Spanish Inquisition
Jopen Bier BV Haarlem

Comparable to Prairie’s but a the hot pepper is very evident. I would cal this beer hot and spicy but otherwise a very nice classically brewed RIS.

Great lacing. The hot pepper spice in the nose as well.

Got this one from the liquor store in Maarssen

From a bottle into a snifter
Bottled 15 December 2017
Imperial Stout flavored with vanilla, Antigua coffee from Guatemala and Madame Jeanette peppers

APPEARANCE: Pours out clear dark brown and yields a three finger, medium-thicker looking, creamy light tan head with excellent retention. Transparent black body with loads of carbonation evident, giving the head piles of staying power. Head slowly foams up and recedes to a super foamy cap, eventually ending up in a full wisp that coats the glass. Splotchy wisp and ring remain leaving lots of foamy lacing on the glass as it empties. A little too light in color and carbonated for the style.

SMELL: Spicy aromas with peppers, as well as leather and anise aromas. Vanilla as well, with faint hints of coffee and roasted malts as well. Aromatic.

TASTE: Smoky and peppery up front with vanilla sweetness and some creamy coffee near the swallow. A good dose of pepper heat at the finish, moving into a bold aftertaste of spicy, smoky peppers, sweet vanilla and milk chocolate, some roasted coffee flavors and some definite anise and leather flavors linger on the palate. Flavorful and spicy for sure.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. Creamy on the palate, goes down fine with a bit of pepper spice and finishes somewhat mouth-coating. Lots of pepper heat lingers.

OVERALL: This is a spicy, pepper-forward stout. The coffee is certainly not a driving force at this point and happily the vanilla still provides some nice sweetness, but the peppers are still a little too dominant here. Jopen delivers some good ones now and then and this one probably fits into that group. If you like your stouts overly spicy, then this one will definitely work.