Kabert - De Struise Brouwers

GJ40

North Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Sampled from a 330ml bottle from Ruds.

A - Deep, dark black with a big tan head. Outstanding!

S - Firm and inviting with chocolate, coffee and molasses. It's really stands out without being overbearing.

T - Very flavorful yet smooth and well balanced. Chocolate, brown sugar and a hint of coffee. Low on roasted malts and bitterness. The 11+% alcohol is extremely well hidden. Fantastic from start to finish.

M - Thick and chewy. But the carbonation, with its fine bubbles, makes it also seem light and airy.

O - Rich, flavorful and satisfying. I really enjoyed this beer. I was sorry to see it go.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 17:37:35 | More by GJ40

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.98/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to cosmicevan for the generous extra. 11.2oz bottle served in my Old Stock snifter. Pours the color and clarity of cola with a dense, creamy, half-inch, mocha-colored head that dissipates into a consistent skim that coalesces around edges. Thin spots and strands of lacing are revealed during the tasting. Nose is slightly vinous and expresses malted cocoa and perhaps a hint of oxidation towards the back. Taste consistent with nose; however, there's a distinct earthy/roasty, coffee ground presence. Vinous flavors are present from start to finish. I also get some toffee notes as well as more vinous fruit at the finish. Mouthfeel is medium-light with a carbonation that is a little too effervescent for my liking. There's also some acidity. Having had both beers on their own, the sum is slightly less than the parts. Not sure if it is the port barrel aging or what; however, the vinous quality slightly detracts from the experience and I found the body a little thin and the carbonation just too assertive for the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 02:30:31 | More by Jwale73

Treebs

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

33 cl bottle served in a FFF teku. Received this an extra in a trade...can't remember from who, but thanks!

A: Pours a dark black color with a dark tan head forming on the pour. It recedes to a thin ring that leaves some splotchy lace down the glass.

S: Fruity yeast with big notes of grapey port. Big oak with some roasted malt and nice chocolate notes.. The port mixed with the struise yeast makes this very fruit forward for a RIS.

T: The barrel really comes through over the base beer. Huge notes of oak and port with a big roasted malt presences. Underlying notes of dark chocolate and fruity yeast, but the port barrel is the star of the show.

M: Medium bodied with a smooth and fruity finish. Medium carbonation level.

O: Nicely hidden booze with a big port barrel. I've had other port barrel beers and this was probably the most port heavy. It distracted slightly from the actually beer, but overall it was nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 18:15:07 | More by Treebs

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.26/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

The beer is black with an inch of oily beige head. Lots of slick lacing visible on the sides of the snifter. The aroma brings port, oak, roast, chocolate, vanilla. Some noticeable booze. Big, thick, rich. Palate coating. Big time sweetness imparted from the port barrels. Red wine with a chocolate finish. This is tasty now, but I think this will mellow out nicely given more time in the cellar.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 02:19:36 | More by Huhzubendah

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.21/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

33 cl bottle, 2011 vintage, best before 08/30/2017, poured into a snifter.

A- Pours black with a thick , creamy mocha colored head, leaves lots of thick lacing.

S- Chocolate, dark fruit and red wine, mild roast and yeast notes in the background.

T- Milk chocolate, moderate roastiness, lots of dark fruit, as well as nice oak and tannin barrel flavors and lots of dry, vinous port flavors.

M- Full-bodied, smooth and creamy, has some nice boozy warmth on the end.

O- An interesting stout, nicely blended and makes the port barrel flavors work really nicely, definitely try and get some of this.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 05:25:06 | More by WillCarrera

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.29/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

330 ml bottle. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about a half inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both good. The aroma is very nice, it smells like roasted malt, dark fruit, port, chocolate, and some coffee. Taste is similar to the aroma, but there's addition of some cream, burnt/charred malt and a bit of anise. Good mix of sweet, fruity and roasty flavors. Mouthfeel/body is full, it's creamy and a bit coating with a good amount of carbonation. I thought this was a good overall brew, I'd pick this one up again and it's definitely worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 21:44:11 | More by bluejacket74

DmanGTR

New York

4.78/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Brought this to our epic tasting last night, shared with good people.

Poured deep, intense, jet black with the faintest gingerbread hue in the edges when held to a light. A very nice, mellow aroma of chocolate, espresso, and toast starts us off, but is joined by a wonderful berry-like touch that adds depth and complexity to the experience. A bit of wood and earth tones as well. Fantastic beer that is super smooth, velvety, and rich. We drank this side by side with Batch 0 Black Albert and we found that this had less fruit and more roastiness than the Black Albert.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 19:08:59 | More by DmanGTR

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4.28/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Kabert 2011

Comes out looking like Albert, just black with a nice thick creamy head although a touch lighter. Retention and lacing is on that Rick Ross(bawse).

The port barrel aging is wonderful on this. The sweetness melding with the red fruit and vinous character is great. That seems to dominate. Roasty espresso and dark chocolate as well.

The port, fruit, and sweetness come through first leading into the roasty espresso and dark chocolate aspects. Dry at the back end with some woody and cheese element.

Full bodied but with a slightly assertive carbonation so it doesn't feel top thick going down.

Most of the port aging these guys do is wonderful. I have no idea what Kate tastes like. This seems very Black Alberty in port barrels. Need to get a Kate.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 04:49:36 | More by MattSweatshirt

kojevergas

California

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Really excited for this one. Acquired from Belgium. "KAB No. 42 R.I.S." Aged in port barrels. 11.5% ABV confirmed. I've never had Kate the Great, but I've had Black Albert and really liked it. I'm a huge De Struise fan. 330ml brown glass bottle vintage 2011 served into a nonic bubble willi glass in me friend's gaff in high altitude Fort Collins, Colorado. Reviewed live. Expectations are through the roof; I can't wait for it.

Served after a warming period following its removal from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Not paired with food.

Interesting label art.

A: Pours a three finger rich tan colour head of excellent cream and thickness, and flat out amazing retention (>7 minutes) for the very high ABV. Body colour is a solid nontransparent opaque brown-black. Delightfully frothy. Decent lacing. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Par for the style and fantastic; the retention is downright impressive.

Sm: Silky chocolate, rich port notes, fantastic subtle roasted java/coffee, roasted dark malt, cream, dark fruits, cocoa, and subtle red wine. Fucking fantastic. Very appealing. It does lack yeast character, but it's forgivable - and yeast doesn't suit the style all that well. Amazingly, no alcohol is detectable. A subtle, moderate strength aroma.

T: Heavier port notes than expected, but somehow it's dominant while simultaneously subtle. The roast at the core is just about perfect. Dark malts are well chosen and subtly executed. The coffee/java is as subtle as it could possibly be while contributing to the impeccable balance. Some caramel. Subtle fig when I look for it, accompanied by a well integrated sweetness. Rich and roasty throughout. Creamy as well. No alcohol comes through. Some creamy roast on the finish - a majestic end. A bit sweeter on the finish than it is in the early acts. Very well layered. An incredibly well built imperial stout; it doesn't need barrel aging to be delicious. Chocolatey with cocoa. Impressively layered and complex. Hot damn, this is some tasty stuff. Still, it doesn't have the depth of other great beers in the style. This is a tough style in which a beer can set itself apart, but this one manages to succeed though it does struggle against other masterfully brewed beers.

Mf: Delightfully creamy while coarse and just dry enough to be perfect. Luscious. Lacks the delicacy or fragility of other fantastic beers, but that's nitpicking.

Dr: Obscenely drinkable for the high ABV. I'd easily kill a bottle or more of this by myself (I'm only sharing it with one other friend, blakelive784). This is fantastic stuff. Meets my expectations in terms of quality, but it is different than expected. Very well blended in any case. Hides its ABV very well. At around $10 a bottle, I think it's very well priced. It's a decadent treat for a special occasion. For a non barrel-aged stout (post blend), its complexity and subtlety is nearly unsurpassed.

High A-

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 00:58:00 | More by kojevergas

blakelive784

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

11.2 fl oz brown glass bottle served in a snifter, reviewed live:

A - Pours a non translucent jet black color with 2 fingers of silky chocolate head. Retention is amazing. Appealing, to say the least.

S - Boozy chocolate malts, cream, light oak, vanilla, sharp roasted malts, wine notes, cocoa nibs. A strong aroma. Inviting.

T - Deeply roasted malt and port notes star. Dark roasted coffee and cream throughout. Cocoa and fig near the finish. Sweet alcohol on the finish. Very well balanced and built. I love the roast. Very tasty.

M - A bit sharper than I'd like. Medium to full bodied. Needs to be thicker and silkier.

D - One of the better I've had. Insanely drinkable for 11.5%. I love the roasted malt in this one. I look forward to trying it with more age.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 00:54:54 | More by blakelive784

Holland

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: huge deep khaki head, about 2 inches poured cold. Dark brown to black, very little light comes through if any, even on the edges.

S: roasted notes and berries are the big flavors I get right off the bat. A bit yeasty and fruitier than I figured.

T: very roasted with some smoke and little else while it's cold. Later I get some roasted malt, some burnt sugar, and the barrel and berry flavor.

M: highly carbonated, which just barely cuts the big body. Feels smooth and not grainy like some heavily carbonated beers.

O: really interesting brew, just not quite my style. Seems that it has too much heavily roasted malts, where I tend to prefer stouts without that smokey profile. Probably goes really well with the interesting berry flavor I got if you're into such things. Bottom line: probably not worth what it takes to get this done unless you're interested in a smokey IRS from a port barrel.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 01:35:50 | More by Holland

UCLABrewN84

California

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to mthomas84 for sharing this one at mrbubbler's "end of the world" tasting.

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa, and dark fruits. Taste is much the same with a slight tartness to it. There is a mild roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 03:52:16 | More by UCLABrewN84

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle at Saturday’s tasting. Served in a Struise cervoise. Pours near-black with a good tan head and some spots of lacing. Nose brings some dark fruits along with light notes of port and oak. Some roast and a bit of chocolate there s well. Flavor has darker fruits and chocolate (mostly dark), plus some roasty notes and a touch of yeast character. Body is medium and a bit dry. Lightly ashy. Not as interesting as I had hoped it would be.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 18:39:56 | More by Thorpe429

jegross2

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewing Kabert, a collaboration between De Struise Brouwers and Portsmouth Brewery. This beer is a blend of Kate The Great and Black Albert.

Score: 89

Batch 42. Served in a Surly Darkness snifter and enjoyed on 12/14/12.

Appearance: Black in color. Pours a finger-plus of mocha head that settles to a ring around the glass. Awesome lacing and retention. 4.5/5

Smell: Muted port, cherry, and fudge. Dark chocolate, light oxidation and some alcohol esters. Faint roasted malt. Some dark fruit too. When it warms, some brown sugar comes out. 4.25

Taste: Cherry, chocolate and light fruitiness. Finishes with bakers chocolate and faint fruitiness. More port in the taste than the nose led on. The nose was more Albert-heavy, but the Kate shines a bit more in the taste. 3.75/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus bodied, just shy of medium carbonation that gives the flavor a little "fizziness." Sweet, but not as sweet as the aged Kate. 3.5/5

Overall: Better than the aged Kate and aged Double Oaked Kate we drank, but still very disappointing.

Recommendation: Worth drinking, but not worth the rarity.

Pairings: Steak.

Cost: $10 for an 11.2 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 04:30:55 | More by jegross2

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I opened this for a Nov. '12 Philly burbs bottle share.

Blend of port-aged Kate the Great and Black Albert.

Dark pour, seemed total black in the light, a wispy tan head fizzled out pretty quickly, leaving a few stray bubbles behind. Not surprising for a higher ABV beer. Aroma of dark roasted malts, anise, oak, bakers' chocolate; I didn't get much of a vinous quality in the aroma or taste. On the palate, dark roasted malts again of course, bakers' chocolate bringing in some bitterness, oak, anise, lesser notes of licorice and smoke. Maybe I'm mistaking the red wine for anise, but that's how it seemed to me. Not necessarily a bad thing. Mouthfeel was on the fuller side of medium, some alcohol heat, not incredibly smooth, but quite robust, and a good, drinkable brew overall.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 09:56:24 | More by Rifugium

mdaschaf

Washington

4.23/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Review from notes.

A: Pours black with no head and very minimal lacing.

S: Has a massive port aroma to it, tons of dark fruit, coffee, and a bit of chocolate. The port aromas intensify with warmth.

T: Rather sweet upfront which transitions to some bitter roast, coffee, dark chocolate, and more port-wine flavor. Some dark cherries and grapes.

M: On the thicker side, medium carbonation.

O: Enjoyable, the port barrels came through a bit strong, but in a way that I liked.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 16:44:35 | More by mdaschaf

HopHead84

California

4.73/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

10/20/2012

Bottle courtesy of an infinitely generous Tim, thanks a lot! Bottle reads: KAB NO. 42. Poured into Lost Abbey stemware with Sons of Winter and Stars accompanying me (m/).

A: A soft pour yields two inches of dense light brown froth and half an inch of liquid. I guess this is highly carbonated. Ebony body. Very good retention and lots of lacing.

S: Molasses, dark chocolate, earth, and licorice. Moderate roasted malt presence with a bit of charred character. There's a decided sugar note that's redolent of Belgian candi sugar with almost a cinnamon thing going on that I'm really enjoying.

T: Bittersweet dark chocolate with some milk chocolate as well. The roast is restrained. There's a touch sugary character with an interesting vanilla frosting note. I'm probably losing my mind. No big deal. I'm getting some caramel and a little licorice. An evenhanded moderate bitterness is present throughout. Flawless flavor.

M: Full in body with a lower high level of carbonation. The mouthfeel is silky, chewy, sticky, and smooth.

Overall: I don't often drink straight up Russian Imperial Stout because there are so many barrel aged offerings out there now and I prefer the style drowned in -bal. However, rated to style, this is one of the best Russian Imperial Stouts I can remember having. Do you really care about unbarreled Russian Imperial Stouts, though? Probably not, because they're better after having been in a barrel, but this is a must try either way. At least this particular bottle of KAB NO. 42. I don't know how consistent the beer is and it's probably not worth the effort of obtaining if you have to buy it from an international shop or trade for it because, after all, you can probably just buy some barrel aged RIS locally. Anyway, this beats the shit out of some of the more popular unbarreled RIS I can think of off the top of my head, such as Darkness, Dark Lord, or Totality.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 07:46:13 | More by HopHead84

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.88/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a solid black with a huge fluffy tan brown head that shows great retention and minimal lacing. Smells of coffee, dark chocolate, caramel, roast, ash, grapes and other putted fruits. there's a lot going on in the nose, take some time to let it warm and enjoy the aromas. The flavor is thick with darker sugars roast and caramel. There's a lot of dark fruit flavor coming through as well as a bit of oaken vanilla, smoke and burnt sugar. Thick body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet syrupy mouthfeel. This is a big thick sweet roasty monster of a stout, but I'm not sure that this beer is any better than the sum of its parts. Glad I got to try it, but the difficulty getting this wasn't justified by being blown away with the final product.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 03:26:51 | More by johnnnniee

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of roasted malt with light sweet notes is subtler then I would have expected. Taste is a good mix between some roasted malt notes with light dry bitterness notes mix in with some light oak and black chocolate notes. Port barrel is not that discernable and probably would not have noticed if it wasn’t for the mention on the bottle. Body is full with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Not bad though I think I would stick to with the regular Black Albert.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 19:02:33 | More by Phyl21ca

maximum12

Minnesota

4.48/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Another thanks goes out to beerisheaven for procuring this bottle thorugh his contacts in Narnia, Middle Earth, or wherever it is he gets all this great beer. 330CL bottle.

Pour is dead black & surprisingly carbonated, very frisky, & I'm forced to put mouth to foam to keep precious drops from being wasted. The moment the cap is minimally cracked, I whiff Kate, that distinct melding of port & malts. Roast, licorice, chocolate peek.

Kabert is like a hen's tooth: a collaboration that's as good or better than what the brewers originally put out. Large roast mingles with the port barrels as the big-sticks; the port is exquisite. Bitter chocolate & more licorice. The bitterness & port linger. Drinkable as drowning; bottle is already 4/5 gone, wishing the glass container had been bigger.

This doesn't have Marina Trench depth or in-your-face anything, but it's delicious. Kate was good not great for me - this here is what I was hoping for. Top-notch, excellent beer that's a shadow away from elite.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 02:51:16 | More by maximum12

Dudeabide

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Etan for the extra.

Served at room temperature.

A ~ pours black with a mocha large mocha head

S ~ the port barrels really come thru at room temperature, pleasant with hints of coffee.

T ~ Slightly boozy, lots of dark fruit, some light chocolate and very dry at the end

M ~ A bit over carbonated making the beer seem light bodied

O ~ I enjoy this beer at room temperature, I've only had it chilled once and didn't really care for it served that way, but room temperature I think it's a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 02:01:33 | More by Dudeabide

SFLpunk

Vermont

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to PSF for bringing this back for me from Belgium-land!

Bottle says aged in Port Barrels.

Pours a medium bodied black with fluffy tan head. Nose is like smoked meats with a hint of Worcestershire sauce. Palate is medium-light bodied with a faint acidity. Roasty and toasty, meats again on the palate, a hint of soy sauce...not the best...and then all of the sudden this beautiful plum and red fruit wave of flavor comes rolling in and makes it all make sense.

I came around on this in the end. The Port barrel makes this beer work.

(My disclaimer is that I have tasted Black Albert but not KTG.)

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 01:57:36 | More by SFLpunk

drabmuh

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Boozier than expected, shared at a recent tasting. Thanks, served in a snifter.

Beer is black with almost no head, no retention, no lacing, and low carbonation.

Aroma is boozy, sweet, syrup, alcohol.

Beer is simultaneously thick and thin, sweet and sticky. A nice beer all around. I'd have it again but it was a little too in my face for me, it was strong and sweet and oaky on the end. Decent very big stout.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 16:06:01 | More by drabmuh

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared generously by liamt07

Near black in colour, ring of reddish tan head, little lace on the glass. Smell is roasted and almost burn malt, bit of char, fruity (mostly dark fruits) with a bit of belgian yeast and liquorice, a bit of grape like port notes as well. Taste is very roasty with lots of fruity flavours, the barrel is a little more present than in the nose especially in the finish, grape and wine like flavours, a bit of chocolate, cherry and liquorice as well. Lightly carbonated, big full body, really nice feel. Have had Black Albert but never Kate on its own, this was quite the treat, really solid stuff and glad I got a crack at this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 22:19:35 | More by peensteen

Etan

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle into a snifter.

A: Pours a jet black with a huge dark chocolate head. This is how an RIS should look.

S: Stale coffee, mild chocolate, palpable vinous character from the port. Port character grows as it warms.

T: Lots of roasted grain and heavy oak. Slight chocolate, light grape skin and tannic liquor notes. Dark fruit. Gets sweeter and smoother as it warms. A bit boozy.

M: Viscous, but high carbonation hurts the thickness of the feel slightly.

O: Not the best blend, but the port character is nice.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 18:19:48 | More by Etan