De Molen Tsarina Esra Imperial Porter

Brewed by Brouwerij de Molen
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Bodegraven, Netherlands

(Bottled, 0.75l) Almost black with a medium, very tight, lasting and lacy, beige head. Complex and pleasant aroma of sweetish, roasted malt, lots of licorice, black coffee, dried fruit, some burned notes and hints of alcohol. Strongly roasty, lightly burned flavor with lots of balancing malt sweetness, some smokiness, herbs and spices, dandelion, and a strong, lingering bitterness drying towards the end. No signs of alcohol in the flavor. Very full and luscious body, with the medium carbonation making it less thick and easier to drink. Leaves some stickiness, though. A huge and complex Imperial porter. There must be truckloads of color malt in this, but it’s beautifully hidden. Delicious stuff!

Small off-white rim over red-brown, dark cognac colour. Very fruity nose, alcohol obvious, dark berries aromas. Sweet taste (certainly for a porter), with liquorice, fusels, herbs like rosemary. Complex, yet well-balanced. Ends on liquorice mixed with walnut. Well-bodied, lots of alcoholwarming, slick. Nice, if sweet-alcoholic porter.

Courtesy of Fonefan, who cracked this open, but also thank you to Bierkoning from whom I have bottle # 52. This is Bottle # 298 of 823. It’s a black beer with a creamy head. The aroma is complex with notes of licorice, roasted malt, dark fruits and a hint of alcohol. The flavour has a light sweetness and a light bitterness. It has notes of licorice, coffee, caramel, peat, dark fruits, citrus and it ends on a dry note. It’s very complex and the flavour lingers for a very long time – truly nice. It’s worthy # 4500 for me!

Bottle, sampled at RBSG 08. Pours a deep black with a tan ring. Deep burnt malt aroma, with hints of dark fruit. Big burnt, toasted malt taste, with a bit of alcohol. Lingering burnt flavors. Very nice imperial porter.

Bottled@Fonefan. A perfect ending to two very nice days around in Ulfborg! Very dark rubyish brown colour (close to black) with small creamy brown head that stays for a while. Aroma is raisins, smoked wood, some peat, mild smoke as well as some slight fruityness. Flavour is roasted malts, coffee, licorice, alcohol as well as some mildly smoked wet wood. Really complex and wellbalanced. Fullbodied.

Bottle. Pours a black brown body with no head. Coffee nutty brown, peanuts and dry minerals. Okay.

#458 11/07 @Richmond/Williamsburg Gathering-33 cl bottle-pours with no head and black color. Aroma is dark malt-roasty, slight vegetal, dark fruit. Taste is vinuous, dark malt-roasty, slight vegetal, dark fruit, some salt/acidic. Thanks dkachur/Dan for sharing.

RBSG 2008. Pours dark brown with a soft tan head that fades fast. Very smoky and earthy, heavy burnt flavors give an impression of BBQ’d steak, some charred hefty concoction. Finish has a touch of saltiness, that when mixed with the charred flavors brings out a touch of soy sauce.