Black Albert
De Struise Brouwers

I starting to think that beers with a higher ABV never have any head tp speak off. Like this one. Even an aggressive pour did not make one materialize. Then I checked the brew date, over a year and a half ago. Smell and taste of dates and raisins. Quite sweet with a slightly pungent aftertaste. Somewhat flat on the carbonation scale but the 13% ABV is killer. I would like to try another, fresher brew.

 

Bottle from Las Buenas Pulgas, served at home in a snifter glass.
Black colour, small head with short retention, just a line of lacing.
Aroma of wood, varnish, rubber,raisins, red fruits, chocolate, licorice, anise.
Medium to full body, creamy texture, flat carbonation. Sweet finish.
Taste follows the aroma, with the additon of a spicy notes.
Very good.

 

If you are looking for a stout with a complex fruit profile this is for you. Lots of chocolate and roasted malt, but also dark fruit, cherry and tobacco create a nuanced experience.

Batch 0 vintage 2020

From a 330 ml bottle with a vintage of 3/22/22 and a BB date of 7/22/26 + 5 years. Sampled June 15, 2023.

Deep dark brown to basically a jet black appearance with a small, quickly fading tan head. Limited lacing.

Many aroma sensations of dark roasted bread crust, dark roasted malts, dark fruit, bkack cherry, plum, cranberry, Graham crackers, cream, licorice, but little to no alcohol for 13%.

Full mouthfeel. Creamy smooth.

Sweet roasted malt taste with more dark fruit and little to no booziness. A lingering warming finish. This is really good.

 

 

 

 

2016 Vintage. The pour is jet black with a small head of foam. The taste is Belgian candy sugar, bakers dark chocolate, roasted malts, black cherry, & molasses. The 13% abv is drinking more like a 9% abv beer. Cheers! A (World Class)

 

Poured into the test glass, from 11.2 oz bottle with "BA No. 14 BRS Brew" on the label.
A - Chalkboard black, with a thin off white ring of assembled bubbles, a slow moving archipelago in the center of the ring.
S - Burnt brown sugar, cigar wrap tobacco drying in the barn, dark cocoa, hint of soy, and anise.
T - Black pepper corn, bakers chocolate, again a hint of tobacco, with dark fruits being the center, fig, dried plum, with again hint of anise.
M - Medium bordering to to heavy in body, full palate coating while avoiding the "syruppy" trap, Start is semi sweet, with lingering bitterness acting as the clean up agent, Finish is just dry enough to invite another sip.
O - A lovely sipper, excellent RIS characteristics, with rich complex flavors, well hidden alcohol, and luxurious texture.

From a bottle 08/2022 at Brick Store, Decatur, Ga. Wonderful aroma, could've just taken in the aroma and not even drank any of it and wouldv'e been great. But the powerful complex array of flavors combined with unbeatable mouthfeel for an imperial stoudt put it over the top

2015 Vintage

A: Poured into a snifter to a black beer which is topped by a dense and rocky finger of dark tan head which fades slowly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing
S: Smells of dark roasted malts, bitter dark chocolate, anise, raisins, and espresso
T: Taste is dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, hints of oxidation, some slight smoke and charred wood with a hint of burnt sugars. On the swallow there's some sweetness along with more coffee, chocolate, charred wood and burnt sugar
M: This beer is thick and velvety on the palate. Carbonation is low, but adequate for the style while the beer has a drying finish from the high ABV.
O: Overall this is a really well done Russian Imperial Stout. It has good flavors and a nice amount of complexity. It may have lost a step at this age but it's still drinking very well.

330 ml bottle, as Struise Black Albert Batch ’0’ - BA No. 14 BRS Brew. ABV is 13%. Pitch black colour, moderate brown head. Exquisite aroma of roasted malts, fine chocolate and coffee, liquorice and hops. Warming mouthfeel. Rich and medium sweet flavour of roasted malts, chocolate, fortified wine and coffee.

 

A 330ml bottle, 2020 vintage, bottled on 18th March 2021, with a best before date of bottled date +5 years. Poured into a De Struise tulip glass.

Appearance: Black in colour with a nice big three finger brown head that had decent retention while leaving some lacing.

Aroma: Roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, cola, with notes of licorice, berries, and caramel.

Taste: Lightly bitter, roasty coffee, dark chocolate, candi sugar sweetness, dark stone fruit, plum, prunes, with notes of berries and maybe licorice.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy, full bodied, with soft carbonation.

Overall: An excellent sipper with alcohol well hidden. Good bitter and sweet balance.