Struise Black Albert

Brewed by De Struise Brouwers
Style: Imperial Stout
Oostvleteren, Belgium

Black with vaguely glimmering ruby highlights. Gorgeous custard-like khaki foam adorns the glass and deposits some lace. Strong scent of plastic predominates over lighter shades of taffylike yeast and muted raisin, nougat, milk chocolate, plums, and smoky molasses. Distant yet perceptibly grapey and medicinal beneath the massive sugars. Faintly bready and strongly alcoholic. Soft and snug carbonation. Gritty and sharp with an assertive lactic twang coupled with charcoal-tinged malt acidity and pervasive alcohol. Caramel flashes a dab of sweetness before being squelched by resounding bittersweet chocolate which fails to compensate for the lack of richness or depth by compounding the acidity and unripe fruity esters. Alcoholic heat also hampers the body. Curiously empty at the core with virtually nonexistent textures of malt softness or lurking bready heft which might otherwise help to neutralize the lactic twang and one-dimensional bittersweet chocolate onslaught. The flabbiness abounds with an odd mixture of plastic, paint, soy sauce, and red grapes. Quite coarse on the swallow due to the medicinal notes and foul plastic. Simplistic finish leaves much to be desired as it’s relatively thin, irony, and semi-smoky with char. I’ve tried repeatedly to thoroughly enjoy this but it’s missing some key components, specifically in depth and definition in the malt department. The nose is both oddly muted and, similarly to the flavor profile, tainted by the unmistakable presence of plastic. Very unrefined. Serviceable if uninspiring.

Bottle from brianj555. Thanks! Pours black with a creamy, lasting light tan head. Smell is metallic and buttery up front with some wine and chocolate like notes. Taste is cocoa at first with some tart cherry like fruitiness and some belgian yeast reminiscent of that in a quad and some vinuous notes and light chalky bitterness too. Body is medium to semi rich with soft carbonation. Alcohol is pretty well hidden but it is warming. Not terribly impressed, but a solid beer, still.

Pros: The appearance is perfect. Very Belgian, natural carbonation, long lasting foam. I’ve had 3 bottles of it so far and it’s perfectly conditioned. Mouth feel is very thick & layered. Flavors are brilliantly unique, concentrated and complex.

Cons: The nose gives off a potent dark fruit and fudge-like scent, but is the weak point of the beer. Smells a bit out of balance.

Such a beauty. A beer to put away. It should evolve and improve for at least a decade.

Pours black with small brown head. Roasted malt aroma with lots of sugary sweetness. Lots of flavors going on. Roasted malts, dark fruits, Belgian yeast, candy sugar, mocha, coffee and some hop bitterness. Full body with mild carbonationand a creamy mouthfeel. It has a slightly dry finish. The 13% ABV is not noticeable at all.

Bottled 33cl. Courtesy of bierkoning. Appearance: It pours a very dark beer with a beautiful noticeably tall nicely remaining full beige head. Fantastic lacework. Aroma: Fudge, chocolate, candy, wood, vanilla, molasses and plums appearing. Deeply inviting. Flavor and palate: Full bodied, complex and smooth. A lot of caramel, candy, vanilla, chocolate, wild strawberries, wood, coffee and plums showing up. Faintly acidic. Thick palate. Lemon, sage and walnuts emerging in the finish which is surprisingly dry. Overall impression: A great beer. Complex, smooth and remarkably pleasant. Thanks a lot bierkoning!

Alright, I think I’ve had bottles of this before courtesy of Andy & Tyler. Many thanks gents! In any event, I picked this one up at Heritage. A black viscous pour with middling brown head. Rich, dark roasted malts with just the faintest chocolate to balance on the aroma. Faintly sweet as well. On to the taste. Sweet & rich with a thick mouth feel. Dark pitted fruit with a faintly bitter dry character. The dryness really lingers, much to my enjoyment. Without a doubt the best stout I’ve ever head from Belgium.

Royal Stout? What the hell is that? It’s damn good, that’s what. Got my hands on this rarity thanks to Four Firkins. Expensive 11.2 oz. bottle catches your eye with it’s great looking artwork. Pours black with creamy brown head. Smells heavy of molasses and sweetness. Mouthfeel is oily and silky-smooth, definately enjoyable. Taste is definate molasses and brown sugar. The 13% alcohol is not noticeable at all. Similar to Peche Mortal, but heavier and oilier. This is certainly a treat and one of my new favorites. Too bad it’s so rare.

Bottle 33 cl. Pours completely opaque black with a dense and creamy light brown head. Aroma of hard roasted malt, vanilla and alcohol. Very full-bodied with a soft mouthfeel, sweet hard roasted malts and bitter dark chocolate with a little vanilla. Malt bitter finish. No way of telling that this is 100 IBUs! A sweet and not overly burned Imperial Stout. Listenining to La Brabanconne on YouTube while drinking this didn’t really add all that much to the experience! 030309