De Molen Tsarina Esra Imperial Porter

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

A lush & dense stout, with layer after layer of coffee, licorice, chocolate, plum, caramel, maple syrup and oily hops. Keeps unfolding. In the finish there is more black fruit, along with vanilla and roasty bitterness. Great length; unmatched intensity, yet soft-edged and rounded; it is full-bodied and pours like ink. Spectacular.

At the brewery pub. A dark black colored beer, with a great thick foamy beige head. It leaves a nice lace on the glass. The aroma of pure chocolate and coffee, dark, dried fruits. The taste is also from pure chocolate and coffee, dark fruits like prune. That makes it a nice little sweet. It has a long little bitter aftertaste. A very good beer. This one belongs with the best beers.

I drank this beer at the brewery in Bodegraven (lovely brewery and also restaurant) and at home in a bottle. This is really the best dutch porter. I don’t know how the brewer does it, but it’s really fantastic. Chocolate, caramel, roasted mocha, little bit sweet powerful hop aroma

Tap&Bottle@DeMolen. Oh my god! This should be a Top 50 beer! Sweet chocolate start in the aroma with hints of vanilla, black currant, mocha and varnish and when warming up nice powerful malts. Black colour, shiny brown thick head, good lace. Sweet, bitter, black currant, roasted, toffee, mocha, hint of salt. Flavor lasts forever after swallowing and even increases in intensity leaving a nice warming burn in your throat. Smooth mouth feel, well balanced. Although 11% ABV and heavy flavour still easy drinkable.

Tap & bottle at the brewery. A wonderful beer with a brave plot which has been technically executed very well. Has the aroma of milk chocolate, a blend of varnish and liquors, raisins, vanilla and light cinnamon. Malty and yeasty aromas (dough) are light at first, yet get progressively stronger as the brew heats up. The malts are more intense in the bottled version. A jolt of coffee powder, cassis, cured leaves and dried twigs in the flavor – all oiled by varnish. Large, frothy luminescent-brown head. Too dense to leave any lace in the tap version: slips down the glass walls under its own weight. The lace is perfect in the bottled version. Feels pleasant oily, smooth. A slightly drying mouthfeel in the finish.

Draught @ Brouwerij de Molen, Bodegraven, Netherlands.
Clear dark brown color with a large, creamy - rocky, excellent lacing, fully lasting, light brown head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, roasted, chocolate, moderate hoppy, grass, moderate to heavy english licorice, notes of smoke in the finish. Flavor is heavy sweet and bitter with a long long duration. Body is full, texture is creamy - oily - syrupy, carbonation is soft. Very very nice ;o)) 9-5-9-5-18 (030308)
Bottle 75cl.
Clear dark black color with a small, fizzy, fair lacing, fully diminishing, light brown head. Aroma is heavy malty, roasted, chocolate, dark berry, vanilla, licorice, moderate peat. Flavor is heavy sweet and bitter with a long duration. Very rich and complex flavor. Body is medium to full, texture is oily, creamy, syrupy, carbonation is soft - flat, finish feel is light alcoholic. Very nice work Menno ;o)) 8-4-8-5-18 (250208)

Bier Koning. One of the greats. Dark body with slight tan head. Malty, sweet nose with chocolate noticeable. Rich and sweet taste of coffee, chocolate and bitterness. Great mouthfeel. Warming and wondeful finish.

On draft at beer festival in Gouda. Defently the best beer of the festival. It started at 16.00 hours and there was a line till the end of the cask A splendid taste of sweet and bitterness. Very complex beer. This beer was a Russian Stout