Negen & Eén
Brouwerij De Molen

Copenhagen 15/8 2020. 33 cl bottle from J. S Rasch Vinhandel, Stengade, Helsingør. De Molens usual label design with a white label, the little logo with the wind mill and a lot of descriptive text.

Pours opaque dark brown with a small beige head. Stable. Settles as thin patch of foam unable to cover the surface of the beer. No lacing.

Aroma is medium intense with a heavy, sweet and boozy odor in front and a more earthy and spicy scent underneath. Brown sugar, cocoa and alcohol. Leather and wet soil. Bitter licorice.

Light carbonation. Thick, viscous, smooth, soft, lightly tingling texture.

Flavor is intense with a fairly strong sweetness followed by a medium strong bitterness. Aftertaste is bitter sweet where the sweetness has a small upper hand. Lingering. Finish is sweet and boozy.

Powerful Imperial Stout with enough flavor to justify the ABV - but I never forget I am drinking a heavy weight beer when it comes to ABV.

Bottled 24-08-18. Black, thin layer of brown foam. Smells a bit like double salted licorice. Nice thickness, but could be stickier. Taste is some licorice, a bit salty, llittle roasty. Some of the aloe vera shows, not bothering. Tasty but bit boring.

Got this one from the liquor store in Maarssen

From a bottle into a snifter
24.8* Plato
EBC: 333
EBU: 27
ABV: 11.7%
10th Edition of Borefts Special
Spiced Imperial Stout

APPEARANCE : Clear black pour yields a one finger, fizzy and foamy tan head with okay retention. Black body with some carbonation evident. Head recedes to a splotchy wisp and ring. Touches of wisp and a ring remain until the end but leave no real lacing down the glass. Decent looking though the foamy head is a little out of place.

SMELL: Lots of leather, anise, black licorice, black berries, a good dose of prunes and some spices on the nose. Bold for sure, though not overly enticing.

TASTE: Black berries, leather, some anise and light spices up front. Prunes as well, with some cardboard staleness at the swallow as well. Medium but lingering finish of blackberries, prunes, leather and black licorice on the palate. Not all that spicy here.

PALATE: Thinner body and foamier on the palate. Airy and bubbly. Goes down okay and finishes a bit mouth-coating. This is rather thin, light and airy, unfortunately.

OVERALL: Not that great at all. If this is spiced, then it is only spiced in spirit, and if it is a big, thick imperial stout, then you could have fooled me. Sometimes I think they should just use the base stout for H&V and do with it as they please, as this big, black beer just seems too foamy and bubbly to really satisfy. Leaving all that aside, the spiced element to this one doesn’t come through all that well, except if that prune, leather quality is from the spices. Then it comes through loud and clear, which I would consider a bad thing. In the end, this is not that great, and reminds me why I kind of got away from this brewery. Pass on this one and try their recent Gekken & Dwazen BA, which is the De Molen of old. Cheers!