Black Albert - De Struise Brouwers

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rAvg: 4.25
pDev: 10.12%
Reviews: 769
Hads: 317

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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 ktrillionaire:

ktrillionaire

Florida

4.8/5 rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Huge thanks to tytoanderso for this ridiculous extra. 2008 vintage.

A - An absolutely picture-perfect Stout. Black, tan froth, lots of lace

S - Chocolate covered raisins, so perfectly expressed. Intensely mouth-watering aroma. This is an amazing stylistic fusion; it is the best of both worlds, fully melded.

T - Exceptionally tasty. Dark fruitiness, heavy roast, suggestions of coffee and chocolate, vinous flourishes, woody tones. Finishes with notes of oxidation, cocoa, fig compote, and fabulous deliciousness. I also occasionally pick up on a fleeting fruitiness normally found in Oud Bruin. This is the ultimate in Belgian-American style re-interpretation; everything is simultaneously so decadently American, but is also so sublimely Belgian. Definitely the best of both worlds, and so mutually complementary. My only caveat is that this brew does not benefit from 'airing out', it is best served quite cold.

M - Perhaps a bit more could be done here; it is good, but it is the only weak link.

D - This is a phenomenal brew; a paradigm of the Belgian Imperial Stout style, a style which seems currently to be ascending. Plus everything about this day sucked, except this beer. That is worth a lot in my book.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2010 07:46:01 | More by ktrillionaire

More User Reviews:

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