Black Albert - De Struise Brouwers

beerboy9960

Oklahoma

4.9/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

12 ounce bottle poured into a Duvel tulip. Finally getting to try Black Albert for the first time thanks to BarrytheBear and his generosity. Thanks again Barry!!

A: Pours a very dark black with a very thin mocha colored head. Very nice, thick lacing on the glass.

S: Lots of cacao and expresso on the nose. Also picking up hints of dark fruits! Lots of smells going on here!

T: Wow! This is a very complex full bodied stout! Expresso, cacao, and dark fruit dominate the initial taste, followed by an almost milk chocolate/sweet taste on the finish. Lots of bitterness on the after taste as well!! Very nice!!

O: Overall this is a very complex Russian Imperial Stout! Very smooth and hides the 13% ABV very well! I will be looking for more of this in the future! Thanks again Barry!!!

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 21:22:34 | More by beerboy9960

siege06nd

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another great brew shared by IrishColonial. Thanks again, Eric!

A. Dark brown, nearly black, with a half finger of medium brown head and some very good lacing. The head effervesces to a dark brown with each swirl. Love it. Lacing is relatively thick and provides a nice sheen on the sides of the glass.

S. Chocolate, vanilla, and ripe, sweet fruit (aka cherries, strawberries, raspberries). I also detect some subtle coffee roast notes. The fruit on this is impressive and easily the most dominating note in the bouquet. An almost wine-like quality. Love, love, love it.

T. Chocolate, some citrus-like hop, strawberry, cherry, and some spicy character a-la cinnamon and clove. Fruit is perhaps most prominent here, with loads of strawberry and fig notes. Chocolate and coffee provide a solid backbone for these sweeter flavors, and keep this a well-rounded stout that doesn't overdo it with the saccharine flavors. There's also some earthy bitterness from the hop flavors back there. Quite excellent, rather unlike any other RIS I have had.

M. Moderate-full bodied with medium carbonation. Resolves to a very nice fruity creaminess, though. A bit drying and slightly boozy, though impressive at 13.0% ABV.

O. A fantastic RIS here. Very fruit forward and complex without being over-the-top or cloying. The 13.0% ABV is hidden very well. The traditional chocolate and roasted malt notes are abundant, but the fruit presence takes this in a new and interesting direction. Reminds me quite a bit of KtG. Definitely a keeper here.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 18:58:02 | More by siege06nd

GJ40

North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled from a 330ml bottle in a DFH snifter. Started at 50 degrees.

A deep, dark black with a moderate beige head that clings nicely to the glass. Aroma is oak and bourbon with some raisin. Flavor follows with oak and bourbon in the lead though not over the top. A variety of other supporting flavors (chocolate, fig, etc.) add a complexity and balance. A very creamy and silky feel with a moderate carbonation of very fine bubbles.

An outstanding beer with lots of complexity and fantastic flavor.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 01:08:54 | More by GJ40

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

'07 bottle. Into a Mad Elf snifter.

Nice little cap of head for an almost five year-old beer. Dark beige in color, and sitting atop a pitch black body. 4.0

Dark fruits, smoke, booze, bitter cocoa, and some espresso notes. Sweetness abound through malt and strength. 4.5

Smoothed out for the strength. Roasted malt bitterness, candi sugar, prune, bitter cocoa, and tart cherry in the finish. Creamy flavors are interesting, as this stout seems to have rounded out its 100 IBUs. Hop character still lingering with dry earthy tones. Puckering and slightly astringent in the aftertaste. 4.0

Creamy body with ample carbonation. A little tannic in the finish. Okay. 3.5

Fabulous RIS. A little attenuated, but prime. Would love to try a fresher vintage. 4.0

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 20:08:59 | More by thecheapies

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

4.48/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

330ml bottle. Oversized glass. Enjoyed on apr´12. Black color, crowned by a thick, small bubbled, lasting head –beige in color- & lacing collars. Toasted coffee, hints of chocolate, figs & floral fragancies to the nose with sugar hues. Involving sweet toasted malt flavor & gentle warming sensation in mouth. Velvet palate. Slightly bitter finish overwhelmed by ripe dark fruits. Brandy notes. Full body, soft carbonation. Fruity & warming aftertaste. Mandatory beer to understand what a Russian Imperial is!!

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 18:23:57 | More by GONZALOYANNA

jeonseh

Indiana

3.55/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled poured into a CBS snifter. First beer of baller and its components tasting

A - Deep, brown color with a light mocha swirl of foam sitting on top. Looks to have a medium body

S - Smells of deep cocoa with a light teriyaki smell as well. There is a light lemon peel in the nose

T - Cocoa with a hint of lemon. There is a bit of salty teriyaki on the backend. This is interesting for a stout. Not the typical flavor profile and a bit lemony for my taste

MF - Light and creamy with very light carbonation. Leaves a thick, creamy feeling that lingers on the tongue

O - an interesting beer that is a bit different for the style. Definitely not as Belgian as I expected. It does have an interesting lemon aspect that you don't expect for a stout. Worth a try because it's different but not world class.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 03:08:04 | More by jeonseh

BlastBeats

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a couple bottles of Black Albert at a bar down the road from where Urbain brews his Struise beers in Oostvleteren, Belgium. That was a memorable trip..

Poured appropriately into my De Struise cervoise glass (which I also got from that bar).

Appearance: an unrestrained, straight down the middle pour was unable to generate much of a head; just some large dark brown bubbles that formed a ring around the inner edge of the glass. The bottle describes Black Albert as being "black as hell" so I'll stick with that description.

Smell: not a whole lot going on in this department.. some roasted malts, coffee, and a hint of that unmistakably "Belgian" aroma.

Taste: man this beer tastes good.. I'm getting tons of chocolaty flavors (milk and dark). Somewhat surprisingly, there's not a lot of hop bitterness for a beer that supposedly packs 100 IBUs (which is fine by me).

Mouthfeel: medium-full bodied and as smooth as silk; tough to beat.

Overall: I might actually prefer Black Albert to Cuvee Delphine; though I haven't done a proper side by side and have only drank the latter in the wrong context. Either way, this one will not disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 00:52:45 | More by BlastBeats

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2007 bottle (B-6-BB)

A dark, chocolaty brown colored beer; not completely opaque, as light penetrates the edges of the glass somewhat. Small foamy brown head that settles slowly; pretty much no lacing at all.

The nose has prominent fudgy chocolate, booze, prunes and other dark fruit, and some faint yeasty, spicy esters. The taste also packs a fair amount of complexity, with more of that dense fudgy chocolate, fruit, boozy warmth (but not heat), as well as caramel and subtle Belgian yeast notes. Roasty but no longer very bitter, semi-dry finish.

Moderately full-bodied but not viscous or particularly chewy; medium-low carbonation. Overall very creamy and smooth. I really enjoyed this flavorful stout, it’s a bit of a change of pace with its reserved Belgian influence. Very easy to drink considering its very high ABV. Definitely wish I had a few more bottles.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 04:05:19 | More by tobelerone

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from Ultimate Wine Shop in NJ
No bottled on date. "Lot B-6-BB," whatever.
(supposedly from June 2007)
Poured into a standard US pint glass

If a fresh Black Albert is at all like my aged variety, then this is a dried plum and grape-forward RIS with some noticeable ethanol characters. Despite the fairly high rating to this beer, it does not live up to the hype of being particularly noteworthy, aside from its cost and limited availability. Some reviewers seem to pick up characters that I cannot find at all in the beer, a testament to either individual wishing or poor quality control. I would be curious to try a fresh bottle of this out, but considering there is no easy way to tell on the bottle when it was brewed, I will refrain.

The pour produces a 2cm head of dense, small, dark tan to light brown bubbles. This fades, in a few minutes, to a 0.5cm cap atop the beer throughout the drinking session. As the head descends, it leaves some pleasant washes of lacing along the sides of the glass. Body is dark brown to black in color, totally opaque, only the slightest of hints of amber-brown highlights. Carbonation is not even visible through this. An excellent looking RIS.

Aroma is of sweet, syrupy raisins and prunes, as if cooked into a compote. The back of the sweetness is roasted malt, slight rum, even more sparse vanilla, and a bit of ethanol is hiding in the nooks between these two. I don't know where people are citing chocolate and coffee in this beer: I know what both smell like, and this has neither. Scents are kind of one-dimensional, disappointing, this comes across as a stronger Samuel Smith's or Big Eddy RIS in terms of dried fruit sweetness.

Taste is equally dominated by syrupy raisin and prune flavors in the front of the tongue. Rum arises mid-palate with continued dried fruit sweetness. Back of palate picks up a flash of sharpness from ethanol and not much else. Char, roasted malt, and some chocolate are only noticeable in the aftertaste. For a stout, it seems strange that the most desirable part of its flavor is in the ghost of its main taste.

Beer is medium-bodied with gentle carbonation that creates a foaming, but rolling effect that makes this very pleasant on the palate initially. Ethanol heat felt from mid-palate through close, in nostrils and throat. Closes with a spicy ethanol burn on the back of the throat. Finish is expectedly dry, but a bit sticky from the sweetness contained in the beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 05:35:00 | More by falloutsnow

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bought this near Cocoa Beach in 2010.

Poured from a 11.2 oz. bottle, lot is A 6 BB.

Appearance: A very dense brown-black body with a good 2 fingers worth of foam.

Smell: Nose full of sweet chocolate, some coffee, figs, raisins and dark fruits.

Taste: Dates, candied fruit, and faint coffee. While good, it really lacks in complexity and depth.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth for the ABV and has a strong start but the back end doesn't hold up to the promise. Could be fuller.

Overall: Doesn't live up to the hype IMO. For the strength of the ABV, the style and the pedigree of the brewery, i expected better. Good but not great by any means.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 11:20:44 | More by papat444

cvm4

Mississippi

4.25/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Batch #14

A - Pours very black, just like any stout. There's some tan bubbles floating around but not much of a head.

S - I'm picking up a smell almost like a red wine. Very fruity and complex smelling.

T - Dark cherries, raisins, plums with a dark chocolate undertone. The aftertaste is when the bitter cocoa and coffee show up. There's a lot going on in here and it is melding together wonderfully.

M - Great carbonation, just heavy enough to coat your mouth.

O - A sipper of a beer. If you're not open minded and expecting something else then you won't like it. From what I gather, this beer should be aged and I could only imagine it'll get much better.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 23:08:20 | More by cvm4

jegross2

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewing the Black Albert from De Struise Brouwers out of Belgium. Black Albert is probably De Struise's best known beer, and it was one of the four beers that was blended to make the Baller Stout that I reviewed a month or so ago. I have been looking forward to drinking this beer for a long time.
Score: 97

Bottle marked from Lot B-6-BB, which, according to this helpful website, means that this brew is from June of 2007. I received this as part of a trade with BeerAdvocate user readbaron back in early January 2011. Served in a Surly Darkness snifter and enjoyed on 02/22/12.

Appearance: Pours a super dark brown, almost pitch black-like, color with a finger of creamy brown/mocha colored head that quickly settles into a decently thick (maybe 1/5 finger) still-creamy layer that covers three quarters of the top of the beer. The head stays like this for a little while before ultimately settling into a ring around the glass. There is a very faint layer of dark brown highlight atop the body. Excellent lacing with solid retention. 4.5/5

Smell: Holy Moses. This one smells like a dense sweet chocolate dessert you'd have after a nice steak dinner. Tons of thick, rich and complex chocolate aromas and sweet dark fruit. There's a nice blend of fudge, bittersweet chocolate, dark chocolate and roasted chocolate. Raising/fig, plum, light hops and a really faint note of dark cherry and currant too. The dark cherry aroma grows in the nose as the beer warms. A light blackberry aroma seems to come out as well as the beer warms. Complementary aromas of coffee grounds and oak in the background. There's a hint of alcohol ester towards the back of the nose as well. I could smell this beer all day. 4.5/5

Taste: Oh wow. Complex, rich and satisfying. Very flavorful and balanced. The taste largely follows the nose, but with much more than a mere hint of currant/dark cherry on the palate. My first impression is roasted chocolate, dark cherry and a hint of blackberry. A sweet raisin/plum and thick, bitter chocolate contrast really balances out the acidity and light tartness of the blackberry/cherry flavors, rendering Black Albert really smooth and creamy. Fudge, bittersweet chocolate and cocoa powder coat the midpalate, along with light amounts of coffee, oak and a little spice to balance out the sweeter chocolate and dark fruit flavors. There's a very mellow "alcohol" flavor present as well, but it strangely enough works really well with the flavors combinations of the beer. The chocolate and dark fruit is so rich that it is almost chewy. The more I drink this brew, the more I think the flavor comes in waves. The first wave is roasted chocolate, followed by some cherry/currant/blackberry, followed by dark fruit, coffee, oak and more chocolate. Finishes with flavors of roasted bitter chocolate, dry plum, some coffee, and light cherry. Roasted chocolate lingers on the back of the tongue. 5/5

Mouthfeel: Perfect stout mouthfeel. Medium-full bodied with light carbonation -- just enough to perk the berry/cherry flavors on the palate. Very chewy, thick and slightly sticky mouthfeel. Moderately sweet finish. 5/5

Overall: One of the best Russian Imperial Stouts that I have ever had the pleasure to try. That says a lot considering that Russian Imperial Stout are my favorite style of beer. I need to get another bottle of this stuff.

Recommendation: Seek this one out at all costs. The flavors here should have mass-appeal. Even to sours lovers. If you like The Abyss, you need to get your hands on a bottle of this stuff.

Pairings: I feel like this beer would work really well with a warm chocolate cake because the cherry/berry flavors would contrast the chocolate elements, as they do in the beer itself, while the chocolate/coffee flavors of Black Albert would complement the chocolate cake. I could also see this one with some caramelized onions and steak or as a digestif.

Cost: $9.99 for an 11.2 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 01:26:55 | More by jegross2

SLeffler27

New York

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Fills a Dogfish Head snifter dark brown, almost black. No light passes under a tall, dense, creamy, chestnut brown head that never dissipates, but leaves big patches of lace.

Rich roasted coffee and bittersweet chocolate dominate with notes of dates, spiced rum and raisins. Black Albert warms well.

Roasted malt and chocolate are up front. Molasses, oak, cigar and charred beef follow through and the finish is short and fruity. Black Albert has amazing balance for 100 IBU beer and becomes more complex with warmth.

Creamy smooth texture and full body. Alcohol is quite present but less than others I have had at 13%. The carbonation is soft and there is a dry finish.

This makes for a great reading beer, but would also work well with long conversations, steak or ice cream.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 12:19:53 | More by SLeffler27

waltersrj

Washington

4.03/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 14.

Pour: Dark black with a big, creamy, dark tan head that lasts for the entirety of this drinks' life.

Nose: Dark chocolate, fudge brownie, cherry pits, slight banana, fruit esters, and Belgian spice.

Taste: Opposite of the nose, the Belgian characteristics or spice, clove, and banana come out but are overwhelmed with dark chocolate and brownie batter, also slight mint.

Mouthfeel: Fantastically, velvety smooth. This is near perfect here for carbonation.

Overall: Great beer. This is SN excellent RIS with a Belgian yeast strain twist.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 06:37:54 | More by waltersrj

Pahn

New York

4.35/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

330ml bottle into Duvel tulip. Bottle says B 6 BB, which other BAs seem to say means it was bottled in 2007. Big thanks to BA mmcgrath for trading me this bottle!

Appearance: Frantic, "oh no the bottle is gushing!" pour yields a 2 inch, frothy and bubbly tan head that appears to be permanent. Pours a solid black and leaves a few light lacing streaks.

Smell: Coffee and cocoa, with molasses and some possible oxidation (I'm a bit in doubt about the oxidation aroma, since there's no trace of oxidation in the flavor). Dark chocolate and molasses are the main smells, with some Belgian yeast highlighting them. Opens up with some aromatic dark fruit and coffee with time.

Strongly leaning toward giving a 4.5 or even 5.0 for smell, due to this sort of intoxicating, deeply inviting, very potent caramel smell that emerges with time. Holding back since the beer is otherwise a bit less complex than other great Russian Imperial Stouts.

Taste: Tangy up front (herbal hops, molasses, unidentifiable "tanginess"), then--whoa--waves of beautiful flavor in the finish. Caramel, then a heavy, nutty (almost like pistachios) flavor of roasted malt that stops well short of being too bitter, with a long coffee and caramel aftertaste. Nice.

Subsequent sips follow the same pattern of slightly bland up front leading to an explosion of goodness. Great sipper of a beer. Extra points for the 13% ABV being expertly hidden... I had a 10% ABV beer last night that tasted as hot as Bacardi 151 in comparison to this.

With warmth, the flavor up front opens up as well, yielding dark fruit flavors and chocolaty coffee that highlight the herbal hops and tangy molasses well.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied at first (a bit watery), then thick and creamy through the finish. Almost no alcohol heat. Not a lot of bitterness. Maybe a touch overcarbonated.

Overall: This is a very nice beer. Impressive (lots of flavor, well-hidden alcohol, well-balanced sweetness) and enjoyable. Not quite as excellent as Struise's Pannepot, but close.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 02:38:57 | More by Pahn

Rhettroactive

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 330mL bottle to Bruges hybrid glass on 2/3/12
*From notes

Thanks to the trader who got extra'ed me this a while back.

-- Batch 0 --

A: Dark. I mean really, really dark. A generous pour yields an epic 3.25 finger cascading and creamy head that never really fades away.

S: Straight brownie batter.

T: Quite unique. It's a bit rustic, with hints of rich earth up front. As it moves further back, the brownie batter quality of it hits the the mid in an agressive manner. The finish reveals a staunch Belgian yeast profile, with mountains of ground cocoa in the background. As it warms, black cherry skins become evident.

M: This isn't up to the jaw dropping levels of some in style, yet it holds it's own. There's a bit too much fizz, but as it sits and I swirl it in my glass, it calms a bit, and becomes a bit smoother in the mouth.

O: Black Albert is a pretty spectacular RIS. It's got layers of complexity that many American offerings just can't compete with. This is highly recommneded, and one I look forward to having again.

*Allow this to warm to room temperature for full enjoyment.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 19:01:39 | More by Rhettroactive

haz77

United Kingdom (England)

4.33/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Lot C J 2015

A - Pours jet black with three fingers of thick tan head. This slowly recedes to a thin cap, but can be easily refreshed. A very nice start.

S - Coffee, dark chocolate, floral hops, stewed plums, a collection of sweet dried fruit, slight plasticky phenol notes, cinnamon buried right at the back. Good, if not hugely mouth watering in the way that their quads are.

T - An initial mouthful of sweet dried fruit and a hint of apple evolves into caramel. This is joined by the acidity of red berries before a rounded coffee finish, with touches of tobacco and caramel in the aftertaste. Slightly herbal hops are also present and these flavours linger for some time. The 13% ABV doesn't make itself known anywhere in the flavour.

M - Once again with a De Stuise brew a deft hand is at work here. Rich, full, rounded, velvety feel coats the mouth without ever becoming overwhelmingly syrupy. An ever-present tingle of carbonation finally gains the upper hand right at the end and slices though. Exceptional.

D - It would be very easy to get bent out of shape on a beer that hides its alcohol so well. Finesse and a clever touch are present everywhere. They are fast becoming my favourite brewery.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 16:59:58 | More by haz77

Fluke828

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Been looking forward to this one...

11.2 FL OZ.(330 ml right?) Bottle -> CBS Snifter (about half)
Bottle Date: LOT: B 6 BB (from what I understand this is June 2007?)

A->very dark body with a tan colored head about a finger's worth, persistent lacing with tremendous legs on this beer....

S-> Immediately get some very sweet dark fruits, almost like a very dark cherry/chocolate funk. Signature Struise I suppose... Roasted malts and faint chocolate smoke upon further examination...lots of complexity here...

T->Very sweet chocolate up front, slight bitterness and the faint tartness of Struise yeast with a fruity flavor turns toward a bit of coffee flavor but can't seem to shake the black cherry taste all the ay through. Finishes fairly dry with a creamy roasted aftertaste.

M-> Felt a bit on the thin side at first but was likely still too cold despite leaving this out on the counter for about 15 minutes before opening and pouring. definitely thickened up and actually started to semi-gush right as I went to tip the bottle to begin pouring. Lots of pent up carbonation over 5.5 years I guess....I actually enjoyed the lively carbonation.

O-> A tremendous beer. I didn't even realize I had a five and a half year old beer sitting in my cellar until after I opened this. having never had a Black Albert, I am very impressed. Quite enjoyable. Perfect thickness, not syrupy and the alcohol is melded perfectly. Great example of the style with that unique Struise twist. Chalk up another "Highly recommend" from this guy....

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 03:08:04 | More by Fluke828

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Excited to try this beer! Big thanks to ICCULUS for this beer! Thanks Jim!

Lot number: B 6 BB (vintage 2007)

poured into snifter.

Appearance: black bodied beer with a 2 fingers worth of mocha brown head. Spotty lacing on the glass. Head fades to a thick ring around the side of the glass.

Smell: roasty and malty. Little bit vinuous smelling similiar to wine. Dark fruits that smell mostly of raisins and prunes.

Taste: This beer is roasty and moderately bitter upfront. Strong notes of molasses, raisins, figs, anise, and black licorice at mid palate that completely covers up the roasty qualities found at the beginning of this beer, but they compliment the bitterness of the beer with a mild sweetness. In the aftertaste I get some earthiness and unfortunately I taste do sour cherries. Its unmistakeable and the cherries tend to linger for quite a while after each sip of the beer. I think that this beer must have a minor infection going on or it could be oxidation since this beer is vintage 2007.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. This beer is smooth and a just a little bit thin. Carbonation is a little bit prickly, but close to where it needs to be.

Overall: This beer is better than your average stout. It just seems a little bit off though. Nice beer. I should give this beer a try when its a fresh batch.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 01:22:04 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

match1112

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

first off, thanks to vegas beer man for this!

pours out a flat dark brown, no signs of a head, just some faint bubbles on top. smell is mostly dark fruits with hints of chocolate and some belgium yeast. taste is different, but good, not your typical ris. taste is more like a complex wine at this point. no signs of roasted malts, coffee or chocolate. just a funky sour dark fruit almost wine like taste. mouthfeel is ris like, full body, creamy yet oily. this is a weird beer. definatly worth the try, and would probably drink again if i could get a fresher bottle to try. this one says it's batch no. 14.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 02:41:38 | More by match1112

notchucknorris

California

4.33/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

500th review!

A: Pitch black with a beautiful 1 1/2 finger mocha colored head. Great retention and some spotty lacing.

S: At first, all I smelled was raisin and some dark chocolate. But as it opens up a bit, I start to get espresso, fudge, dark fruit and hints of oak.

T: Lots of dark fruit and espresso, some rye bread, raisin, black licorice, charred malt and some hints of milk chocolate. Really complex and it only gets better as it warms. The mouthfeel is slick and velvety without being too syrupy and the beer hides the alcohol like a champ. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 05:16:38 | More by notchucknorris

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I got this beer from BOBPINCH666 & emdawg. Thanks Spike & M!

330ml bottle served in a snifter.

L - black with a fluffy tan head that remained as a thick layer leaving plenty of lacing.

S - a bit of a funk with burnt coffee and black licorice.

T - started out with yeast and some chocolate sweetness before taking a sharp turn to burnt, bitter espresso finishing dry with black licorice left on the tongue.

F - medium/full bodied with a creamy, smooth feel.

O - a very good example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 01:40:33 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

Neffbeer

Pennsylvania

4.31/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

bottle marked B 6 BB, which is a 2007 batch from June.

A: Jet black with a good size tan head. The head retention is very good with bits of sticky lacing left behind on the sides of the glass. After the head fades a fluffy tan cloud remains floating on the surface of the beer.

S: Initially I am greeted by the familiar smell of the Struise house yeast. It is pleasantly fruity and spicy. My next breathe reveals an intense wave of roasted malts with some deep dark chocolate undertones. Some caramel and toffee are detectable as it warms some more with a bit of the booze pushing through as well.

T: The yeast bite is upfront but extremely short lived. A wave of charred malt and bitter chocolate swiftly shrugs the fruit aside and leaves some ash in its' wake. There is a biscuity sweetness mid palate that is really interesting. It finishes nice and bitter with a small amount of heat from the alcohol.

M: Full bodied with lush carbonation. The bitter finish paints an illusion of a really dry beer, but the body is so viscous that I find that hard to believe.

O: A world class beer by any standard. Truly original in character, a brew that I eagerly look forward to drinking again.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 23:30:47 | More by Neffbeer

bfields4

Colorado

4.72/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours motor oil black. Beautiful mocha head nice lace.

Cocoa vanilla strong dark malt aroma. A little bit of fig and belgian quad aroma as Well.

Rich chocolate vanilla tobacco all hit one after another. That lingering belgian dark fruit complements the other flavors nicely.

Velvity smooth and suprisingly light. Amazing complex flavors. Just an all around amazing beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 03:01:07 | More by bfields4

IPA35

Netherlands

4.58/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A pitch black beer with a tan head. Pouring it is difficult. I use a small snifter and since this beer literally explodes with head I am unable to get all the stuff that oozes out of the bottle in the glass. Amazing, even with the bottle half empty the head still oozes from the bottle. Everything is sticky now.

Smells of dark fruits, huge raisin aroma. Slightly roasted but it is not very noticable in the aroma, strangely. Some choclate.
Lovely delicate berry, dark fruit aroma.

Taste then... I haven't had a stout in a while so this could be interesting.

Tastes sweetish. Notes of vanilla and oak. Some dark fruits and some roastiness. I have had this before and it was awesome. This one? I don't know. Could it be a bad bottle? Could it be that my taste has developed? I am quite sure of the latter.

As I get used to the taste: it starts out with a very nice dark fruity flavour. I has a big sweetness all the way and the underlying aroma's are only slighty coffee/chocolate-ish. Finishes with some roast, wood and such typical RIS flavours. Very complex yet not too difficult to drink. It is not fruity like the GD Christmas I had earlier today, this is much more complex with other difficult to describe aramo's intermixed. But it is all in balance though. A nice mix of fruits and char I'd say.

Mouthfeel is full and creamy, milky. Carbonation is low.

Overall a very well done brew. Not my favourite style of beer but you can wake me up for this one. It is just a shame I spilled probably 1/5 of the bottle... It is too expensive and rare for that.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 21:15:58 | More by IPA35