Ceci N'est Pas Une Stout
't Hofbrouwerijke

 

"OH, mais si," I want to say -- this is definitely a stout. I hope I'm wrong about it being a one-off, but it's not on the brewer's website, and it hasn't seen a lot of shelf traffic at least in greater Brussels, so, we'll see. Anyway. Ebony with a cloud of flan-colored foam of tiny bubbles, which is great, but not very leggy. Mild rootbeer-y smell, sweet licorice, chicory coffee, but not tons of it. Flavors of roast coffee with a bit of brown sugar in there, some drying herbal sensation, and a welcome bitter finish that develops post-swallow. The mouthfeel has more carbonation than meets the eye, and is on the thin side of the style. Then again, it's refreshing to have a new stout that's not imperialed and boozy (don't get me wrong, keep 'em coming).