Alvinne Podge Belgian Imperial Stout

Brewed by Picobrouwerij Alvinne
Style: Imperial Stout
Heule, Belgium

Draft at Monks Cafe....1-1-08...my first brew of the new year!!!....Dark, dark brown, with some red-amber highlights....dark tan head...strong malt aroma, with some added bakers chocolate....head is fluffy on the swirl...sweet on the tongue initially (dark fruits, raisin)....then bitter chocolate flavors, reminds me of coffee that has sat out all day, strong, bitter and cold....medium body with nice effervescence, and a slight creaminess...the bitterness of this beer doesn’t allow much else to shine through, but the alcohol is very well disguised, so props there!

03 Bottle. not sure if it is the aging or if this always was similar to a Belgian, Abbey Dubbel, Quad. Very sweet. Figs, raisins and candy sugar. Rich in taste and body.

Bottle: Cola colored, moderate spritzy light beige head, dies rather quickly, lacing is spotty at best.   First thing I notice is alcohol.   Being 10.5% I guess its not a shocker.   Otherwise there is some bready malts, slight sweetness, minor roasted malt, along with some dark pitted fruit.   Not exactly what I think of when Imperial Stout is mentioned, but moreso your straight-up Dark Belgian Strong Ale.   Warming, quite warming.   A little heavy on the exit, some alcohol, bready, with figs and dates.   Really, not sure how this is like a Stout.   Aftering having a Unibroue Trois Pistoles last night, I would say this is a slightly more bready, less fruity, and amped up alcohol version.   After the finish do I pick up a little ash and/or campfire.   Bit of an odd duck, but certainly worth a try.   Body and mouthfeel are not as heavy as most Imperial Stouts, and certainly not as bubbley as a Dark Belgian Strong Ale.   Enjoyable, if not necessarily like most Imperial Stouts.   Think Dark Belgian Strong and you will be fine!

Dark brown, transparent with a large, creamy head. The aroma has notes of roasted malt, sweetness and sour berries. The flavour is sweet with light notes of licorice, grapefruit and sour berries. Unless there is something wrong with this bottle, this beer is a huge disappointment, out of balance, too thin in body and a bit too sweet. 2338

Sediment-laden dark brown body with orange highlights, thin-medium clumping cream head. Potent nose of sweet breads, red licorice, and lots of plum and milk chocolate, almost syrupy. Vinous. Ridiculously tart, sweet body, with brown sugar, chocolate, dark fruits, and alcohol. Cloying. I am not a fan.

Bottle shared by MikeTD: Pours a brown color with a fizzy white head. Aroma, spices, some caramel, roasted notes, and some yeast. Flavor, sweet, some dark fruits, spices, a roasted bitterness on the finish, not very stouty, but pretty good none the less.

The aroma was fruity and estery with a strong citric presence through the huge beige/tannish head. The aroma became earthy and grassy chocolate tied to a roasty presence as the head fell. Once the head retreated to a safe distance the aroma exhibited alcohol and fruit with everything else being secondary. The beer poured into the glass hazy/muddy brown with a ruby highlight. The head lasted darn near forever to lace the glass from top to bottom. The flavor was smoky caramel and candy with a highly effervescent nature and chocolate, milk chocolate namely, along for the ride. The flavor was smooth and had a moderately strong presence of alcohol while being fruity with a chocolate flavor coupled to cherries and caramel. The finish was ultimately dry with lasting fruity caramel and chocolate long into the aftertaste and beyond. The body was medium-full but the super high carbonation made the body seem less and the beer spritzy on the palate. A really enjoyable pint (well, 11.2 ounces), but not much of a Stout, more of a Belgian Strong Dark or a Quad, and a nice one at that. The warming post consumption is huge! Give it a whirl! 11.2 ounce bottle.

Bitter at first, then revealing plum-blackberry and other dark fruits, chocolate, and a bit of the alcohol. Fluffier palate, still stings a bit. Brown-gray head (weird looking). Good drinker, but not top-flight.