flowery, somewhat citric hops; but the overall aroma profile is pretty one-dimensional. Still nice.

Taste: Chocolate syrup, molasses, dark fruits, and char. Lots of residual sweetness, and a surprisingly large amount of bitterness (for a beer that's 2+ years old). As with the smell, however, this one isn't too complex. Still very good.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation was really high to begin with, but at this point (30 minutes in) it's juuuhhst right! Very thick and sweet, and creamy thanks to the carbonation (would probably be syrupy otherwise). Viscous, large... I dig it.

Drinkability: Very smooth and enjoyable, but underwhelming. Maybe I set my hopes to high here - hard to say. I was really hoping for more complexity out of this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2010 06:20:56 | More by ThreeWiseMen

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On Tap at TJ'S Everyday in a goblet glass. $4-Happy Hour.

Hel & Verdoemenis is a big black son of a bitch. The liquid is jet black, night sky with some dark brown coca cola bubbles on top that are not well formed. Dwindles to nothing, no stick.

Smell on this one is pretty dirty. Dirty as in a lot going on. Very old world smelling with roasty malt, smoke, some cocco, chocolate and some rotten vanilla. Char and a whiff of alcohol. Pretty bold, but not exquisite, but different.

Taste is going in a bunch of directions. Right off the bat I take this as a real big Baltic Porter with a old world twist. English ingredients, tastes of melted chocolate, some cocco, roasted malt out the ying yang, vanilla, smoke and something else.

Feel is pretty large. The body is big yet the carb is really tame, this could use some more bubbles and life as it's on the flat side, yet it works for the whole old world beer style I think they are shooting for here.

This is great beer, not something i would go for again, hell it took me an hour to take this 12oz's down. It's big and full of taste. I doubt it would last for 25 years in even the best cellar though.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2011 00:31:32 | More by onix1agr

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.9/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330 mL bottle poured into a Firestone snifter. Bottle #1058, 4/8/2011.

Appearance - Black body with a nice khaki head. Nice thick collar. Swirls nicely with a thick layer of bubbles on the side of the glass.

Smell - Roasty. Bitter chocolate and strong coffee. Molasses comes through, too. A little boozy.

Taste - Even roastier than the aroma hints. Lots of bitter chocolate and coffee. It's the most dominant flavor. The finish gives just a hit of molasses and toffee. A lingering sweetness balances a strong bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Just a little bit too sweet in the finish. It balances the roast well, but it lingers a long time. Well carbonated. Maybe too much.

Overall - Nice. Lacking in some complexity, but a nice experiment in intense roasted malt flavors.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 02:27:07 | More by Alieniloquium

crnipeter

Slovenia

3.9/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Initial pour seems somewhat undercarbonated, yet very dark reddish brown body gives rise to a finger of tan head.

Roasted malt features pronounced chocolate and subdued coffee aroma while malt exhibits bready character and unrefined sugar sweetness. Dark fruit esters are noticeable whilst alcohol -although clearly present - remains unobtrusive.

Flavor mostly follows the aroma: cocoa,chocolate and coffee-like qualities of roasted malt blend with sweet malt and dark fruits (rum-raisins and cherries) while warming alcohol provides some balance to the maltage. Aftertaste exhibits mild roastiness and pleasant alcohol warmth.

Thick, chewy body with low carbonation is sufficiently attenuated to avoid being syrupy.

In short, a massive, sweet chocolaty Imperial Stout with warming alcohol (330 ml, bottled 02-29-2012,into tulip).

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 22:50:48 | More by crnipeter

MasterSki

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a bottle from West Lakeview, drank some by itself and mixed the rest with a Black Albert to make a "Black Damnation". Bottle #48 of 282. Served in a pint glass.

A - Gusher! Ridiculous mocha foam with incredible retention and tons of lacing - we must have poured five glasses before the foam stopped bubbling out of the bottle. Dark, dark, brown color with some obvious sediment. If it hadn't been a gusher it would have been nearly perfect.

S - Huge maltiness with lots of chocolate, coffee, and also a ton of dry hopping (apparently Hallertau, according to the bottle), that provides some fruitiness. It's also quite boozy.

T - Not that far from the black IPA I had earlier in the day, but with a bunch of woodiness and more chocolate. The aftertaste is full of both hoppy and roasty bitterness. Pretty boozy in the flavor. Doesn't seem to taste infected (like the previous review), but I didn't have another bottle to compare against.

M - Medium body, lots of residual stickiness. Smooth and creamy, with a warming sensation. Could be a bit bigger for such a strong RIS.

D - It's boozy - and the flavor gets a little palate destroying. The texture is really nice though, and it goes down really easy.

I found blending with Black Albert really improved things, but made me wonder why I didn't just drink the Black Albert on its own, as the blend was still less satisfying. Also, adding the 13% Black Albert to the 10.2% Hel & Verdoemenis somehow made things LESS boozy - the ABV could definitely be hidden a little better in the De Molen.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2009 00:16:23 | More by MasterSki

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.93/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz, 11/04/10 bottling date
Pinocchios snifter

A: Pours pretty much pitch black. Three fingers of medium tan colored head. Carbonation through the roof. Popped my stopper off the bottle. Knocking score for over carbonation.

S: Slight roast hints. Black licorice. Bakers cocoa powder. Some piney hop profile actually, almost like an American black IPA or something. Surprised it has lingered this long.

T: Lots of cocoa. Euro hop profile, leading to some bitterness. Adding to that is the slight coffee bitterness and dark chocolate. Dry finish. Interesting stout style than American Imperial Stouts.

M: It's full bodied, but mainly on back end. Carbonation makes it feel thinner.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 17:23:56 | More by inlimbo77

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bomber from Bierkoenig. Pours opaque black, it looks thick, and topping white head that stays put. Aromas of roast, coffee, chocolate but not overally so. Taste has the roast, the chocolate,after the get through the hop bitterness which is there but you cannot put a finger on which they are. Very drinkable, this is strong stuff, even with food.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2010 01:40:16 | More by northyorksammy

weatherdog

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This was opened up at a March tasting with Tony, I'm finally getting around to transcribing my notes.

75cL bottle with a bottled on date on September 18th 2008. Bottle number 159/570. Poured into a snifter.

It poured a deep black with a nice mocha head that lingers for a while before settling down.

The first thing that hits me is the lack of sweetness that other RIS' have of a similar strength. It's actually quite a refreshing change of pace. The smells that are present are strong bitter chocolate and some straw/grain notes but not nearly as roasty as I'm used to.

The bitterness is very evident in this beer. Paired with the bitterness are a ton of roasty bordering on burnt malt with a ton of bitter chocolate flavors. There is a little medicinal alcohol taste on the back end and that is the only flavor I'm not liking on this stout.

This beer is very full bodied and I'm very surprised by the final gravity reading on the bottle that this beer appears so dry and be light on the tongue to me. Reading the bottle beforehand I was expecting a thick sweet syrup of a beer. Due to this perceived dryness I thought drinkability was above average for the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2010 10:07:44 | More by weatherdog

PittBeerGirl

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks Kevin for sharing this brew!

A- Body appears pitch black-but when held up to the light translucent red hues shine through. Pouts with a thick medium brown collar-some lacing is left behind in the glass.

S- Overripe plum dominates the nose. Behind this is a balance of licorice, anise, roasted malt, some anise, and a hint of alcohol astringency.

T- A slight roasted malt flavor is prominent upfront along with dark chocolate, ripe plum, and a hint of alcohol. The finish is consistent with the initial flavor but adds a hint of licorice and anise. What lingers are impressions of the initial flavor and a warm alcohol heat.

M- Smooth thick and creamy body with low carbonation.

D- This is a nice RIS. The fruit character is a bit ripe for me but the addition of a slight roasted malt presence more than makes up for it. Great brew overall

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2010 02:34:27 | More by PittBeerGirl

StJamesGate

New York

3.95/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours pitch black with big chunks of beige sediment and mountains of cafe au lait foam that is stiff and lasting. Nose is coffee grounds, tar, wood, some hops spice and a whiff of diesel. Molasses, prune, and oak malts with sharp grassy and sandalwood hops. Tingly, tight finish. Full, chewy, viscous, oily, lots of burn.

Man, does this need some age. Bottled on date was June 18, but 5 months could easily turn into five years.

Big interesting flavors, but so many sharp edges, it comes off almost like a black Sambuca. Needs to calm down to be drinkable, but the talent is there.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2010 19:34:18 | More by StJamesGate

FtownThrowDown

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle popped by RoyMunson.

Pours black in color. There's a nice quarter inch of mocha colored head on top of the beer. Smell is very roasty coffee.

Taste is much more roasted, brash coffee than was in the nose. This is intense coffee and a huge beer. Nice dark chocolate flavors coming through as well.

Pretty high amount of carbonation. You can pick up the carbonation big time in the mouthfeel and it alters the flavor some as well.
Very good, very big beer. Glad I had the chance to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2009 22:02:27 | More by FtownThrowDown

robwestcott

Indiana

3.98/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

thanks to kenth for this one.

poured cold and black from the bottle to a surly darkness 12oz snifter with a finger and a half long lasting mocha head leaving a sheet of sticky lace after each sip.

big milk chocolate aroma perhaps with a bit of fig and smoke.

slightly bitter espresso up front, smoke and dark chocolate, hops presence a'la darkness.

medium bodied, creamy, bitter to the roof of the mouth, big carbonation.

overall, a great beer, probably better with age.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 00:15:40 | More by robwestcott

MickeyBeer

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Firkin served in a snifter glass

A- Pours a nice black color, almost entirely opaque, with about one finger of tan head

S- Smell is sweet with coffee and chocolate aromas coming forward.

T- Very sweet taste, roasted malts, coffee, and chocolate are the dominating flavors.

M- Full boded beer that is surprisingly smooth for the considerably high ABV.

O- A very tasty stout. Although it is an imperial it feels more like a regular stout in my opinion.

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-27-2013 00:47:30 | More by MickeyBeer