De Molen / Struise Brouwers Black Damnation

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 10

Wow! This is an exquisite beer. A dark black pour with a brown head. The ABV is well hidden in both aroma and flavour. Aroma is filled with roasted malt, chcolate, plums, licorice, and a hint of vanilla. The flavour is as complex as the aroma with molasses dominating. One of the best Imperial Stouts I have ever had.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

THANKS JEFF!! Blackish chocolate brown with a thin tan head floating on top. Aroma is mildly sweet with a MASSIVE bakers chocolate and tons of ASH!! Al hitting some very floral/ perfumey alcohol notes. I wish this chalky ash would go away and die in a pit of fire I HATE YOU!!! Taste is powerfully strong without being sharp. More powdery ash/ tons of bitter chocolate and this strange raspberry sweetness that’s being pounded to death by the massive bitterness. Beer is thickish and coats your throat. Ash is starting to thankfully go away and is morphing into a chocolate coffee. I keep tasting faint hints of cinnamon but it seems wrong and I’m trying not to taste it but keeps showing up. This brutal bitter lingers in my mouth forever. Hints of sour. Good beer but whatever, I liked it but I’m almost getting tired of these massive, massive intensely flavored stouts I would have rated this way WAY higher 2 years ago but now this style of beer is starting to become average. I think I liked Black Albert better. P.S. This has one of my favorite labels of all time.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color stout with a large dirty brown color head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of dry coffee notes is quite intense with notes of roasted malt and light warming alcohol. Taste is dominated by coffee and roasted bitter notes with limited sweetness and some astringency. Quiet a departure for the Black Albert and seems to fall more on the side of the De Molen beer. Body is full with slightly oily texture and good carbonation with alcohol not too apparent. Very interesting mix and now I can’t wait to finish drinking the other variations.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

330 ml bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar and importer HaandBryggeriet. ABV is 13%. Pitch black colour, big brown head. The aroma is first woody and dusty, followed by roasty notes of coffee and dark chocolate. Very rich mouthfeel. The flavour has loads of malty sweetness and roastiness, woody notes, also notes of brown sugar, dark bitter chocolate and coffee, bitter hops in the finish. Woody aftertaste.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Pours out in an opaque black colour with a rich and firm pale brown foam. Rich, peaty, woody, burnt and vinous aroma of black cherries, salty licorice, wood, roasted malts, white pepper and dried figs. Full-bodied and chewy with notes of salty licorice, tobacco, peat, tar, almonds, roasted malts and figs. Long tarry finish of anise, dark caramelized fruits and cherry-skins. Damn tasty!