Bottle from Wijnegemse Drankenhal. Apparently a new Antwerp beer company brewing at Pirlot and honouring the Belgian tradition of cheekiness in its beer names. Thickly moussy, lacing, tan coloured, dense head over an extremely dark hazy bronze beer - looking totally black in the glass. Interesting aroma which I’d say is typical for ’Belgian stouts’: a combination of thick, roasted maltiness with Belgian yeastiness. I get impressions of baker’s chocolate, cold black coffee, dried banana, a lot of freshly cut thistles, a pleasant surprising bourbon odour though it is not BBA, walnuts, dried weeds, black tea, ’bloody’ iron, caramel, pear syrup, bayleaf, some burnt wood and a lot of toasted bread. Sweet onset but not cloyingly so, raisins, dried plums and a hint of pear, slick and full mouthfeel but not really as viscous as one would expect from a 9% ABV stout; a ’deep’, dull sourishness provides balance. Carbonation stays gentle and refined, as it should be in this style. A creamy, nutty maltiness follows, well-rounded and pleasant enough, evolving in a roasted bitterness of fondant chocolate and cold coffee, not too refined but certainly effective. The deep sourishness pairs well with the roasted bitterness in the finish; a peppery hop accent provides a ’lighter’, more herbal bitterness and a dash of warming, rhum-like alcohol rounds it off, but tingles a bit on the root of the tongue as well, on the edge of becoming wry without actually doing so; a retronasal coffee grounds effect reminds you of the fact you just swallowed a big and ambitious stout, and so does a trace of condensed chocolate sauce sweetness lingering at the back. I love stouts and am easily offended when they are badly made, as I have encountered a few times in this country, but this one passes: the nose is still very ’Belgian’, yeasty, herbal, banana ester and somewhat phenolic probably more than it should be, the body needs more density and viscosity, but the flavour as such does deliver, it has sufficient roastedness and ’boldness’. This has been made with care, that much is clear, and though it is not quite there yet, I can feel this brew may carry a lot of potential in it. Interesting find.

330 ml. bottle + sample drank @ Opening Pop-upshop Olala. Dark brown with a big mocha head. Nose is umami mixes with basic chocolate milk sweetness, light brown sugar, very simple. Taste is easy to drink basic chocolate milk, light umami, soy sauce, brown sugar, hazelnuts, very simple, umami dominates too much for & it lacks complexity but it still drinks okay. A good entry for someone not into the style which might have been their objective. Body is lighter than you would expect & the whole feels like a 7 % ABV or so light stout. Okay. I tried a black chocolate as a recomended flavour combination, didn’t work, the chocolate completely overpowered the taste of the beer.