Stouterik - Brasserie de la Senne

jamie2dope

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I am a big fan of rich imperial stouts, so lets see how one stands up with lower ABV than usual. Stouterik pours out a dark brown color, with a finger of white heading. Light earthy notes comes forth from the smell, as well as cocoa, milk and caramel. Milk chocolate comes in the front of the flavor, followed by a hint of char and bitter coffee (think cafe con leche). Mouthfeel is light and refreshing for a stout, not something one sees very often. Drinkability is superb, even sessionable in many respects. Talk about a stout that is pushing the boundaries in the opposite direction of most. Rather than high ABV and exotic ingredients, De La Senne succeeds with a low alcohol stout that is complex enough on its own. A must try as far as I am concerned for any self proclaimed stout lover out there.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2010 08:07:00 | More by jamie2dope

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Recently stumbled across my notes from The Festival 2012. Lets do this!

A - Poured a very nice deep rich black with a very thick, dense and creamy head that fades to leave thick creamy side lacing. Just wonderful.

S - Aromas of coffee, rich chocolate, light malty sweetness, maybe some honey. Very, very nice.

T - Taste is solid, very nice roasted malts, gentle bitter coffee notes. Light, light dark fruits here. Bit on the sweet side.

M - Mouthfeel is quite smooth and creamy. Very nice for the ABV.

O - Overall, a solid stout out of Belgium. Have to pick up a bottle of this.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 23:53:50 | More by rudzud

baybum

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +6.4%

06-07-2013 15:13:41 | More by baybum

Bnoise11

California

4/5  rDev +6.4%

06-01-2013 04:07:12 | More by Bnoise11

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.34/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Always been interested in this beer as I am with most stouts. Never knew it was only 4.5% and an Irish Dry style Stout, always nice to try things beyond the Imperials and adjunct infused ones.

A- Poured from the bottle into a standard sized tulip. The black bodied beer looks thinner coming out of the glass than most American stouts, something one would expect. A MASSIVE head forms to about two inches in height and retains like whipped cream. The cap eventually falls to a frothy ring and cloud and leaves a large amount of itself behind on the glass. Blankets of lace.

S- Malt forward aroma with a dry roast grain feel and a good toasted nutty note right there with the very dark stuff. Some dark fruit and from the nose it doesn't seem the least bit sweet.

T- Dry roast malt with some bitterness comes through with a grainy feel as the major flavor to me but nutty and toasted biscuit hints add good malt complexity. The roast malt brings some coffee and chocolate hints but not sweet and dessert-like. Yeast strain seems Belgian and adds fig, raisin and spicy hints lending another layer of good flavors.

MF- Feels light like a cloud and dried out on the palate but a good creaminess when agitated, not thin at all. High carbonation foams up nicely adding to the nice creamy feel. Dry roast bitterness lingers in the finish.

Actually impressively multi-dimensional for a 4.5% stout. The chocolate flavor builds a lot with time and some warmth but the yeast still shines. Best example of the style I have tried thus far.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 02:53:47 | More by cbutova

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.8/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

On-tap at Moeder Lambic on 4/7/2013. Pours a deep brown with light highlights at the base. Head is rocky, 1.5 inches, dense and khaki-colored. The lacing on this beer is incredible and creates a basket weave pattern along the walls of the glass. Nose expresses dark malts, lactose, artificial sweetener, a roasty quality and perhaps a kiss of vanilla. Taste is roasty/earthy with some char, lactose sweetenss and some hops bittering towards the back the lingers between quaffs. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body, but closer to light, with an even carbonation - nothing spectacular, but spot on for what it should be. Overall, a solid low abv stout, but not something I need to revisit.

Serving type: on-tap

04-17-2013 00:14:43 | More by Jwale73

acevenom

Louisiana

3.78/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a snifter glass. The beer pours dark brown to black with a thick, light tan head. The beer smells of dark roasted malt, chocolate, and fig. It's an interesting smelling stout. The taste follows the nose with some nice back end bitterness. The dark roasted malts also give some nice roasty flavors to the beer. The chocolate and light fig flavor also comes through. The body is light with moderate carbonation. The finish is dry. This is an easy stout to drink. This is a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 00:44:31 | More by acevenom

adamant1912

Michigan

4/5  rDev +6.4%

03-27-2013 21:48:04 | More by adamant1912

WDJersey

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -0.3%

01-12-2013 05:57:44 | More by WDJersey

beerhawk41

Illinois

1.5/5  rDev -60.1%

01-09-2013 03:04:11 | More by beerhawk41

Samp01

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle. Pours a hazy dark brown with a small quickly dissipating tan head. Aroma is of dry dark roasted malt, chocolate with a bit of dark dried fruity esters. Taste is sweet dry roasted chocolate malt flavored with some mild bitterness. Palate is a medium body with some good carbonation. Finishes with a dry roasted dark cacao malt with some bitterness on the end for balance. Overall not the best in class but a good respectable brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 23:28:05 | More by Samp01

GRUUMSH

Belgium

4/5  rDev +6.4%

12-29-2012 07:54:37 | More by GRUUMSH

MAUEX_MFA

Rhode Island

4.25/5  rDev +13%

12-22-2012 19:41:08 | More by MAUEX_MFA

Dennoman

Belgium

4.13/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Fresh 2012 bottle, poured into a tulip glass.

A: As good as a traditional dry stout is going to look. Black with deep ruby hues. Beautiful thick and creamy head that dissolves into a nice lasting half a finger. Textbook as they go.

S: Notes of coffee, dark chocolate, toasted grains and honey. Some nice dark fruitiness from the yeast. Amazing aroma for a session stout.

T: Rich and toasty, with mostly bready, biscuity notes which are beefed up by nice and bitter coffee. No real hops coming in to play, but a stout doesn't need that for me. The roasted malts and fruity yeast do a great job at balancing at carrying this beer. Perhaps a tad sweeter than I would like it to be, but this is as close to perfection in the style as I've ever had from a dry stout.

M: Medium to light carbonation makes this beer very smooth. I guarantee no burps while drinking this somewhat quickly. I know this, because I simply couldn't stop drinking it after the first sip. It slides down your throat so easily, I guess you could consider it somewhat dangerous.

O: Having tried a fair few, this is hands down the best session stout I've ever had. I hate the fact this isn't widespread on nitro, because it would whipe the floor with the watery cold low-grade coffee that a lot of people think typify the genre. As a relatively cheap session beer, this is quite simply glorious. Something you could, and probably would, drink all night, every night. Absolutely amazing and another great effort from the people at De La Senne, who are rapidly rising to well-earnt superstar status here in Belgium.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 21:39:07 | More by Dennoman

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours an opaque very dark amber in color (almost black) with some faint brown highlights and very light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall foamy tan head that very slowly fades to a thin film covering the entire surface with a couple of small slightly thicker patches and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of roasted malts with some lighter amounts of Belgian yeast.

T: Moderate flavors of roasted malts with some lighter notes of Belgian yeast and dark chocolate. Just more than light amounts of lingering bitterness.

M: Light bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Airy and very dry with lots of lingering dryness in the finish and just a hint of chalkiness.

O: This is a very enjoyable beer and an interesting one with the Belgian yeast in the Irish Dry Stout - I found the complexity of the flavor and the mouthfeel to really be the best parts of this beer. The alcohol is well hidden and it is easy to drink.

Note: Had this beer to celebrate @metter98's birthday - since he is an enjoyer of stouts and his name is Erik.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 01:29:52 | More by dbrauneis

RichH55

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +13%

11-27-2012 15:35:27 | More by RichH55

metter98

New York

3.78/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is very dark amber in color when held up to a bright light and black when viewed from afar. It poured with a finger high dark beige head that has good retention properties and consistently left a thin head covering the surface and lots of lacy rings of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of roasted malts and Belgian yeast in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell but also has some added notes of chocolate. Slight hints of bitterness are present in the finish.
M: It feels light-bodied, airy and very dry on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. The finish has a lot of lingering dryness from the roasted malts and some hints of chalkiness from the yeast.
O: This beer is very easy to drink and sessionable. The Belgian yeast makes the taste a little more interesting when compared to other Irish Dry Stouts.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 02:21:51 | More by metter98

samEBC

Belgium

3.75/5  rDev -0.3%

11-06-2012 20:38:08 | More by samEBC

LJWalker

Alabama

3/5  rDev -20.2%

10-13-2012 21:08:43 | More by LJWalker

abex44

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -0.3%

09-17-2012 04:38:29 | More by abex44

brandon911

Texas

4/5  rDev +6.4%

09-16-2012 20:56:23 | More by brandon911

TheDarkestYouveGot

3.75/5  rDev -0.3%

09-04-2012 00:12:38 | More by TheDarkestYouveGot

maximep

New York

4.03/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- pretty dark, one finger khaki head that disappears pretty quickly after settling. settles into a khaki ring. dark brew. when held up to the light, it's dark brown. not a engine oil stout. little disappointed with the head

S- roasted malts, toffee, caramel sharp ale yeast smell

T- really nice. same notes as smell, but also had a nice coffee chocolatiness to it. very complex for a sessionable beer. even picked up a little plum and leatheryness to it in the smell as i drank.

M- nice, lower medium body. perfect session feel. big bubbles. great beer to drink.

O- really glad i tried this one. fun and easy drinking, i wouldn't turn down another bottle of this in a second.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 23:21:10 | More by maximep

bigd84

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +6.4%

08-09-2012 23:46:47 | More by bigd84

drabmuh

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on draft at Churchkey, a fine stout, but nothing special here. Beer is black / dark brown with a thin head of small brown bubbles, some lacing, moderate retention, looks fine.

Aroma is mildly roast, some malt.

Beer is medium in body, light on the finish, mildly bitter from the roast, otherwise it is just a stout, well made and I'd have it again but nothing special here.

Serving type: on-tap

08-03-2012 18:00:50 | More by drabmuh