De Dolle Extra Export Stout

Brewed by De Dolle Brouwers
Style: Foreign Stout
Diksmuide, Belgium

bottle. pours opaque black with a bit of mahogany at the edges, with a monstrous ever-present tan head that leaves a nice sheet of lacing. big spicy fruity smell. there are lots of dark roasty malts there, but they seem to take a back seat to the esters and spice. notes of raisin, coriander, coffee, chocolate, molasses, grapes, and black cherries. tastes almost like a black forest cake: huge dark malt flavors up front, with chocolate coffee notes dominating, backed up a by an assertive black cherry taste, as well as a bit more spice. big sweet palate, but not cloyingly so, with what seems like a bit of a sour tingle, light bitterness. creamy silky mouthfeel, and a pretty fully body, and definitely a lot of carbonation. the smell reminds me of a malt-heavy trappist ale, but the taste is definitely reminiscent of black forest cake. quite complex, and very tasty. great for dessert, which is what it is for me right now.

I love this beer! My favorite Belgian stout, this guy slams up against a wall of alcohol-dryness which really controls - even eliminates - any sweetness. The blend of coffee and chocolate is incredible and insistent - so much so that it tastes like a hybrid bean. If you let it air out and have served in a snifter, the last drinks taste unmistakably of baker’s chocolate. A very fine specemin.

Pours a deep brown with ruby edges and a massive, rocky, immediately forming, dense tan head that just won’t die, leaving globs of foam on the sides and bottom of the glass. The nose is fruity and roasty with raisins, candied dark fruits, chocolate, cherry and star anise. The flavour is just as advertised. The espresso and hazlenut flavours really pop in the finish with a roasty bitter lingering. The fruity flavours explode initially on the front of the tongue, with fig, raisin rich caramel and tart, vibrant cherry. The finish is completely different from the mid-palate profile, making this an extremely complex and interesting brew. The mouthfeel is loaded with sharp, lively carbonation and a medium, airy body that finshes dry.

33 cl. Opaque black, with a huge head that spews from the bottle and lasts forever. Roasted coffee, cocoa, and alcohol aroma. Tingly bitterish-roasty malt entry turns to cocoa, then charred wood and herby-malt finish. Body begins smooth, but flares up with carbonation in the mouth; finishes chalky-roast and dry.

Pours to an off white head that had aromas of chocolate and spice. Initial flavours of maltiness followed by spiciness and finished with a slightly sweet taste. Very good beer.

Bottled. An opaque near black beer with a medium sized brown head. Interesting aroma with roasted malt, fruits (plums), spices and chocolate. Rather malty. The flavor has much chocolate, some fruity and coffee notes. There is also some acidity and a good hopping in the finish. Medium to full body, very high carbonation, dry and quite long roasty aftertaste. Some alcohol is felt. A satisfacting beer, but probably my least favourite from De Dolle.

Rich, chocolate, plums, licorice, biier coffee - could improve after a few years? (2007-version) (Tasted at the BASMOF Nytårskur 07/08 12-01-2008)

Bottle, room temperature. Inky pour with cappuccino suds pimpled with clumps. Aroma an absolute dribble-maker, with massively heady blackcurrant and strawberryish fruit, De dolle’s signature earthiness, charcoal, yeast extract, and not much else. Certainly not getting any chocolate. Flavour also (hedgerow) fruity and slightly sourish, with more burnt character emerging as the memory of a Brewdog Riptide subsides. Lots of smoky malt, earthy fruit and alcohol sting, but for me somewhat lacking thickness, complexity and true stoutiness. (re-sampled, 05/06/08) Red apple, smoke and cocoa aroma. Impressively singed deep chocolate bitterness mingling with sourish fruit. Bit too fizzy, but worthy of more than a 3.6...