Cuvee Delphine - De Struise Brouwers

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Black Albert barrel aged. Pours perfectly black body with a design of brown head and lace. Aromas of rich Belgian chocolate, booziness, sherry, and funk. Initial sips, and it is a sipper, is funk and stout, leaving a residue of chocolate aftertaste, and roasted malt. Substantially above average mouthfeel, the yeast and caramel are synthesized and seem to cradle you.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2010 03:15:33 | More by northyorksammy

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.9/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

An outstanding beer. I was thrilled to be able to grab ahold of this one. Small bottle was served chilled and poured into a pint glass, consumed on 08/29/2009.

One of the best looking pours I have ever seen hands down. Deep dark black in color. Huge tan head comes up and over the top and really fills the glass right to the rim. Hardly anything falls off of it for several minutes. Huge amounts of sticky tan foam all up and down the sides of the glass. Tons of chocolate and fruit notes just jumping out at you from the very first touch of it to the air. Notes of whickey, hints of oak and rich chocolate are all infused together seemlessly to put a wonderful touch on it. Enornously fell feel here, with huge carbonation just lets the flavor coat the entire tongue and really just gives it a wonderful sense of fullness to it. Rich chocolate and licorice notes just play off each other soo well. This was just wonderfully done. Hints of grapes, touches of almost apples coming through now. Very rich. Nice boozy and oak notes now coming through and giving it a very nice balance and richness. Fades out slowly with a touch of funk on the tongue and a finish that leaves a touch of vanilla across the tongue and a warming in the belly.

Blows black albert out of the water. It is really put together wonderfully I have to say. I would have no issue at all with having this one around all the time, it really is just that good. A case here where something almost needs some more hype!

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2009 00:43:30 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

4.13/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A big thanks to Greg for sending me this want of mine (as an extra, no less). Selfishly enjoyed by myself to commemorate the end of summer school and scoring Black Tuesday tickets.

A: The pour is viscous and black with an initially massive tan head that settles down to a thin layer.

S: The nose is pleasantly sweet with notes of chocolate, plums, figs, and tart cherries. Light oak aromas along with some vanilla and roast.

T: There is a slight tart cherry flavor that is present both on the very front and very back ends. The oak is quite noticeable and provides a slightly tannic feel. A nice roast, coffee, and chocolate flavor throughout.

M: The body is medium with a fairly lively carbonation that pricks the tongue.

D: A little tough to drink too much of at 13%, but a nice beer. I wasn't quite expecting the intense tart cherry character, but it worked well.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2010 07:38:12 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to bmanning for sharing this at a recent tasting.

Poured a very, very dark brown with a nice creamy tan head. Pretty good retention. Smell was of roasted malt, fresh cherry, anise, a bit of barrels, molasses, and some dark fruits. Maybe a little bit of chocolate in there as well. The taste is quite nice, with a bit of roast acidity coming through atop the bourbon and chocolate flavors. Medium bodied with good carbonation and not too hot. A great drinking beer and one of the more unique stouts I've had in a while.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2010 03:44:16 | More by Thorpe429

UCLABrewN84

California

4.05/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to nakalakaboom for sharing this one at NoSignsOfPain's birthday bottleshare hosted by mrbubbler.

2009 vintage.

Pours an almost opaque super dark brown with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. No lacing on this one. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa, dark fruit, and alcohol. Taste is much the same with a medium amount of roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer but I prefer the smell over the taste.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 02:28:39 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color stout with a super large dirty beige foamy head with great retention and some perfect lacing. Aroma of bourbon and vanilla is quite straightforward but well enough balance with the malt to provide some good enjoyment. Taste is a well balanced mix between some light roasted malt with light note of liquorice and vanilla and a creamy finish full of bourbon. Body is quite full with usual creamy texture from the bourbon with some great carbonation and alcohol is never to apparent. Very well done and a great variation from the original.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2010 02:37:32 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.28/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Malted milk, semi-dark chocolates, nutty coffees, and chocolate covered cherries hit the high notes of this crazy Bourbon Barrel Aged Belgian Stout. But it's sturdy demeanor and unwaivering character gives a ruggedness that Stout lovers can appreciate.

Extremely dark brown with complete opaqueness, the beer builds a dense head of mocha stained foam, tightly knit and very structural, even after several minutes, the beer seems to form a barrier between the beverage and the drinker- I have a feeling I'm goin'a win this battle. Thick striations of lace lingers after the beer falls.

Dense semi-sweet chocolate, medium bourbon, and cherry-like tartness fill the early nose along with mild acidic mustiness and mild coffee.

Creamy, smokey chocolate flavors hit first, with a quick follow up of columbian coffee (somewhere between chocolate covered cherries and espresso beans). Sharp Belgiany tartness of cherries, under-ripe berries and grapes take the beer from its savory lucious start and into a sharper, more acidic coffee finish. Impressions of Imperial Stouts, Belgian Strong Dark Ales, and background bourbon create a three-headed attack on the taste buds.

Rich and lucious textures also fit the bill. Very froathy, creamy and full at the onset, the beer processes through a smooth and even fade past a velvety and smooth mid palate and into a warming and dryish finish. The malt character never disipates into the finish, only allowing for a tepid dryness, but this beer is meant as a digestive or desert.

Belgian Stouts generally leave me with a struggle between the balance of roast bitterness and Belgiany tartness. I generally find that these flavors and texture to combat eachother and confuse the palate. But this one does much better than most because of its lucious maltiness and malty-dry toast character.

Thanks aficionado!

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2011 06:29:58 | More by BEERchitect

drabmuh

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

With as much De Struise beer I'm drinking I should really go out and get a Struise glass. I wish they were more available. Beer poured into my Bruery tulip.

Beer is black with a thick brown head of small bubbles that leaves a lot of lacing on the glass. Carbonation is moderate. Looks really good.

Aroma is sweet and has a liquor quality to it, roast is minimal, this smells like a bourbon barrel aged RIS.

Well...first thing is first, 13%...really? Are you sure? No alcohol bite in this one at all. Lots of bitterness late to after with the beer from the roasted grains. Beer is pretty sweet but the majority of the flavor is in the back of this one, lots of coffee, roast, mild smoke, liquor is a little lost in there but it is up front. Pretty nice.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2010 01:46:18 | More by drabmuh

MasterSki

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to eyebrews for throwing me a couple bottles of this one. Served in an O'Hara's mini pint glass. Lot A, best before May 2014.

A - Huge dark tan foam on this one - even in the little glass there was like three fingers. Amazing retention and volume for a 13% beer; tons of sticky lacing too. Black, with a touch of red-brown at the fringes. Just an amazing looking beer.

S - This is not really what I was expecting from a barrel-aged Black Albert. There's the spicy Belgian-style yeast and candy sugar for sure, but then this unusual collection of vinous fruits, bourbon/vanilla notes, some nuttiness and cocoa, a touch of funk, and musty earthiness. The alcohol is actually better hidden than regular Black Albert. The only knock is that the smell doesn't explode out of the glass.

T - The taste is quite different, with licorice, vinous and dark fruits, and some roasted malts. The earthy funky flavors are a little more understated than in the smell, but still present. The bourbon influence is light, showing up at the back end with some sharp whiskey bite and woody tannins that linger well into the aftertaste. There's a surprising tartness that pops up as well.

M - The body is a little thinner than I expected, but with lower carbonation than Black Albert. The finish is dry with a touch of stickiness, and some nice alcohol warmth.

D - The 250ml serving size makes a lot of sense. Even though the alcohol is very well hidden the buzz creeps up pretty quickly. Still I feel a little sad that my glass is getting low - I'll have to get Urbain to send a few of these my way.

This is not at all what I expected when I heard they were barrel-aging Black Albert. I just expected the same beer with some bourbon, but this is quite a different animal and an unexpected surprise. I'm not sure if Four Roses barrels are more conducive to bugs, but there's something funky going on that makes this a unique treat.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2009 02:33:12 | More by MasterSki

mdfb79

New York

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 01/21/11 notes. Shared by BigSexy410 at a small tasting; thanks man, another huge want!

a - Pours a very black color with one inch of tan head and light carbonation evident.

s - Smells of lactic, roasted malts, chocolate, and vanilla. Also quite a bit of sour fruit; afraid this one might be infected as well.

t - Tastes of sour fruit, chocolate, and roasted malts. Sour cherries and dark fruits.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation.

d - Afraid this one was a bit infected. Enjoyable still, but much different than expected and I assume intended. Hoping to get another chance to try this.
4/3.5/3.5/4/3.5
___
EDIT: Had a 2009 vintage bottle the other night on 12/3/11, and it was not infected at all.

Appearance and body were similiar, but no sour fruit or lactic ntoes whatsoever. Tons of roasted malts and chocolate, as well as alcohol. Definitely better than the infected bottle I had last January, however the alcohol was still quite strong. While this is a very good RIS, I personally don't find this to be an improvement on the normal Black Albert, and considering I can buy that off the shelf year round, would rather have that beer. Worth trying but I prefer Black Albert.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 19:24:49 | More by mdfb79

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

33 cl bottle, big thanks to grub for sharing.

Pours a very inky black/dark brown, no real light gets through, pretty intense and scary looking, very thick and rocky light brown head forms and slowly settles to a medium layer and ring around the glass, a few lace spots stick, looks pretty good.

Smell is rich and intense, very fruity, lots of raisin, some woodiness, a bit of red wine and bourbon, caramel, chocolate roast, a bit of coffee, biscuit, cherries, berry gummies, a touch of licorice, some alcohol but not over the top, lightly spicy, some esters, cool stuff.

Taste is nuts, huge licorice and toffee hit at first, quite sweet and fruity, some brown and candi sugars, dark raisins, more licorice, berries, a touch of biscuit, cherry wine, a bit of chocolate milk and wafer, some woodiness in the finish, lightly boozy and astringent going down, solid bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with high carbonation, a bit too aggressive for me as a alot of these Belgian RIS's are. But I dig the intense flavours and though a bit hot going down the 13% is nicely hidden. Good stuff, thanks Russ!

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2011 02:30:40 | More by Viggo

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Popping this open to bring in the new year.

The bottle opens with a large hiss which has me a bit worried. Pours pitch black and completely opaque with a two finger frothy mocha head. Excellent retention, only slowly fading into a lasting cap. Chunks of mocha colored lacing left behind.

The aroma is dominated by the four roses bourbon but there is also a prominent oak and vanilla presence. I'm also picking up some dark fruit notes and licorice as well as some slightly toasted malt. It's refreshing to find a barrel aged beer that smells this complex and isn't just a booze bomb.

Slightly oxidized with a bit too much carbonation for my liking. Underneath this there is some nice creamy chocolate malt, earthy oak, vanilla, dark fruit and bourbon notes. Well balanced but the bourbon is more aggressive than the aroma suggests. This results in some heat and warmth in the finish but at 13% the ABV is still well masked. As it warms the body feels fuller and the rich, silky malt notes become more prominent and counter the tasty bourbon flavor quite nicely.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2011 06:11:46 | More by corby112

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

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

Graciously shared. by Dyan last night.

The beer pours a very dark brown color with good head retention and considerable lacing. The nose is likewise attractive, showing chocolate, light sour cherry and milk duds. As good as this beer smells, it tastes even better. There is considerable cherry, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, licorice and vanilla. This is just a delicious beer. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, with a soft and creamy presence on the palate. Given the 13% abv. in this beer, I'm just amazed by this beer's drinkability. It's not at all hot or heavy, and there's no way I would ever have guessed the alcohol was this high.

Excellent stuff..

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 19:30:41 | More by johnmichaelsen

HopHead84

California

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

Consumed in the early morning of 11/1/2009 and poured into a snifter. The clock on my computer actually just set itself back for Daylight Savings Time as I was typing that first sentence. Thanks for the trade Bankhead (you might have cursed me). A delicate pour yields a near black liquid with a fantastic Sepia head with excellent retention and beautiful lacing. The beer looks fantastic. I don't recall having seen a beer looking this marvelous in my life. I don't think it's too late to retract that last statement, but perhaps it is...

The nose is lightly roasted malts with a light aroma of dark fruits. The dark fruits remind me of plums and unripe red grapes. As the beer warms, the dark fruit character becomes more pronounced, with notes of oak. Brett is apparent, imparting a wet leather and slightly musty aroma. There's a mild tartness in the nose that I wasn't expecting, but it's interesting and it complements the dark fruits, adding a vinous quality. There's chocolate in the nose that is neither dark nor milk, yet somewhere in between the two. As I plunge my nose into the snifter, I'm met with alcohol vapors that remind me of the strength of the beer. The 13% ABV isn't present in the sense that you'd expect that level of alcohol to be, but it's also not dormant. You can definitely tell there's a decent level of ABV in Delphine (the whore). A subtle smoke character becomes apparent with warming.

The taste is immediately tart at a low level and tannic, with notes of musty Brett. The dark fruit component comes into play and it's reminiscent of unripe grapes, unripe plums, and possibly dark cherries. Those are probably also not quite ripe. Interestingly enough, the regular stout characteristics one might expect follow behind these sour dark fruit flavors. Chocolate is neither dark nor milk. There is no coffee, and there is very little roast. I don't know that Russian Imperial Stout is an accurate description for this beer. I think it's much more interesting than that. The unripe dark fruit character is present in varying degrees of intensity throughout the flavor, interchanging with chocolate and wood notes. The roast is light at all times. I don't get much yeast character. The finish is chocolate tannic alcoholic sour and tart dark fruits. Alcohol doesn't seem as strong as 13%, but the beer still tastes quite alcoholic. Perhaps the complexities of the beer purport to mask the ABV. The beer is light full bodied with a moderately high level of carbonation and a sticky, creamy, and smooth mouthfeel.

This beer took me by surprise. I did not like the batch of Black Albert that I had, but this stuff is complex and drinkable at the same time.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2009 09:11:58 | More by HopHead84

kojevergas

California

3.83/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle into trappistenbier goblet in Ghent, Belgium. Reviewed live.

A: One finger head of nice lovely cream, decent thickness, and fair retention. Dark black colour.

Sm: Chocolate, toffee, caramel, and caramelized malt. A moderate strength scent.

T: Chocolate, toffee, and a hint of coffee. Cream and vanilla, but more towards the climax. Cocao. Complex layering of hops. Brilliant. No roast. I love it. Subtle and balanced. Very well built for the style. Jaysus, lads, this is class.

Mf: Coarse enough, quite wet, and very complementary of the flavour. Maybe a bit too thick and perchance syrupy.

Dr: High ABV, very drinkable, and very high quality. Worth a go for any beeradvocate. I don't know the price point as I acquired it from a friend. I suspect it's rather high based on the quality.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 23:17:31 | More by kojevergas

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Review from notes taken on 11/12/10.

Vintage '09 poured into a mini snifter. This brew looks a dark brown to black color with a very dark brown cap of head. As the head recedes, it leaves a patchy almost leggy appearance of lace clinging to the glass. A light swirl revives the head to a finger's strength. There is some fair clarity and lighter brown coloration shown around the edges of the brew.

The aroma of this offering has chocolate and coffee being imparted by the dark roastiness of the grain. There is a light vinous quality present but overall there is a surprisingly sweet smelling scent of cocoa along with some minor indications of vanilla and some oak qualities.

The taste has a roasted bitter dark grain flavor that lasts inside the mouth. Some bitterness comes through from the hops not just the bitterness due to the roast of the grain. A light vinous quality deepens the flavor of this brew and mingles well with the presence of the alcohol. Some dry oaked flavoring comes out as the brew warms.

This brew leaves a very pleasant dark burnt grain flavor inside the mouth. It is medium to full bodied with a light level of carbonation. Super drinkable. The whiskey barrel contribution imparts a bit of a twang to the alcohol character but overall it actually mellows out the brew overall. The barrel contribution here is not bold and painfully obvious, it is subtle which takes an already fabulous brew to a whole new level.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2010 00:00:18 | More by stakem

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.1/5  rDev -25.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

2009 vintage

Poured into Founders snifter.

Pours 1.5 fingers of creamy tan head. Fades to a thinner layer. Leaves some lacing. Color pours caramel brown but settles black.

Aroma: Roasted malts, sharp bourbon, cream, oak, vanilla, chocolate. It seems to have a sourness or funk to it. Nothing to impressive here.

Taste: Creamy and roasted. Cocoa powder and chocolate with some roasted malts. Maybe a touch of coffee, vanilla, and caramel. The bourbon is very subtle, but it is fairly oaky. Again, it has an off flavor in the taste. Fairly mediocre.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, silky, and creamy. Probably the best aspect about this beer. Medium to full bodied with a medium to high amount of carbonation. Ends overly dry and roasted.

Overall, meh. It is alright, but there are much better beers around at a fraction of the price. Nothing special or worth seeking out again. Slightly above average. Somewhat drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2010 02:11:40 | More by mothman

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Massive thanks goes out to cmrillo who shared this one with the group at the "Evening Wood" tasting graciously hosted by cmrillo as well! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller flute. Poured pitch black with a half finger brown head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, roasted malt, spices, and smoke. The flavor was of sweet malt, roasted malt, spices, wood, sweet alcohol, and smoke. It had a heavy feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a pretty nice brew. I really enjoyed the smoke aspect going on in this one. The flavor was pretty complex as well compare to the Black Damnations we were sampling before this. A definite must try without any doubt!

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2011 16:49:58 | More by thagr81us

ccrida

Oregon

4.78/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

33 cl bottle (huge thx MacDomer!) best before March 2014, poured into my Delirium snifter, Cuvee Delphine is black with a huge creamy head, perhaps the densest, tightest head I've seen, leaving lots of foamy lace.

Smell is amazing, huge fruity esters, wow! Massive grape and tropical citrus, as well as a hint of bourbon. Something about the esters actually reminds me of a saison, which is my favorite.

Taste is great, massive roast really provides an abrupt distinction from the nose, dominating the taste, making this seem more like a pure stout, with the esters proving a nice punch of depth in the background. The alcohol is super smooth, and overall it's well integrated. Excellent, although I can't say I'm getting much from the bourbon barrel.

Mouthfeel is creamy and very viscous. Nice digestibility.

Drinkability damn good. I just had Black Albert for the first time 2 nights ago, and as much as I enjoyed it, this is the better of the two. I don't think it's as old as the Black Albert, which was 1.5 years in my cellar alone. Cuvee Delphine is truly exceptional.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2010 07:16:00 | More by ccrida

largadeer

California

4.43/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nick3 shared this one a while back. Thanks, Nick.

Pours black with a massive tan head. Amazing retention and lacing, this is downright impressive to look at. Smoke, cherries and subtle bourbon are the first things I pick up on the nose. There's a tart fruity character, and a touch of alcohol. Tastes of chocolate-covered cherries, smoke, anise and roasted malt. Medium-full body, but the effervescence gives it a light mouthfeel. Smoke is surprisingly prominent mid-palate with an undercurrent of bourbon, and the finish exhibits some light roasty bitterness and lingering fruit flavors. I'm not always impressed with De Struise beers, but this is very good.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2010 18:05:43 | More by largadeer

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Batch 14 / 2009

Pours jet black with a big chocolate brown head. In the aroma, bourbon, vanilla, and chocolate. In the taste, chocolate, mellow dry bourbon, sweet vanilla, oaky and rich all the way through. A small alcohol bite and medium to bigger bodied mouthfeel, with a dry oak and hint of bourbon in the aftertaste. WOW! Big and mellow in all the right spots, hides the alcohol until the end, simply fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 20:42:45 | More by OWSLEY069

gford217

Georgia

4.13/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330mL bottle poured into a tulip.

Pours pitch black with an enormous mocha head that shows some serious staying power and leaves excellent lacing.

The aroma is complex with bourbon, roasted chocolate malts, coffee, dark fruits and some Belgian yeast.

The taste is more heavily roasted than the aroma with lots of cocoa powder and espresso as well. There is an underlying fruitiness from the Belgian yeast. The finish has a slight bourbon character though it's very subtle.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation and light on the barrel character. Creamy.

Another excellent stout from Struise and one that actually carries a more Belgian character than I was expecting with the bourbon just adding some texture.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2010 04:04:42 | More by gford217

jrallen34

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I drank this from the bottle into a Rochefort chalice.

The beer is really black, and doesn't show much brown at all in the light. The head is about one finger of dark puffy head, but sadly it falls quickly. There is some lacing, but disappointing in general.

The aroma is very powerful almost knocking you off your feet. Right away you get the malts with lots of cherries, but that fades to alcohol, with raisins, and you definetly get lots of bourbon at the end. The cherries are almost sour and reminds me of some kind of wild ale, which is really interesting for a RIS. Its so unique, I just love it.

The taste is good but not all what you get from the aroma. The beginning is super sweet with cherry then finishes with roasty coffee, where'd that come from? The aftertaste is great as you get some swesome bourbon. What, a great complex beer.

This beer is is viscous and crisp and everything you would want.

It is is incredibly drinkable.

I've had black damnation, black albert and now cuvee delphine. These are all awesome beers but to me Cuvee is so unique it takes thing to a whole new level. Its just phenominal in every way.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2009 01:46:41 | More by jrallen34

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.15/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An extra from Peter at the De Struise beer shop.

BA NO. 14, Lot BR26.230.610 Best by July 15, 2015.

It pours a pitch black, has a huge 2 finger head of tan foam. The foam is very slow to shrink...

It smells roasty, slightly fruity, a bit of smoke, very light suggestion of the bourbon. It doesn't have a big aroma but what's there is nice.

The taste...is another story. Not shy with the flavours at all. I get light coffee, chocolate, some roast, good fruity notes(that bring some sweet but mostly tart), and they're all overseen or guided by a very nicely done presence of bourbon. Yes...this is very delicious!

Medium bodied with the carbonation on the light side of medium. Good mouth feel.

Drinkability? For a monster sitting at 13%abv, this is *way* too easy to drink for one bottle at a sitting. Definitely a RIS that is different than I'm used to but it works very well for me. Here's an example of the style where a fruit tartness is very welcome and fits right in!

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2010 22:16:18 | More by Bitterbill

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

25cl bottle from mikey711. I've been looking forward to this beer for a long time, bourbon barrel aged Black Albert.

The beer pours dark brown and opaque with a really large tan foam, initially pillowy and several inches thick but becoming a thin film over the duration of a few minutes. Sheets of lacing too. The smell is not quite what I imagined. The dominant notes are smoked malt and an almost sour ale aroma. Smells like a Belgian smoke beer, maybe the smoke is from the bourbon barrel but that doesn't seem to make sense...

The beer tastes "dark", dark fruits and malts, more of the nearly sour funk, a little bit of ethanol burn. I can taste the bourbon but just a little, very nice but again hard to guess that the base beer is Black Albert. The body is somewhat thin for the style but that doesn't matter, this is still rich and tasty. 25cl is just about enough, it'd be nice to see bottles of this size for all sorts of big beers, you don't need too much of something at 13% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2010 01:00:25 | More by TurdFurgison