Beer Advent Calendar Day 11- Brouwerij De Molen Mout & Mocca

Good evening all. Day 10's offering is another bad boy from Brouwerij De Molen (Bodegraven, Netherlands); it's Mout & Mocca, an Imperial Stout brewed with coffee. I'm a big fan of coffee stouts, to the extent that I can still remember my first time trying Beer Geek Breakfast, so I'm definitely looking forward to this offering from one of my favourite breweries. As a quick heads up, tomorrow's review will join day 13's post as I am otherwise preoccupied tomorrow evening; hopefully you'll all be able to cope with this temporary disruption! Review after the pics....

Mout & Mocca (11.6% ABV) pours a brown-tinged jet black colour with a thick beige head that settles to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. The aroma is light but pretty amazing, with coffee, chocolate, lactose sugar and some light caramel sweetness residing in the background. I think I've finally identified that oily pimento olive aroma/taste that I seem to get with stouts and beers that utilise roasted malt- it's that slightly astringent aroma that comes along once a freshly brewed cup of coffee has cooled down a bit too much to drink. That exact aroma was what hit me as soon as I took the first inhale, but this mellows out soon after the initial burst and takes on the usual dark roasted qualities you'd expect. Despite the high ABV percentage there are no excessive alcoholic aromas; in fact, the whole thing has a very subtle aroma that is reminiscent of a milk stout with a healthy injection of coffee (or, in Ronseal terms, a mocha!). The taste is just as smooth, with coffee, lactose and candy sugar, booze, chocolate and some light sweetness rounding out the partial coffee bitterness. As with the aroma the coffee hits first again, but this time with the roasted character as opposed to the acridity; through retro-olfaction it remains on the palette throughout each sip, balancing out some of the flavours nicely. The power of the alcohol finally becomes apparent through drinking, but it's mixed in well with the other flavours and so isn't harsh or detracting. It still has the milk stout quality which makes the drinking experience very creamy, and the background roasted malt and accompanying flavours (chocolate sauce, a hint of dark fruits) are balanced in the mix perfectly. The mouthfeel verges towards the thick side and the beer is moderately carbonated, which compliments the coffee in particular very well. Overall, this is a fantastic coffee stout that deserves to be spoken of in the same revered tones as Mikkeller's Beer Geek Breakfast, Founder's Breakfast Stout and Southern Tier's Mokah. Highly recommended!

Until next time....

Beer Advent Calendar Day 7- Brouwerij De Molen Hemel & Aarde

Good evening all. Another imperial stout has graced me with its presence on day 7, and it's fully appreciated amidst this frozen season. The offering in question is Hemel & Aarde from Brouwerij De Molen (Bodegraven, Netherlands), a veritable bad boy that's been brewed with peated malt from the Bruichladdich distillery to add an extra element to the proceedings. I've had this bottle in my collection for at least a year and a half, so I'm hoping that this has improved it to some extent. As if that wasn't enough to fuel my anticipation I'm also a massive Islay whisky fan, so the inclusion of peated malt is something I can definitely get behind. Review after the pics....

Hemel & Aarde (9.5% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a light brown head that settles to a thin coating on the surface of the beer. The aroma is pretty intense, with peat smoke, caramel and some very light roasted malt contributions (chocolate, coffee) residing in the background. The sheer power of the peated malt virtually obscures all of the other aromas at first, but once the nose becomes accustomed to this it's slightly easier to pick out other components. The caramelised sweetness supports the peated malt so well that the two are almost indistinguishable, and in the background the coffee and chocolate add some nice nuances to break up the smokiness. The taste delivers some more variety, with peat, coffee, chocolate, yeast extract, dark fruits, licorice and a warming boozy quality. Whereas in the aroma the peat dominated, on the palette it's more forgiving and retreats relatively early on to allow the other flavours to have their say. The booze provides a fair bit of tartness along the sides of the mouth- which seems to amplify the perception of the dark fruits (raspberry, blackcurrant)- and continues into the finish with a light burn at the back of the throat. Because of the power of the other flavours, the coffee and chocolate are most noticeable through retro-olfaction, with a partial reprisal during the finish once everything else has died down. As is the case with most imperial stouts the finish is relatively flavourless, save for some light hop-derived grapefruit and some random remnants (yeast extract, caramel, peat smoke). The mouthfeel is on the thick side and the beer is moderately carbonated, which works well with the peatiness and alcohol content. Overall, this is a great offering that utilises the peated malt very well to add a different but very complimentary dimension to the usual imperial stout flavour profile. Sometimes the peated malt can overpower the other aromas and flavours,  but this isn't too common and when all the flavours are balanced it creates an amazing drinking experience. Highly recommended!

Until next time....

Beer Advent Calendar Day 1- De Struise Brouwers Tsjeeses Reserva Bourbon Barrel Aged

Good evening all, and what a difference a year makes. Today officially marks the one year anniversary of Misplaced Hours, and the day that I decided/was convinced to start recording my thoughts about beer. On that day I was an unemployed Chemistry student living in Guildford, and on this day I am an unemployed Chemistry graduate living in Devon; all I can say is at least I still have beer. The journey to this point has been pretty epic, with many fantastic beers, a few duds and a lot of great times with old and new friends, and fortunately I'm still enjoying the reviewing enough to continue the blog. So, without further ado, let's continue the tradition that started everything with day one of 2012's Beer Advent Calendar. Tonight's beer is Tsjeeses Reserva Bourbon Barrel Aged, a Belgian Ale from De Struise Brouwers (Oostvleteren, Belgium). This is a special bourbon barrel aged version of their winter seasonal Tsjeeses, which I had last year but unfortunately can't remember- hopefully this one will leave more of an impression! Review, as always, after the pics....

Tsjeeses Reserva Bourbon Barrel Aged (10.0% ABV) pours a dark amber colour with a thick white head that settles to a nice film over the surface of the beer. The aroma is quite subtle and well-balanced, with yeast extract, spice, phenols, funk, caramel, candy sugar, hints of marzipan and some toasty notes in the background. It's very reminiscent of a diluted Quad or even a Quad/Saison mix, with that characteristic rich sweetness and spicy/earthy Belgian yeast character, and is supported by the light influence of the barrel ageing very well. The bourbon doesn't evaporate or impart any significant aromas as with most barrel aged beers, just an awareness in the background that acts as a platform for the base beer's qualities to come through gradually. The taste is as light as the aroma, with phenols, candy sugar, yeast extract, dark fruits and a bit of marzipan in the background. As with the aroma, the bourbon barrel ageing isn't apparent through any particular flavours, but does seem to have diminished the power of the other flavours and rounded out the overall drinking experience. There is a bit of bitterness towards the end of drinking, but aside from this every sip is very smooth and certainly not indicative of the beer's double-digit ABV percentage. The mouthfeel is quite thick and the beer is well-carbonated, which compliments the flavours on display nicely. Overall, a great beer that's very drinkable despite the high alcohol content, but one that could've done with a bit more of the power that barrel-ageing (particularly bourbon BA) usually imparts. Recommended, and I'm certainly looking forward to trying the Port BA version at some point in the future (hint- it's in the advent calendar somewhere so it shouldn't be too long!).

Until next time....

De Struise Brouwers Cuvée Delphine

Good afternoon all. Unfortunately today marked the last contact I will have with any friends and close acquaintances until I return to uni in a week and a half, so I finally have to face up to the coursework that's been residing in my bag since I returned home three weeks ago. Last night I had a couple of very nice beers (Hitachino Nest White Ale and The Lost Abbey Lost & Found) and watched a trio of films that covered the whole spectrum of stupidity and confusion quite nicely. All of this fun has caused me to build up a small backlog of beer reviews though, so I thought it would be wise to write them up as a further respite/exercise in procrastination. First up is Cuvée Delphine, a Russian Imperial Stout from De Struise Brouwers, one of my favourite Belgian breweries whose offerings have graced many a post on this blog. Review after the pic....

Cuvée Delphine (13.0% ABV) pours a rich deep black colour with a very thick brown head that maintains itself fairly well throughout the course of drinking. Looks fantastic in the glass and I certainly wasn't expecting there to be that much head based on the alcohol content, must be the Belgian yeast bottle-conditioning. The aroma consists of candy sugar, licorice, raisins, blackcurrants, coffee and a caramel/candy floss sweetness. There's a light sense of chocolate and a slight awareness of the alcohol but this isn't too overpowering. It's certainly very rich and dark, and builds upon the characteristic imperial stout aromas with a barleywine sweetness. Some toasty notes also come through every so often from the roasted malt, and on occasion a bourbon quality can be detected. Tasting the beer brings up plenty of malt and yeast extract flavours, with licorice, blackcurrants, bourbon and a partial phenolic spiciness. There's a bit of an alcoholic burn during drinking and a slight bitterness to the finish. The majority of the flavour in this beer makes itself known during drinking, and there's almost a defined point for each mouthful where the flavour simply cuts out, leaving a dry sensation in the finish and aftertaste. The mouthfeel is relatively thick but doesn't mask the flavours, and the beer is well carbonated. Overall, a very good imperial stout packed with plenty of roasted malt, fruit and sweetness. The Belgian character that makes itself known in the proceedings every so often adds an interesting dimension to the experience, and I could definitely see myself getting this again in the future (along with virtually every offering I've had so from De Struise). Highly recommended!

Until next time....

De Struise Brouwers Black Albert

Good evening all. Last night I carried out my nocturnal ritual of perusing my cellar for a brief moment, questioning which libation I felt like contemplating that evening. I say for a moment, because in the end the choice was fairly obvious- Black Albert, an Imperial Stout from De Struise Brouwers in Belgium. I had this beer on draft at the Cask Pub & Kitchen a couple of weeks ago and loved it, so I felt like comparing my memories of that beer to the bottled offering. I was having a very good day when I visited the Cask, so I was also hoping it wasn't simply due to circumstance that I liked the beer so much. Review after the pic....

Black Albert (13.0% ABV) pours a deep black colour with a thick off-white head that retains itself on the surface of the beer throughout drinking. The aroma is more subdued than what I was expecting, with blackcurrants, raisins, candy sugar, chocolate, coffee, licorice and a sweetness similar to lactose sugar. The coffee and chocolate hit the olfactories first, with the dark fruits becoming apparent soon after. The taste is  quite boozy/alcoholic and is composed of chocolate, coffee, blackcurrants, cream and roasted malt, with a piquancy during drinking that leads to a dark chocolate bitterness in the finish. The aftertaste is quite sweet, reminiscent of candy floss. The mouthfeel is thick and the beer is well carbonated. Overall, a very good imperial stout with plenty of roasted malt character, an underlying fruitiness and a smooth, slightly bitter finish. On draft the sweetness came across a lot more, so either a bit of time behind it seems to take this aspect down to allow the fruity flavours and aromas to become more detectable, or the extra carbonation amplifies the sweetness more. Who knows, but in the end both are just as good as each other, just slightly different beasts. Highly recommended in either format.

Until next time....

Brouwerij Verhaeghe Duchesse De Bourgogne

Good afternoon all. As part of my "Year of Belgian Beer" (that will hopefully have its own logo and a better title before the year is out), I've been seeking out the best beers that Belgian breweries can offer. A few days ago I had a bottle of Duchesse De Bourgogne, a Flanders Red Ale from Brouwerij Verhaeghe. Flanders Red Ales are fairly similar to lambics, but the particular yeast strains used impart a sharper character to the beer that is reminiscent of vinegar, representing an alternative to the fruity sourness of lambics. I've had a beer in this style before and enjoyed it, so let's see how I got on with this one. As usual, the review is after the pic....

Duchesse du Bourgogne (6.2% ABV) pours a dark amber colour with a short lived off-white head that dissipates to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. The aroma is quite heavy on the acetic acid/vinegar, with a slight sweetness, dark fruits and hoisin sauce. The last one sounds quite out of place, but it's the first thing that came to mind when I detected some sweet fruitiness and it works well with everything else. The taste is composed of acetic acid, cooking apples and meat stock, with an acidic tart finish and an aftertaste of Campino sweets. The tart apple flavours linger long after drinking and mingle well with the sweetness. The mouthfeel is light/airy and the carbonation is moderate. Overall, a very interesting beer that cleanses the palette nicely and provides a truly unique experience. Potentially a good choice for wine drinkers looking to get into beer, and any lambic fans looking for a different take on sour beer. Definitely recommended.

Until next time....

Brasserie Cantillon Rosé De Gambrinus

Good morning all. I'm finally back after a self-imposed break due to illness, and whilst I'm still not completely free from the shackles of sickness (if that's not a death metal album name it should be), I have at least managed to progress to the point where I can perceive tastes and aromas, so I felt this would be an appropriate time to do a review. It's also #openit weekend, where the beer blogging community delves into the depths of their cellars to sample a beer they've been holding on to for some time, commonly with the intention of opening it "when the time is right". Of course, on the advent of that momentous occasion the beer could be wonderful or it could end up being an incredible disappointment, hence this pledge was created to encourage drinkers to savour a rare or unusual beer and hopefully not miss out on all it has to offer. I'm not sure if the beer I'm going to review now (consumed last night) will be my only contribution towards #openit, but I will at least say it's a start. That beer is Rosé De Gambrinus, a framboise lambic from the masters at Brasserie Cantillon. As always, review after the pic....

Rosé De Gambrinus pours a ruby colour with a wispy head generated during pouring that dissipates very quickly by the time the glass is full. I was expecting the aroma to be quite hard-hitting, but was surprised to find it was more subtle and well-balanced. However, the very nature of lambics means each bottle will be slightly different, so I'm not sure if this is universal for this particular offering. Plenty of raspberries with a tart sharpness/acidity, some characteristic barnyard funk and a background of acetic acid/vinegar. Tasting the beer, you'd be forgiven for thinking there weren't any raspberries in it in the first place, as their contribution is masked by sharp piquancy and a puckering sourness. The finish isn't overly dry or sour, and there's certainly no bitterness. During drinking, the beer seems to effervesce over the palette, amplifying the mouthfeel and tartness very nicely, giving a nice burst of flavour before settling down to bring out a bit of the raspberry character. The mouthfeel is light with low carbonation and no cloying on the palette. Overall a good offering from Cantillon, but one that left me wanting a lot more. For me, the lambic experience is all about the initial sensory overload from the spontaneous fermentation being gradually diminished by the fruit, which wasn't really happening here. The tartness and sourness kept going and the raspberries were really fighting to gain any prevalence, which only happened every so often. This could be a good introductory lambic, or a lambic for those moments when high acidity isn't on the agenda, but besides that I don't think I would get this beer again. Still worth a try though.

Until next time....