Monk's Stout Dupont - Brasserie Dupont sprl

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.58/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle purchased from Plonk in Canberra.

Pours a very pleasant deep brown colour, with a very light weight body. Head forms in a huge, foamy crown of beige bubbles, leaving sudsy, thick uncooked-meringue lace. The weight is understandable but disappointing, otherwise it looks good.

Nose is oddly medicinal, with the sharp roasted characters mingling with what I can only assume is a Dupont saison or saison-like yeast, giving it a touch of funk and acidity. Hints of stewed cherries, chocolate, and a dusty musty undertone. Very interesting, and not unpleasant, once you get over the shock of it being far from a regular stout.

Taste is also very strange. It has a really clear, almost watery lightness to it, which is mirrored by a clear dusky roasted character, that doesn't dip or do anything really dynamic on the palate. It just stays as one long vector of char. There's a hint of that medicinal character throughout, which gives it a mild astringent fruit character, but the lack of body and sweetness almost turns it immediately bitter and a little unpleasant.

To be honest, I understand why this isn't that highly regarded. But it's a really interesting brew nonetheless. It has far more of that roast character than you ever see in a Belgian ale, but in most other respects it really falls into that style. As a result, it's a weird amalgam that doesn't really fit anywhere. That makes it challenging, but it also makes it quite fascinating.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 06:53:26 | More by lacqueredmouse

CaptainPiret

Tennessee

3.38/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Black as night with an immediate tan, fluffy and two-inch head. Looks like there's a ton of carbonation in this one.

S: Mostly dark roasted malts.

T: The malt really stands out, but there's a hint of some dark fruits (prunes come to mind) and an earthiness in the finish.

M: Pretty smooth, not as full as I was expecting.

O: Nothing spectacular, but this is an easy-drinking stout — don't mind putting down all 750 MLs on my own.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 23:56:35 | More by CaptainPiret

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Stella glass. 2011 printed on the cork. Speaking of the cork, as soon as I took the cage off, the cork nearly put a hole in my ceiling.

4.0 A: Fist pour gave a 15:1 ratio of head to liquid. Many minutes later, I ended up with a full glass. Black color. Three fingers of frothy beige head. Retention is very good, but no lacing is left.

2.5 S: Super dry roastiness and not much else.

3.5 T: The taste somehow appeals to me despite my realizing that it's quite simple and unimpressive. It's not nearly as dry as the nose suggests. It's moderately roasty with lots of graininess and enough neutral malt sweetness to put things together fairly well.

4.0 M: Light body. A bit overcarbonated, but reasonable after a few good swirls. This is actually quite creamy for how light it is. Not bad here.

3.5 D: I would never, ever buy this again, but I can't say I didn't enjoy it. It's not impressive in the least, but for some reason it's just what I wanted right now.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 05:05:37 | More by DavoleBomb

thierrynantes

France

3.75/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Beer bottle (33 cl.) purchased from Clem's, and tasted in 2012.

Appearance : red brown color, with tan foamy head.
Smell : fruity and malty aromas.
Taste and mouthfeel : roasted malt, with caramel notes. Lightly bitter finish.
Drinkability : a good beer in the style Belgian dark ale (not a Stout).

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 15:35:01 | More by thierrynantes

323Hudson

3.73/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

At the Merry Monk (Albany, NY)...

A - Looks like guiness but less clean, dark body and a nice tannish fluffy head.

S - Nothing there some roast and coffee.

T - Not bad, roasty with chocolate and coffee notes. An earthy finish from the Belgium yeast.

M - Not as big as the appearance, a bit light in the body for the head but increases drinkablity.

O - Good beer, with some eclectic combinations could have a few in one sitting.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2012 00:34:13 | More by 323Hudson

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

served on tap in a thin glass.

appears opaque black in color, with cream colored head. good head retention. mild dry roasty aroma. taste is similar, with thin body, lower carbonation. I would like some more body.

overall - reminded me of a dry Irish stout.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2012 04:09:24 | More by jmdrpi

Beerenauslese

California

3.65/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

33 cl bottle given to me in Brussels thanks to my friend Jan Peter.

Poured initially with a voluminous head, settled down into a thick foamy head over a dark brown, almost black body. Lots of sticky lacing.

Nose of roasted malt, nuts, coffee, butterscotch, wet wool, dark fruit.

Tastes of dark roasted malt, some coffee and dark fruit with a little acidity especially on the front palate. Light character.

Body is light and carbonation is smooth and round, giving this a creamy mouthfeel.

A nice expression of a stout, light in character, and quite drinkable, although lacking a bit of depth in taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 23:41:04 | More by Beerenauslese

drabmuh

Maryland

3.2/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Beer on draft at Churchkey in DC, served in a snifter. Beer is black with a thin lazy off white almost brown head of small bubbles, low carbonation and the head retention is low. It breaks quickly and pulls to the edges of the beer at the glass interface, leaving sparse lacing on the glass.

Aroma is mild, yeasty, a little roasty.

Beer is super thin and a little bitter, not much going on here, it is drinkable but unremarkable, not a repeat.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2012 20:53:46 | More by drabmuh

Docer

Washington

3.68/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: (4.0)
- Nice super dark cola brown with ruby violet/red shading. Nice light tan fingers of head settle to a foamy thin pollow with lace sticking all about the glass. A nice pretty stout.

Smell: (3.5)
- Nice dry bitter cocoa and coffee-like roasted malt.. not too strong as this is a mild stout. Nice clove and bready Belgian yeast touch. Not too bad, but subtle.

Taste: (3.5)
- Subtle esters, light roasted grain with a chocolate flare. Little earthy, grassy bitter, and bready yeast. Overall a nice light drinking stout.

Mouth Feel: (4.0)
- Rather light bodied, well carbonated, and a touch dry. Not at all chewy or cloying really. Light brew.

Overall: (4.0)
- This is a light stout for sure, and may throw a few people off thinking that this would be some big heavy stout. It's not, but a nice simple stout with a subtle Belgian twist. I like it, I feel it is solid, and one I would drink again. I just think I would be more likely to buy it if it were on tap at a lesser price.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 01:34:28 | More by Docer

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at Churchkey. Served in a snifter. Reviewed from notes.

Pours nearly black without any real head formation or lace. A good swirl brings a few mocha bubbles, but that's about it. The nose brings some nice roasted chocolate character with some slight Belgian-yeast aromatics. The flavor falls back with heavy roast; the chocolate and yeast are merely background noise. Medium body with a semi-dry finish that is a bit acrid. Decent.

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2012 03:16:29 | More by Thorpe429

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dupont Monk's Stout

25oz bottle, corked and caged. Opens with a vigorous pop. Pours a clear, dark brown with a light head consisting of lots of really tiny bubbles. Aroma is strange, mineral, tart, sour, metallic. In the taste, much different than the nose, with a good dose of lush chocolate, malted milk, roast and coffee grounds. Well balanced, though there is little hop flavor, just mild leafy notes. More cocoa, coffee and toast. Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied, smooth and creamy, finishing slightly dry. Overall, I was quite surprised with this one, a really nice find. A Belgian stout with some character.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 04:10:28 | More by Stinkypuss

dedrinker

Kansas

3.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Black pour, but not inky black.

Very mild in aroma - some light roast way in the back and some tart notes.

Not even a stout as we would understand it - very little roasty/coffee/chocolate flavor but more of a very clean, dry, light bodied affair with mildy tart, tangy notes.

Is this like a Saison Dupont/ Guinness black and tan?

Hehe, maybe.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2012 04:39:04 | More by dedrinker

ElGordo

Oregon

3.23/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from the 22oz bottle into a chalice. Body is a deep dark brown with a smallish creamy white head that doesn't stick around for very long. Aroma of dark malt with a good bit of roasty character, along with a good bit of funk from the saison yeast and some notes of lactose and sourness.
Palate is a bit flat. Dark malt, a slight hoppy bitterness, and a touch of lactose up front give way to the saison yeast on the swallow. Funky, tangy yeast and a bit of dark fruit flavor come through on the finish. Body is a little thin, especially if a stout is the proscribed style here. A slightly chalky note on the finish also isn't particularly pleasant.
I'm a bit disappointed in this one. I love the other beers from DuPont, so I guess my expectations were a little high. Oh well, they can't all be winners.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 04:46:46 | More by ElGordo

Jeffo

Netherlands

3/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Got this at Bert's Bierhuis in Utrecht.

From a bottle into a snifter

APPEARANCE: Pours a big, three finger, fluffy, medium looking, light tan head with good retention. Bistre brown in color, almost black, with a higher levels of carbonation evident. Head slowly fades to a thick foam cap and coats the sides of the glass. A foam cap remains and leaves some decent, chunky lacing down the glass. Decent looking, though the head is a little out of control.

SMELL: Some roasted malts, caramel notes, licorice and some dark fruits. Raisins and dates mostly. Bolder nose and pleasant enough.

TASTE: Milder flavors and not much up front at all really. Some roasted and caramel notes through the middle and then some licorice, cocoa powder and dark fruits at the swallow. A bolder aftertaste of roasted cocoa, some spicy yeast and hop bitterness lingers nicely. A nice finish, but an uneventful start. Very Belgian as well.

PALATE: Medium body and higher levels of carbonation. Very, very light on the palate, but creamy enough. Goes down fine and finishes slightly dry on the palate. Just too light for a stout, and even for a Belgian dark ale.

OVERALL: Another Belgian style stout that is neither good nor awful. Not off-putting by any sense of the imagination, but also not memorable or worth re-visiting on purpose. Might as well pass on this and try something else.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 11:39:41 | More by Jeffo

rudzud

Massachusetts

2.8/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Sampled at a Julio's tasting.

A - Pours a thick dark brown with nearly no head/lacing. While I know this is a dark ale, don't market it on the front as a stout. Looks incredibly average/underwhelming.

S - Smell is fairly average too. Slgiht roasted malts and super faint chocolate, like a watered down ice cofee. There were some light grains as well (wheat).

T - Taste is similar to the nose, faint chocolate and coffee. Very flat and watery tasting. Just dissappointing.

M - Mouthfeel is rather thin and watery. Not think and chewy like a stout, nor is it full bodied like a dark ale. Just a muddled mess.

O - Overall this beer really is fairly mediocre at best. Glad I didnt buy a bottle of this and only had to stomach the small pour of this stuff. Ugh.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 19:54:54 | More by rudzud

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Nose-filling aroma has firm tones of charred wood and yeast with a hint of licorice. It pours a deep opaque sable with a fairly thick tan head. Smoky, malty flavor has tones of molasses, caramel and roast coffee with a licorice hint. Texture is a teensy on the thin side but strongly tingly. Overall, if not the best porter available, a worthy beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 00:47:38 | More by Cyberkedi

corby112

Pennsylvania

1.65/5  rDev -50%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Draft at Monk's Cafe in Philadelphia.

Pours a very dark chestnut brown color that's black in the glass with a half finger beige head that slowly settles into lasting ring.  Spotty lacing left behind.

Roasted malt aroma with faint earthy hops and estery dark fruits.  Hints of dark chcolate, pepper and coffee countered by plum, raisin and other dark fruits.  

Thin bodied and watery with lots of tight carbonation(slight oxidization) that lingers throughout making it tough to drink.    Some roasted chocolate malt but its very dry and flavorless with subtle metallic and cardboard.  Really unpleasant to drink.  I was told by two different bartenders and another BA that this is the way the beer tasted.  Not infected, just not very good.   I'm not so sure but either way it tastes pretty awful.

Serving type: on-tap

12-12-2011 03:43:24 | More by corby112

ginemesis

North Carolina

3.28/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

A- Dark like my soul, with a decent head.
S- Roasty, like smelling an iced coffee.
T- Like drinking a cold, carbonated Americano... with no water. Starts really strong upfront, but there is something lacking and light in the aftertaste.
M- Despite the flavors of a stout, it feels far lighter in your mouth. Not so bad that I wouldn't drink it, but disappointing nontheless.
O- Coffeeish.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 01:28:40 | More by ginemesis

mrfrancis

Kentucky

2.4/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours a nearly opaque black with subtle amber highlights and a creamy, tan mousse. My initial impression is that this looks like a solid stout.

S: The smell is odd to say the least. It's very yeasty with banana and spice esters that remind me of a Bavarian hefeweizen or weizenbock, but these quickly give way to muted aromas of roasted grain and weak, watery coffee.

T: From the nose, this beer goes downhill even further. Brief notes of banana, spices, and dark chocolate are tailed by flavors of mineral water, coffee, molasses, overripe cherry, and roasted grain. The finish is virtually nonexistent with a bitter roasted grain flavor.

M: Very light bodied. It's initially dry, but gets a little sticky and syrupy around mid-palate before drying out again on the finish. Carbonation is very active. This beer feels poorly balanced and insubstantial in the mouth.

O: Before trying this beer I could safely say that Brasserie Dupont does not produce a single bad beer, but now I can't say that. My respect for the brewery keeps me from giving this unfortunate accident an absolutely stinging review, but it really is pretty awful. It's like someone who had never tasted a stout, but had perhaps seen a few Guinness advertisements, decided to brew a stout. With the exception of color, this beer has nothing in common with real stouts. What was the brewing team at Dupont thinking?

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 14:19:44 | More by mrfrancis

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in an Innis and Gunn cervoise.

With DuPont's reputation as a saison brewer, it's interesting to see something this dark come out from their way. It pours a deep black-brown, translucent at the edges evincing a mild bit o' dark garnet, topped by about two fingers of dusty khaki foam. The nose comprises roasted malts (very husk-y, I might add), light chocolate powder, and toasted wheat. The taste goes further down the roasty road, with heavy roasted malts, darkly-toasted wheat, and what seems like lightly acridly bitter coffee. Things are a bit harsh here. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and one of the driest finishes I've ever seen in a stout. The dryness doesn't help the bitterness any... Overall, I can't say I'm a fan of this beer. It's too burnt, too roasty, for its own good.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 03:23:29 | More by TMoney2591

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.03/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle: Poured a black color stout with a large off-white foamy head with good retention and some good lacing. Aroma of light roasted malt with notes of the typical Belgian malt used by Dupont. Taste is a mix between some dry roasted malt with a solid malt backbone and light dry esters of black chocolate. Body is somewhat thin with great carbonation. OK though I have a huge preference for Dupont regular saison over this.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 21:43:13 | More by Phyl21ca

dlello2

Illinois

2.42/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A - Dark brown letting some red through on the edges. Doesn't look very thick at all. Root beer float-like head is persistent. Lacing is huge.

S - Hmm. Kind of gross. Alcohol smell comes through but on the whole it smells old. All of the smells I get are faint/only hinted at.

T - Watery mouthfeel. Not unpleasant. Wow there is not much going on here. Bottle says "deep aromas of black coffee" as you drink and I'm not getting any of that. It also says "roasted bitterness..." this does hit me but disappears quickly.

O - This was disappointing. I wouldn't get this again. Really boring, and what I did find interesting about this beer was not that pleasant. No aftertaste lingers.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 15:15:11 | More by dlello2

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

On Tap at Teresa's Next Door.

Dupont's Stout pours in the tulip black creating a dark black look in the vessel. That takes care of that. A dense like cream colored inch of foam up top with good retention, yet no stick. Smell is english yeast up to the max. Interesting to see a Belgian brewery take on this style. More smells- peat, smoke, chocolate, vanilla and cream. Taste is pretty much stated above in the taste portion. The english ingredients take hold alot. Cocco, vanilla, cream and peat influence. Feel is light bodied with tight carb that's not bitey, yet there is a sourness towards the end which kills it. I like this low alcohol and light bodied stout, but it tastes a bit disjointed and the aftertaste is horrid.

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2011 06:28:47 | More by onix1agr

Halcyondays

California

3.08/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours a dark brown to black with a medium tan head, nice retention and lace.

S: Chocolate and mocha, nice full notes of malt, hint of molasses.

T: Thin bittersweet chocolate, some brown sugar and a hint of mission fig. Not a bad flavour, but not expansive, a disappointment with the promise of the nose.

M: Medium-bodied, pretty smooth, creanmy, soft carbonation.

O: I love Dupont, Saison Dupont is a modern classic, and they make a lot of good beer. I loved the new witbier I recently had from them. This just isn't that good. Bland and uninspiring unfortunately.

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2011 02:30:14 | More by Halcyondays

impending

California

2.38/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

SF Toronado. Served in a tulip, midnight black, zero transparency, mocha colored head, little lacing.

Aroma is underwhelming, no sense of the dynamic Dupont yeast. A little charred bittersweet chocolate. Bland.

Massive disappointment the flavor is. This is a bland english stout indeed and no more. Zero adventure. The massive disappointment is with Dupont, their imprint is no where to be found. Nothing of note. In light of this mediocrity the cost is absurd.

I am a believer in Brasserie Dupont.
cheers
jd

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2011 00:37:57 | More by impending