Cuvee Delphine - De Struise Brouwers

dqrull

Sweden

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

Vintage 2009

Pours a piiiitch black, with a huge deep brown head that lasts for an incredible long time considering the ABV, awesome!

Smells of very sweet bourbon infused coffee, alot of vanilla and sweet roasted malts and chocolate. Alcohol comes through rather strong as well. There are a good bit of fruity hints as well, mainly in the form of dried berries, quite intense. Smell is so intense my nose hurts.

Taste is almost as intense as the smell, but not as... wide. There are alot of bitter chocolate, coffee, and vanilla infused dried cranberries and raspberries... The alcohol is a little too prominent for my tastes though, and the whole experience feels a bit put off by it when it enters at the end and pretty much steals the show. I would love to try the original stout Black Albert and see how the stout fares without the bourbon barrel, as I am not a huge fan of barrel aged imperial stouts overall, and this feels a little bit undone, with the vanilla and wood flavours taking the upper hand together with the alcohol.

Mouthfeel is a lot lighter than expected, partly due to the wood aging I guess, as well as the sugar used in the brewing process. But overall the mouthfeel is pretty nice, although the sweetness makes it a tad bit cloying.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2010 22:40:17 | More by dqrull

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

alpinebryant

Connecticut

3.83/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into cantillon tulip vintage 2009

A: Pours massive cocoa head with heavy lacing

S: Pungent aroma of oak barrel, ashy burnt roast malt
Some acrid bitterness with cocoa nib tastes along with a sweet malt presence and plenty of charred malt.

T: Bourbon clearly present but the bitterness clearly shines through in this one taking away from the chocolate malt and smoothness of black Albert.

M: Light body for a 14 percent, light carbonation and an oily mouthfeel. There is the perception in my mind that this is slightly infected and will be going down a slow downhill course from its present state. Overall relatively good for now though.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 18:36:18 | More by alpinebryant

sprucetip

Alaska

3.85/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thank you Alactradamus for providing the opportunity to try this one!

Looks like a stout. Black with thin mocha head, good retention, no lacing.

Smells roasty, boozy, and woody. But no discernible bourbon at all. None. I tried to find it and couldn't.

Roasty, boozy, woody, and vaguely of dark fruit. Maybe a wee nip of the bourbon? Nah, probably not. If I didn't know it was in there I wouldn't have suspected at all. Smooth and balanced, but not particularly complex.

low carbonation, smooth, full body, modest warming with a bit of a bite.

A very good beer, but not worthy of any hype that might be associated, in my view. And I didn't get the bourbon. If that is going to be in the name or description, it should be identifiable. I wouldn't pay $10 for an 11oz bottle, that's for sure. Unless I'd never tried it....

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 07:03:05 | More by sprucetip

pmlondrigan

New York

3.88/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Presents well in the glass, black, tan/mocha head, slight lacing, islands of foam. Aroma - not what I expected, musty, basement, something vegatile, but perhaps it is just raw oak? Notes of vanilla and chocolate exist. Deep dried fruit notes (prune, raisin, plum) and something else I can't place my finger on. The flavor reminds me of a well cooked brownie, that is to say doughy chocolate, faint vanilla notes, and a hint of vegitable. Dark chocolate on the finish that lingers. The barrel presence presents more as damp and woody then true oak. There is zero evidance of the ABV of this beer, it is silky, it is smooth and this is the beers strength. I was hoping for more...oh well it is still a unique and great beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 02:58:19 | More by pmlondrigan

srandycarter

California

3.9/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Teeny bottle pours viscous hugh head, great retention and lots of lace.

S - Cocoa, burnt malt, a little bile, really. Not altogether pleasant, but intriguing, all the same.

T - Nice complex mix of chocolate, coffee and burnt malt.

M - Medium to light body, however the thickness was originally. The carb really skews the body factor to less, as it is very carbonated.

D - One is enough and I probably won't return. Not one of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2010 04:53:59 | More by srandycarter

claaark13

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Well, the 25cl bottle, Lot:B-M-2014, was infected as could be. The 33cl bottle, BR26.230.610 bottled 2009 and I believe brought home from Belgium, is the non-infected bottle being reviewed. Poured into a Bell's snifter.

A - Pours black with a nice tan head that coats the surface. There isn't much sticking to the glass, but aside from that it looks really nice. Pretty good retention.

S - Dark fruits, little bit of malts. Hint of alcohol. Nothing dominant here.

T - Dark fruits, woodiness and a slightly dry finish with a little bit of toffee or vanilla. The oak finish is really what differentiates this from Black Albert. No burn, but there is a slight amount of alcohol floating within the oak flavors.

M - Creamy, medium body. Good enough for a RIS.

O - Not entirely sure about this one. It tastes a lot like Black Albert in the beginning with the barrel coming in mildly towards the end and through the finish. I wouldn't really say that one is necessarily better than the other.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 00:59:42 | More by claaark13

paco1029384756

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours black with one and a half fingers of smooth tan head with some serious retention time.

Scent of sweet chocolate, some dark fruit, sugar, dry oak and a strange sourness. The sourness is strange and not entirely pleasant; it is still a good scent.

Taste of chocolate, dark fruit, yeast, wood, ash and a hint of sour dark fruit. The finish is dry and ashy, a little strange. The sourness is less prevalent in the taste and is not unpleasant as in the scent.

Mouthfeel is heavy bodied and very oily with fairly strong carbonation for the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2010 05:04:59 | More by paco1029384756

russwbeck

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed side by side with Black Damnation II Mocha Bomb with nhindian. Lot BR26.230.610.

A: Black pour with a very nice brown head that isn't out of control like the Black Alberts were. Retention is ok, but it laces very nicely.

S: Really not a lot of Bourbon happening here, more so oak. The smell is faintly metallic.

T: Wow this is an interesting taste to say the least. I'm getting some slight bourbon and vanilla on the backend, but again it isn't really noticed. There is some booziness as well as some dark fruits that were characteristic of Black Albert.

MF: A bit creamy with a full and heavy body. Seems to have the correct amount of carbonation and a very dry finish.

O: This is pretty decent. Better than both the Black Alberts no doubt, but not quite on the level of Black Damnation II Mocha Bomb.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2011 03:52:43 | More by russwbeck

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from ABS Drinks outside Brussels. Best before 15-07-2015. 2009 vintage.

A - Great black body with lot's of carbonation and a nice foamy mocha head not unlike steamed milk on a cappucino or something of the like. Good amount of yeast sediment piled on the bottom of my snifter.

S - Lot's of whiskey, tobacco, alcoholic burn, and some chocolate.

T - Oak and a smoother version of whiskey that has a little more vanilla. Don't really drink bourbon but I'm guessing that smoother characteristic is typical. Lot's of chocolate. Some alcohol. Very obvious barrel influence on this. Really chocolately flavour combined with that smooth whiskey character. Not a whole lot of coffee but there's some roasted malt. A little ashy with some tobacco and licorice too. Nice and complex.

M - Mild carbonation. Full body. Fairly bitter with a little burn of alcohol.

M - This is a hell of a big beer. Tons of elements that meld together nicely in that typical Struise style. The barrel might be the thing that didn't work for me but this was still a good beer. Just not one of my favourites from Struise.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2011 23:36:40 | More by tbeckett

mdaschaf

Washington

3.93/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Vintage 2009, 11.2oz bottle.

A: Pours black with a really nice mocha colored head on top, amazing retention lasting for most of the time it took to drink the beer. Lacing all around the glass.

S: Some dark fruit, mostly cherries with a little bit of plum. There is some chocolate and faint bourbon along with a little roast.

T: More cherry and chocolate, nice creamy/roast flavor. Not much bourbon, but a little bit of brown sugar and a hint of molasses. The Belgian yeast shines through and just a bit of oak.

M: Medium to full bodied, surprisingly smooth and creamy. The alcohol is hidden very nicely.

O: Pretty good with a nice flavor profile and mouthfeel, but would have liked the bourbon to come through a bit more..or really at all.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 01:46:13 | More by mdaschaf

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a bottle into a CCB snifter. 2009 vintage.

A- pours black with a two finger dark, dark brown head. Man, nice looking beer, that's for sure

S- dark fruits, tons of chocolate, slight bit of heat as well. Wow.

T- lots of dark fruits, very low chocolate, minimal bourbon. Time didn't do this one good, it's past its prime

M- good lord, so velvety, luscious, and thick. Insane

O- I prefer this over Black Albert, just wondering how good it would have been fresh...

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 01:26:11 | More by bigfnjoe

writerLJBerg

Oregon

3.95/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 3.75

On tap at Belmont Station

A: Pure black with a non-existent head. Spectacular legs, though

N: Roasted malt, chocolate, heavily roasted espresso, and oak. Quite a bit of licorice and there’s a backdrop of vanilla. Not particularly strong, though.

T: Tons of roast and there’s a pleasant sweetness balanced out by the slightest bitterness. Lots of the nose shows up here.

M: Thick, oily, and coating. Alcohol is expertly hidden.

O: A well oiled machine I’d recommend. Wish it had a little more barrel character, though.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2013 15:18:17 | More by writerLJBerg

nickd717

California

3.98/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle via trade thanks to PALMEJ1. Another bottle shared by alfrantzell, since these things are damn small and we wanted to have enough to go around.

Pours black with a medium-sized, well-retained tan head. Looks excellent.

Aroma is mildly vinous and tart, surprisingly. Also roast and wood.

Flavor is roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, red wine, oak, and brett. Probably not infected, but definitely tart. Just a little bit of bourbon.

Medium body with mild acidity (but smooth otherwise) with fairly high carbonation, which is a little strange for the style. A little boozy as well.

Solid drinkability. This beer is very good overall, but fell a bit short of expectations, sort of like Black Damnation.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2010 19:19:00 | More by nickd717

THECPJ

Delaware

3.98/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes 2/14/2011

Special thanks to jsanford for sending this my way

A: black with a 1 finger mocha colored head, leaves nice lacing

S: coffee, bourbon, chocolate, and sweet malts

T: coffee is the main attraction in this beer, a small hint of chocolate, very dry and bitter on the aftertaste. at first there was not much of a bourbon taste to this which left me quite disappointed, but as it warms up, the bourbon becomes more present.

M: mild carbonation, thick, and creamy

D: not as expected, and I find Black Albert much more enjoyable.

Cheers!
The CPJ

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2011 01:49:32 | More by THECPJ

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.99/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Thanks to David for this bottle! Vintage 2011. Poured in to snifter.

A - Poured dark black with one finger of mocha coloured head that slowly receded to a thin layer with good retention.

S - Roast, smoke and licorice dominate with sweet milk chocolate and vanilla notes. The barrel is barely discernible.

T - A big, bold flavour profile. Roast, licorice and bakers chocolate up front that give way to sweet molasses, vanilla and some oak. As the beer warms a big cherry flavour asserts itself. There is no bourbon presence at all.

M - Medium to full body. Chewy. Light carbonation.

O - This was an excellent beer but the bourbon was non-existent, which was a little disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 19:05:41 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Jmoore50

Nevada

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

Review from notes. This is a small bottle, like really small. Split it with a friend who wanted to kill the bottle. Barrel aged Black Albert. This is a beer which I liked the base beer over the BA version.

The appearance is dark black with a dirty brown head. It has a crisp carbonation that leaves really quick. Slight legs, nothing special in the appearance other than the dark black color.

The smell has that sour twinge that I liked in Black Albert, with chocolate and dark roasted malts. It has a bit of heat in the smell and taste, which is nice and mellow.

The taste is good, but not outstanding. There is a bit of berry and chocolate paired with the barrel notes that make it pretty unique. I like the bit of sourness that Black Albert had, but in this one it makes it muddled and confusing. Too many things going on, but still enjoyable.

The mouthfeel was a crisp carbonation with a bit of heat. I thought that all around it was a solid beer, but the base is better. I cannot believe how small some of these European bottles are though.
J

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2010 21:52:33 | More by Jmoore50

craytonic

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: Enormous head, about an inch of beer and 4-5 inches oef head in my Tripel Karmeliet glass. Great deal of sticky lacing remains behind.

Smell: Oddly a bit tart, at least initially. Big chocolate, licorice, and dark fruits. Perhaps tart cherries?

Taste: Again chocolate, coffee and licorice, perhaps some dark rum punch fruits as well. Very Intriguing. This one really surprised me, I was expecting nasty black albert. If there is bourbon I didn't really notice it.

Mouthfeel: Creamy but a bit too carbonated.

Drinkability: Tiny little bottle! Disappeared fast enough I suppose. Certainly didn't taste like 13%

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2010 02:56:01 | More by craytonic

chicagobeerriot

Illinois

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Tasted blind as part of Blind Beers BIF #3. Big thanks to Scott (sholland119) for sending it my way. Shared with Mrs. Beerriot while the temperature outside plummets.

Out of the bottle, this might be one of the best looking impy stouts I've seen. Classic black with a very attractive one-inch mocha head that has a little rock to it and hangs out for a bit before fading to a thin lattice-work film on the surface. There's no color at the edges when held to the light. Altogether a very attractive beer.

The smell is also right out of central casting: dark fruit (plum and cherry) shares nostril space with some nice baker's chocolate, well-done toast, and coffee. There are not a lot of barrel notes here.

Mouthfeel is spot-on for me: on the full side with only enough carbonation to prevent it from feeling like an oil slick.

The flavors are very well-balanced: slight amounts of cherry and raisin complement the strong dark chocolate and espresso-like char. Great finish with some roasty bitterness and just enough alcohol to warm you up but not so much that it lingers on the palate. My only complaint is I'm not getting much bourbon or wood flavor. It's a well-crafted stout to be sure, but the aging process doesn't seem to have added much.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2010 02:55:42 | More by chicagobeerriot

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

DaveJanssen

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

25 cL in De Struise glass at Kulminator. Batch 14, best by March 2014. Reviewed10 June 2011.

Ar: raisin, chocolate, sweet dried fruit, wood, strong raisin and prune in alcohol, earthy fruit

Ap: Thick dark tan head, fine, epic retention, jet black

T: dried fruit, raisin, plum, very earthy, roast, licorice, molasses, raisin in alcohol, light tartness, woody, tart fruit, the tartness does not mix well with the stout, grape, strong figs, dark mild fruit, mild chocolate, light vanilla, the eathyness is very pronounced

M: medium body, lightly viscous, high carbonation, warming alcohol at the end

O: Unique, lacking in stout richness, interesting tartness, like and earthy dark strong ale, mild bourbon, it is a lot better when i don't think of it as a stout.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 21:02:15 | More by DaveJanssen

Chriscrundwell12

Minnesota

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

Bottle poured into a Darkness snifter, bottle sharred with a fellow BA.

A- Pours similar to the Black Albert, pitch black body, 2 finger dark brown head, dissipates quickly to a think ring around the glass, nice lacing.
S- The aroma is fairly mild; vanilla comes out a bit from the bourbon barrels but not enough to take over the aroma, oak is present, dark malts, dark fruits.
T- Very similar to the Black Albert, slight bourbon taste, oak characteristics, some vanilla, roasted malt, the bourbon is very mild in the taste, which was a little of a letdown for me.
M- Medium/big mouth feel, well carbonated, smooth drinking, dry finish.
O- Overall Enjoyable, well made, not as good as the black albert, I would of liked the bourbon characteristics to be more pronounced in this beer, still enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 22:28:23 | More by Chriscrundwell12

CuriousMonk

Virginia

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

Sure glad to have gotten my hands on this rare bottle. Poured from .33cl bottle into snifter glass. Pours opaque black like all the other Black Damnation / Black Albert beers along with a healthy medium brown head that lasts well throughout. Smells of liquorice, oak, roasted barley and coffee. Dry sweet earthy chocolate taste with interesting alcoholic notes. Medium and soft smooth mouthfeel. There is a herbal earthy chocolate aftertaste with some vanilla notes. Nice oily palate, but compared to the original, Black Albert, this is a bit thinner. This was a bit of a let down, but overall a decent beer!

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 17:41:43 | More by CuriousMonk

billab914

Virginia

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

2009 vintage poured from a 330ml bottle. It poured pitch black in color with a thin tan head scattered across the top of the beer. The head clung to the edges of glass pretty well.

The aroma shows a god amount of sweetness to it with some cherry fruitiness and brown sugar notes. There are some booze soaked fruits and a little chocolate to it as well. I got a little more bourbon to it as it warmed, but not much overall.

The taste has a bit of a leathery and smoky flavor mixing with some sweeter cherry fruitiness. I get a little brown sugar with a hint of bourbon. Some chocolate notes are there throughout as well. Roasted malts bring some nice bitterness out in the finish. Very nice flavors to it overall.

The mouthfeel is slick and on the heavier side with lower carbonation. Overall very good beer with some very nice and rich flavors to it. Very nice range of favors to it and it comes together very well.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 19:52:04 | More by billab914

ehammond1

California

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle (2009)

Thanks for opening this with me, nakalakaboom!

(Aged for 2+ years)

Very dark brown, nearly black in color, but with dark ruby and crimson edges. There's a low amount of visible carbonation that leaves the glass slightly oily and shiny with stick.

Typical aromas of big, imperial stouts, with roast, dark fruits, and baker's chocolate, along with a sharp note of yeast, and just a hint of wood. There's not a lot of barrel character, as the yeast and the stout itself seem dominant.

The flavor is also quite nice, deceptively complex, with the Belgian yeast straight complementing the dark fruit and roast notes. The alcohol is well hidden.

Medium to full bodied with low carbonation.

Good, but I was hoping for more, as is the case with most De Struise stouts.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 20:51:13 | More by ehammond1