To Øl / Omnipollo Brewmance - De Proefbrouwerij (bvba Andelot)

defect_

Sweden

4.75/5  rDev +10.5%

06-15-2013 18:19:32 | More by defect_

Boston_Steve

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +4.7%

05-23-2013 19:08:34 | More by Boston_Steve

DerekMorgan

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +10.5%

05-22-2013 04:50:46 | More by DerekMorgan

HomerS

Sweden

3.5/5  rDev -18.6%

05-19-2013 19:20:04 | More by HomerS

soccerfancooch

Wisconsin

5/5  rDev +16.3%

05-17-2013 04:14:46 | More by soccerfancooch

2bet

Norway

4/5  rDev -7%

05-12-2013 18:18:43 | More by 2bet

gueuzedreg

Colorado

4/5  rDev -7%

04-28-2013 00:01:39 | More by gueuzedreg

Colosdog

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -7%

04-24-2013 01:06:16 | More by Colosdog

Dope

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Pitch-black pour with a dense, very dark brown head. Nice legs. Head fades at a moderate pace. Lots of sticky thin streaks of lacing left behind. Great head retention.

S: Lots of big bourbon notes. Caramel, burnt marshmallows, toffee and charred wood. Quite sweet, lots of honey when swirled.

T: Bourbon up front with toffee, sweet caramel and oaky vanilla. Lots of honey too, specially initially. Wonderful chocolate and mild char notes. Bitter chocolate, a little char and even a little coffee and anise in the finish. Lots of drying charred oak in the lingering aftertaste. Long lingering ashy char for sure.

M: Pretty big and heavy. Nice and smooth.

O: Nice, better than I was expecting. Big bourbon barrel stout with honey, how can you go wrong? Bourbon isn't super strong like a BCBS but it's not completely muted either. Adds nice layers of flavors I think; complimentary. Definitely on the ashy side of a stout, something to watch out for if you dislike that style.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 02:34:15 | More by Dope

GRG1313

California

4.5/5  rDev +4.7%

04-05-2013 07:00:30 | More by GRG1313

SFLpunk

Vermont

4.5/5  rDev +4.7%

04-03-2013 05:02:58 | More by SFLpunk

bradfordjohnson

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%

04-01-2013 05:24:27 | More by bradfordjohnson

Sunnanek

Sweden

4/5  rDev -7%

03-30-2013 16:50:14 | More by Sunnanek

JAHMUR

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -7%

03-28-2013 18:18:36 | More by JAHMUR

chip416

Illinois

4/5  rDev -7%

03-27-2013 03:45:13 | More by chip416

kaelingirl

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +10.5%

03-25-2013 00:43:24 | More by kaelingirl

MaseFace

Kentucky

4.5/5  rDev +4.7%

03-22-2013 00:01:15 | More by MaseFace

Hultkrantz

Sweden

3.75/5  rDev -12.8%

03-18-2013 01:35:31 | More by Hultkrantz

analienacorn

Florida

5/5  rDev +16.3%

03-15-2013 05:04:10 | More by analienacorn

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Strong is the bond that binds the love that Omnipollo and To Øl have for eachother. Equally as strong is the beer that's conceived from that love. I'm sure that we could wax poetically about this collaborative ale, but instead let's jump right into the nuts and bolts of the beer.

Black. Simple and pure the beer is a hazy black concoction that's bold, confident, and very masculine to the eye. A dense, creamy, ivory head rises through the viscous elixir and settles into a thick blanket of foam which retains firmly and laces delicately on the glass.

Strongly roasted aromas hit the nose with bold espresso, charred toast, cocoa, and roasted nuts. It's roasted character is supported with a somewhat sweeter backdrop of burnt toffee, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla. Singed hops allow for a light herb and grass undertow that comes to life as the beer settles in a bit, and rides along side of growing bourbon alcohol.

Flavors are every bit as strong as the taste of charred grains, campfire, burnt embers, coffee and cocoa imply acrid roast flavors. But just as soon as the beer demonstrates light ash, the rise of sweet toffee, chocolate, and malted milkshakes rise from its depth and sooth its taste to balance. From middle palate on, the roast and sweetness recedes and allows oak, vanilla, cherry, caramel and alcohol to reveal its bourbony cocoon. Medium bittered, the finish concludes with both hop and coffee bite.

Viscous and rich in mouthfeel, the beer's assured fullness gives both a marshmallowy and powdery dryness. Mild ash and wood-derived astringency assists in dryness until hops and alcohol take over in the beer's extended aftertaste. Echos of ash and smoke continue to reward the taste long after the beer has finished.

There's a point where I thought that the enormity of char would hurl the balance way over to the ashy and smoky side. But the rebuttal of malt and bourbon support saves the beer and makes it highly enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 18:32:53 | More by BEERchitect