Buffalo Belgian Stout - Brouwerij Van den Bossche

PorterLambic

Florida

4.88/5  rDev +35.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours smoothly and black as night. Smallish head, tan in color. Drops to a thin layer across with a thicker rim.
Smell is malty, dryish note, sweet and peat with a note of whiskey-like alcohol.
Taste is roasted malt, chocolate, with a solid alcohol presence, hops in back, dark fruits, a very fruitcake-like set of flavors.Well balanced on the palate as well as in the nose.
Smooth like velvet, full-bodied, chewy, warming throughout. This ain't your mama's Guinness. It has oomph and body and a real "you will notice me!" presence. A truly wonderful brew along the line of a Russian Imperial Stout while still being distinctly different. A rich, sipping, dessert of a beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2010 01:10:03 | More by PorterLambic

Ciocanelu

Romania

3.5/5  rDev -3%

05-09-2013 12:24:48 | More by Ciocanelu

wrightst

Maryland

4/5  rDev +10.8%

04-08-2013 00:49:01 | More by wrightst

RD1163

California

3.5/5  rDev -3%

04-06-2013 03:54:30 | More by RD1163

korene84

California

3/5  rDev -16.9%

04-04-2013 23:44:59 | More by korene84

Sparky44

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%

04-04-2013 01:42:37 | More by Sparky44

weazal

California

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

SMELL: Yeasty cherry heavy tacky aroma similar to molasses and cocoa. Real slight citrus.

TASTE: Explosively full mouthfeel. Immediately big and creamy with sharp champagne-y carbonation biting on the way out. Mostly dark cherry flavor with creamy, but not-too-sweet caramel. Everything leaves the palate pretty quick, with a slight, but pleasant after taste. Drinkability is high, which is surprising for a Belgium AND stout.

It's nice, has a uniquely contrasting mouthfeel, and easy to keep enjoying. Maybe not the most incredible flavor but a solid B+

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 01:42:06 | More by weazal

Garlicjosh

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +31.6%

02-08-2013 07:03:54 | More by Garlicjosh

djrn2

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%

01-24-2013 18:43:39 | More by djrn2

Budinetz

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +38.5%

01-16-2013 23:33:17 | More by Budinetz

brendaniel

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +17.7%

12-22-2012 00:35:16 | More by brendaniel

Marius

Romania

3.5/5  rDev -3%

11-11-2012 15:54:32 | More by Marius

kojevergas

California

3.7/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

8.00%. Bottle served into a Buffalo goblet in Belgium. Reviewed from notes taken in June 2011.

A: Pours a five finger head of fairly tan colour, lovely brilliant cream, incredible thickness, and amazing retention for the ABV. Colour is a dark nontransparent brown-black.

Sm: Chocolate, toffee, yeast, nuts.

T: Chocolate, toffee, a hint of biscuity yeast, and some nutty notes. A delightful dark malt backbone. Complex and well-balanced. I like it, though the build is not what I've come to expect of a stout.

Mf: Smooth and wet, but nicely coarse on the climax to bring out the flavour. I'd prefer it dry and coarse. Good carbonation.

Dr: Delightfully drinkable and enjoyable. A fantastic beer in the style and one I'd definitely have again. Very well priced in Belgium. Every beer fanatic should give this one a try! Hides its ABV very well.

B

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 20:37:59 | More by kojevergas

thagr81us

South Carolina

2.78/5  rDev -23%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served from tap into a Trappe Door tulip. Poured a deep red brown with a two finger very light tan head that subsided to one finger slowly. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, fruit, roasted malt, charred malt, floral, and cream. The flavor was of sweet malt, cream, coffee, roasted malt, and charred malt. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a fairly average brew. Charred malt… Phew! How I do not like you at all. Because of this fact I really struggled my way through this one. There was a good bit going on in the aroma which was a welcomed changed from the charred note, but definitely not enough to dig it out of the hole that it had dug. I would not suggest this one to anyone I was hanging out with.

Serving type: on-tap

09-14-2012 11:56:21 | More by thagr81us

Blackwolf

3.03/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served on tap into a flute.

First off the restaurant was decent (The Back Abby in Claremont CA)
They had a great selection of Belgian's but a few I wanted on tap were not available =/

As for this belgian-stout, I was expecting a lot more than what I got, judging by their excellent belgian collection I would think that any different style of beer would be just as tasty.

A- By far the "best" characteristic was the color in my opinion. A darkened hazeled almost deep brown hue. The head was almost dissipated by the time it arrived to my table, but from what I caught, it was a light LIGHT, very milk chocolate head. NO lacing at all out of my glass.

S- Light fruits, a fair yeast and a caress of lightly balanced alcohol in it. Not a strong point in this "stout."

T- Again, sweet light fruits, not as malty as I would want from a stout... A sweet/sour finish with a tad bit of alcohol spice in it. Not too impressive for the style, but decent.

MF- Light body with a medium-light carbonation. Yet again nothing interesting here. Even the alcohol finish bottomed out quickly from my palate.

O- For the price I paid on this I expected a just above average beer. This could be described as an average attempt on a belgian-stout to a just below average taste that I would DEFINITELY not spend 8 bucks on a flute for again. This may be a beer you would like to try for a reasonable price. And considering the history on it I was very intrigued, but again, for an affordable price it is considerable, not even a must. Even if you are a fan of belgians and stouts... Still... Just considerable.

Serving type: on-tap

09-04-2012 07:10:40 | More by Blackwolf

beerpadawan

California

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%

08-27-2012 18:36:54 | More by beerpadawan

Greywulfken

New York

3.95/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: I didn't expect this beer to be classified as a BSDA - and it doesn't look like one - only during the pour will you notice it doesn't look like a stout - looks like an American black ale with a deep brown color; in the glass, pitch black with a tan head and lotsa lace

S: chocolate malts, little fruit; brighter yeasts and hops

T: yeast and hops percolate through dark malt with subdued fruit and coffee flavors

M: drying despite some chewy malt sugars - a very fizzy, crisp beer - especially for a stout, but then again this is a "Belgian stout"; thinner in body than a stout (too thin/watery for my tastes)

O: interesting ale - meets in the middle between a stout and a black ale, but with the brightness and lightness of a Belgian (pale) ale. If there were a category of beers called Belgian black ales, this would be one.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 23:30:19 | More by Greywulfken

Aupuch

4.25/5  rDev +17.7%

07-01-2012 04:12:32 | More by Aupuch

g35rider

4.5/5  rDev +24.7%

06-27-2012 22:10:56 | More by g35rider

jera1350

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Corked and caged 750 that gushed upon opening. A barely transparent dark brown color with a billowy head of tan foam that leaves globs sticking to the glass.

Sweet syrupy malt smell. Some toffee, caramel and raisin in there.

Raisiny prune sweetness up front that is washed away by a long roasty coffee taste. Some undertones of caramel and toffee with boozy coffee finish and aftertaste. Damn tasty.

A bit thin for a beer of this size, dry and heavily carbonated.

This is a nice brew. I was pleasantly surprised at the big coffee/alcohol thing going on in the taste. Quite enjoyable, glad I had the chance to try it.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 03:21:50 | More by jera1350

Heretic42

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -3%

06-03-2012 14:07:53 | More by Heretic42

BigLittleHokis

California

4.75/5  rDev +31.6%

05-21-2012 02:01:59 | More by BigLittleHokis

arollins

4/5  rDev +10.8%

05-07-2012 00:31:57 | More by arollins

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Another from the stout tasting yesterday. All notes naturally.

Pour is very dark black with a decent white head.

The smell is totally dominated by the yeast. Its on the fruity side. I cant get a ton of dark malt yet, but well see.

The taste is just the same. Fruity Belgian yeast dominates. Dark malt is slightly watery, I wanted it to be thicker and have a way thicker mouthfeel. But I did get a complex stout, but Im not sure Im happy with it.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 20:10:37 | More by VncentLIFE

VierBier

Netherlands

3/5  rDev -16.9%

03-25-2012 20:19:01 | More by VierBier