Black Damnation IV - Coffee Club
De Struise Brouwers

Copenhagen 9/3 2021. 33 cl bottle from Den Belgiske Ølbutik, Jyllingevej, Vanløse. Yellow, sinister skull on the label which looks like some Death Metal record cover from the nineties.

Pours opaque, dark brown with s small beige head. A bit bubbly. Settles as thin, patchy layer of foam unable to cover the surface of the beer. No lacing.

Aroma is intense with a dark, sweet and boozy odor mingling with a harsh bitter scent.Brown sugar, caramel, hints of licorice. Dark alcohol. Sweet rum. A bit of sour grains.

Light carbonation. Medium thick, soft, smooth, lightly tingling texture.

Flavor is intense and very much on the sweet side. Strong sweetness followed by a moderate sourish bitterness. Aftertaste is sweet with a bitter licorice undertone. Finish is sweet with a boozy streak.

Potent, sweet boozer with a nice touch of rum.

(Vintage 2018)
Black colour with no translucence. Light brown foam, medium high, not persistent. Melts quite quickly to a thin layer, eventually forming a tenuous ring.
Aroma of intense roast, coffee with elements of dark chocolate, cocoa. After a slight warming of the drink, notes of rum, caramel, molasses sweetness appear. Again, the rum seems more pronounced.
The taste is sweet, momentarily broken by a roasted bitterness. A subtle fruity acidity emerges on the finish.
The alcohol gently warms the oesophagus. Low saturation. Full body, high. The beer has a very smooth, soft and oily (it is "slippery") texture. Aftertaste long dry, roasted, coffee-like.

 

 

Shared 330 ml bottle at local tasting, thanks to Gunnar. ABV is 13%. Black colour, minimal brown head. Aroma of cold coffee, hints of woodwork. Intense roasty flavour, quite dry, strong coffee and bittering hops.

 

 

Pours a pitch-black coloration with a small, frothy. mocha-colored head. Smells of quite roasted, slightly caramelly malt, distinct coffee aromas, lighter chocolate and hints of dark fruits and wood. Taste is an excellent balance of quite roasted, slightly caramelly malt, distinct coffee, lighter dark and bitter chocolate, some dark fruit, with notes of raisin and fig, as well as some tobacco, coconut and hints of brown sugar, earthy wood and spice, with accents of clove and licorice. Finishes rather dry and roasted, with a light bitterness and some coffee, chocolate and dark fruit lingering in the aftertaste. Full mouthfeel with a rich body and light carbonation.

This makes for quite a rich and complex brew with a rather dry, roasted, slightly bitter character and a distinct coffee presence, which I really love here, while the dark chocolate and fruits, as well as the barrel notes really give a that certain Caribbean fruit cake feel to this. I'm not necessarily a huge fan of rum barrels in beer, but they really are a perfect fit for Black Albert with its dark fruit and spice notes. Despite some hints of brown sugar, the overall lack of sweetness is very welcome here, while the coconut and tobacco accents round this out very nicely, while never feeling too boozy for its ABV either. Possibly my favorite Black Damnation so far, which I really didn't expect.

 

 

 

A 330ml bottle, Vintage 2018, bottled on 26th November 2020, with a best before date of bottled date +5 years. Poured into a De Struise Black Damnation tasting glass.

Appearance: Black in colour with a half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some lacing.

Aroma: Roasty, coffee, neapolitan ice cream blend, chocolate, rum, brown sugar.

Taste: Moderately sweet, lightly boozy, rum, roasty, coffee, chocolate, oak, molasses, brown sugar, with vanilla notes.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.

Overall: Not a fan of rum, but this worked well with enjoyable aromas and flavours.

 

 

 

 

Original version, 33 cl bottle. Pitch black color with brown head. Aroma has slightly tart dried fruits like figs and raisins and some cognac type notes. Taste is also slightly acidic, quite dry but fruity and complex. Blueberries, chocolate and some wood. Really smooth mouthfeel, soft carbonation. This beer really aged gracefully, complex, no alcohol burn, really smooth on the palate.