White Label Imperial Russian Stout - Rum Barrel-Aged
Brouwerij Emelisse

330ml bottle at Arendsnest Proeflokaal, Amsterdam (€7.50):
This one was a real pleasure to drink, an incredibly smooth and drinkable beer despite the huge alcohol content. There was a lot of flavour packed into the beer and as a result it went down easily whilst managing to rank alongside some of the better American brewed imperial stouts that I've tried in the past; excellent stuff.

Got this one at the De Molen Beer shop in Bodegraven.

From a bottle into a snifter
EBC: 110
EBU: 75
25 degrees Plato

APPEARANCE: Clear black body yields a cascading, very small, bubbly, light tan head with half decent retention. Pours somewhat flat perhaps. Head fades to a swirly wisp and bubbly ring. Clear black body with no carbonation evident. Looks flat by the end.

SMELL: Bold nose with lots of rum, cane sugar, oak, vanilla and sweet cream. Very sugary, like burnt sugar, and somewhat boozy. Aromatic for sure.

TASTE: Milk chocolate, sweet cream, some oak and sugary rum up front. More rum and alcohol into the swallow with a bolder and lingering finish of oak, sweet cream, milk chocolate, burnt sugar and slightly boozy rum barrel. Pretty flavorful and plenty sugary sweet and boozy. Good.

PALATE: Fuller body and very low levels of carbonation. Smooth and slick on the palate, goes down smooth with a bit of a scratch at the swallow and finishes quite sticky. A bit of heat lingers. Plenty smooth and slick, but needs a touch more carbonation.

OVERALL: Not bad, but nothing overly special. Unfortunately this one is a little under-carbonated, which leaves it a little flat and lifeless. Flavor is nice and it’s got character, but the supporting cast didn’t quite turn up.

Delicious iperial stout with dominating flavors of the barrel it sat in - Rum. Very alcoholic but not of the fusel kind. Roast is there but quite restrained for the type. A great sipper. Could be more complex.