Black Albert - De Struise Brouwers

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94
exceptional
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1,093 Ratings

THE BROS
90
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rAvg: 4.25
pDev: 10.12%
Reviews: 769
Hads: 324

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Brewed by:
De Struise Brouwers

Belgium

Style | ABV
Russian Imperial Stout | 13.00% ABV

Availability: Year-round. bottle (715), on-tap (54).

Notes:
Originally brewed exclusively for Ebenezer's Pub in Lovell, ME.

View: Beers (52) | Reviews (7) | Events (0)

Reviews

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Reviews by dancinwillie:

dancinwillie

Wisconsin

3.18/5 rDev -25.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thick, active pour. Almost got away from me. The head is the color of cocoa powder. Maybe a shade or two darker. The beer itself is black, and I see some light colored floaters just inside the glass. They are there, but not very easy to spot. Head has dropped to nothing, more or less. Some activity on top looks sort of like a poured cola soft drink. Really active.

Nose is dark chocolate, kind of chalky smelling. Whatever that means. Malted milk balls? Rich fruit aroma too. Plums, and I'm picking up a strong cherry facet. Sweet. I wonder if any of this beer has been soured, I'm picking up a bit. Hope it's not just my sample.

Seems a little muted at first, and I'm sampling it rather warm. Apparently it needed to warm up just a bit more though. Some interesting flavors here. Apples, tobacco, pepper in small doses. A bit of coffee, and chocolate too. A bit of that big ABV is there as well. This is probably good for a warning, as this beer doesn't feel anywhere in the neighborhood of 13%. I could get into trouble if I had more than 1 of these. Velvet smooth mouthfeel. Low carbonation, which I didn't expect from the active appearance.

My opinion: This beer has more twists and turns than Chinatown. But unlike that great movie, this doesn't deliver. Well above average in appearance and smell, and to an extent, mouthfeel and drinkability. Where this beer falls short, is the taste, and that's a bit of a drawback.

I was impressed by Pannepot, but this just didn't do it for me. I'll have to try more from these guys. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2009 04:33:34 | More by dancinwillie

More User Reviews:

campfirebrew

New York

4.5/5 rDev +5.9%

05-25-2013 04:42:57 | More by campfirebrew

TallSaint

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.25/5 rDev 0%

05-25-2013 01:57:46 | More by TallSaint

desint

Belgium

3.5/5 rDev -17.6%

05-24-2013 11:41:39 | More by desint

beernads

Florida

4.75/5 rDev +11.8%

05-24-2013 08:36:34 | More by beernads

dalepryor

Kentucky

4.75/5 rDev +11.8%

05-23-2013 03:02:31 | More by dalepryor

bootdown21

Connecticut

4.25/5 rDev 0%

05-22-2013 18:03:53 | More by bootdown21

straightlambic

California

4.25/5 rDev 0%

05-22-2013 16:40:26 | More by straightlambic

Kmat10

Alberta (Canada)

4.5/5 rDev +5.9%

05-20-2013 04:02:31 | More by Kmat10

mkennedy119

Illinois

4.25/5 rDev 0%

05-20-2013 02:44:55 | More by mkennedy119

ADTaber

South Carolina

4.5/5 rDev +5.9%

05-19-2013 17:26:00 | More by ADTaber

ShawnMH

Indiana

4.25/5 rDev 0%

05-19-2013 15:44:49 | More by ShawnMH

Photekut

Azerbaijan

3.5/5 rDev -17.6%

05-18-2013 22:21:39 | More by Photekut

brian4beer

Indiana

3.75/5 rDev -11.8%

05-18-2013 03:20:49 | More by brian4beer

carlosega

Ohio

4.25/5 rDev 0%

05-17-2013 19:20:21 | More by carlosega

jkane101

New Jersey

4.25/5 rDev 0%

05-16-2013 22:17:00 | More by jkane101

deekyn

California

4.25/5 rDev 0%

05-16-2013 04:16:37 | More by deekyn

BBP

Ontario (Canada)

4.4/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Pours somewhat standard for a stout of its calibre, but a little thinner in appearance. Carbonation was as expected.

The aroma is sweet, with subtle booze, and some slight chocolate.

The taste is quite strong, and appealing at first. There's quite a balance to this stout, and the IBUs are quite far from obvious (although not something I'd prefer), and it really comes across perhaps too smooth. For 13%, this is very easy drinking, and the booze is there, yet works with the drink rather than against it. Chocolate, coffee, and vanilla are all here; A bit of sweetness as well. Perhaps raisin and vanilla. Sweeter than most imperials, but not by a long shot.

The body is full, and the carbonation plays its role without bringing attention to itself, which is all I could ask from a stout.

Overall, this was quite a tasty stout, and perhaps one of the best stouts I've tasted outside of North America. It's really nice to see a Belgian brewery strive to branch out beyond the typical styles that they're known for and this was a big success.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 20:00:38 | More by BBP