Black Albert
De Struise Brouwers

Super dark, possibly dark brown or lighter black. Head was somewhat tan. Nose made me think of a barleywine, not an imperial stout, buy I am not complaining. Nice nutty flavor with a boozy warmth on back end. Very good Imperial Stout or Barleywine, whichever you choose to call it.

 

L:
-pours the darkest of brown with no light coming through and a small,frothy,khaki Head
S:
-malty,roasty,Chocolate,Coffee,Oats
T:
-earthy,malty,Caramel,Chocolate,Rye Bread,spicy,licorice,toasted finish
-low-to-medium Bitterniss
F:
-low-to-medium carbonation
-Full Body
-alcohol noticeable
O:
A fantastic Imperial Stout with great Depth that is surprisingly drinkable at 13% Abv.

A: opaque; virtually black; no head; a thin tight collar; some sediment;

S: nicely aromatic; dark fruit;

T: dark fruit up front; from the middle thorough the finish, there's a moderate bitterness that tastes a bit metallic;

M: medium to full bodied; light carbonation; moderately dry finish that continues to dry out through the aftertaste;

O: 17 years old - past its prime, but still quite good;

 

Copenhagen 5/3 2021. 33 cl bottle from Den Belgiske Ølbutik, Jyllingevej, Vanløse. Strange drawing on the label of figure with sad eyes shrouded in grey.

Pours opaque, dark brown with a small, lightly beige head. Settles as Sall patches of foam and thin rim of foam running along the side of the glass. No lacing.

Aroma is intense with a dark sweetness laden with alcohol. Roasted dark malts. Fermented fruit. Plums, raisins. Brown sugar in abundance. Dark chocolate and bitter coffee. Whiff of liqueur-like alcohol.

Light carbonation. Thick, viscous, soft, almost flat texture.

Flavor is intense with a very strong sweetness followed by a boozy burn. A medium strong bitterness times in after a while. Aftertaste is bitter with a sour twist. Lingering. Finish is quite dry and laden with alcohol.

Satisfying very Imperial Stout succeeding in being both very sweet, adequately bitterness and a healthy dose of alcohol.

JANUARY 2025
Two 33 cl bottles VINTAGE 2016 (10 € each, at the pub).
As soon as it was opened, already aromas of dark chocolate, light toasted and roasted notes and only on the finish a light hint of liquor, almost imperceptible.
When poured, the toasted and dark chocolate aromas expand and envelop with a notable breadth.
black, slightly cloudy against the light, but nothing sensational.
Beige foam still present in the right amount (it has not been torn apart by the alcohol, indeed it has maintained itself as in a younger beer).
I AM AMAZED HOW IT STILL HAS THE COURAGE TO FOAM.
In the mouth it is an Imperial stout of mammoth balance: compared to a younger Black Albert, the body has faded just enough to highlight all the flavors and aftertastes of this Imperial Stout.
The carbonation is practically imperceptible, but the body is absolutely not heavy or excessively oily, but rather leaner and less of a protagonist of the drink, although a little more light than that of a Black Albert from a young batch.
The structure that the beer has acquired over time is the ideal stage for bringing out classic, yet valuable, hints of dark and bitter chocolate that are harmonized by a soft ("smooth") taste of toasted cereals and roasting.
The drink is quick but rich in aromatic details that come out with every sip: in the back I perceived a hint of ash and only a small hint of liquor, like on the nose, well hidden by the enveloping main notes of dark chocolate, toasted cereals and roasting.
The sweeter and more caramelly notes and the fainter ones of citrus in alcohol that I remembered having perceived in this beer that had not aged for all this time are gone.
The finish is spectacular: dry, with these cereal notes that clean the tongue and give softness to the entire drink, leaving on the palate an even more bitter note of dark chocolate mixed with coffee.
I would never say that it is a 2016 Imperial Stout because the drink seems like that of an Imperial Stout in which all the flavors are highlighted by a body that only acts as a stage, without impacting with its sweet and caloric notes on the drink.
Nor would I have said that what I was drinking was a 13% Imperial Stout: again, this smooth and soft body does not feel heavy at all and contributes significantly to making all the aromatic ranges of the beer the protagonists, preventing alcoholic or liquorish notes from tasting this wonderful balance achieved.
Notice how a 13% beer has had such a natural "cut" of the body, keeping absolutely intact the breadth and persistence of the flavors it releases, without having been lost in liquorish notes, Cognac or other drifts due to time.
Splendid shape, probably in its best time parable, loses the right consistency allowing the entire aromatic range to emerge that ends with this dry and dry "smooth" that leaves on the palate all the refined notes of chocolate, dark chocolate, roasted coffee, licorice.

 

Bottled 7/26/22

The only De Struise beers I've had so far are Pannepot and two of its variants. Those beers were very interesting and non-traditonal as Quads, so I'm wondering if this will be the same deal but as a RIS instead. Let's crack it open and find out what it has to offer

Pours a very dark brown with just a ring of dark tan bubbles that fades to nothing and leaves no lacing. Some particulate floating around in there but it at least has nice legs

The nose is sweeter than I would like for a RIS, but still pretty damn good for what it is. I'm picking up on aromas of burnt caramel, baked apple, maple candy, golden raisin, pear skin, cocoa powder, sweet bourbon, and red grape

It's a bit more aggressive in taste, making for an overall more cohesive experience. On the front end of the sip I'm tasting brown bread, toffee, cocoa powder, leafy hops, golden raisin, black cherry, burnt caramel, light vanilla, and baked apple. The swallow brings notes of pear skin, burnt caramel, brown bread, golden raisin, baked apple, leafy hops, cocoa powder, black tea, and light charred malt

A medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a smooth beer. Finishes neutral and drinks well below its abv

Unsurprisingly, this is another unique one from De Struise. I need more from them

330ml bottle poured into a stemless tumbler style glass.

Look: Pours black as night and next to no head. A tiny tan head that soon buggered off.

Smell: Roasty, toasty malts and dark fruits.

Taste: Dark chocolate, dark fruits, figs, coffee and maybe some licorice.

Feel: Smooth and silky, a more lively carbonation than i'm used to for the style but it does not hurt it at all.

Overall: A very decadent and luxurious beer than you need to take your time with. The high ABV is there but well hidden.

 

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

Batch 2024 had in 2025. Smell, taste and feel are all pretty standard, but certainly well made russian imperial stout. Toasty, bitter veering on ashy, and carbonated but not thin. Very similar to 1856 brown stout by the kernel.

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.