7.8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

3rd October 2023 Almost clear dark brown amber beer, small tan head. Light palate, mildly dry, good fine minerally carbonation. Thinnish malts, but smooth and with a nice light creamy sweetness. An equally light coffee sits underneath. The Gouden Carolus whiskey barrel brings a slightly tangy and fruity whiskey. Mild spirity spice. Some fruit cake and a trace of vanilla oak. Light finish. Lacks a bit of body for a BBA Impy but good on flavour, particularly the fruity cakey whiskey.

8.4

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

The 33 cl bottle was delivered by one of the nice Belgian retailers. A small dip in wax, I am able to get the lid off fairly easily. Pouring into my Teku glass this go-around, I determine a mahogany brown/black body with an attractive and persistent rim of light tan foam. Likewise the scent is inviting, baked bread and whisky along with chocolate. But the taste, it is the best of all the parts. Just enough chocolate for you to know it is there, grain, whisky in an ample amount, a bit of dark plums, maybe a touch of strawberries, malt and pecans. The booziness heats the brew up somewhat. I like that. Easily one of the best imperial porters I have sampled ever.

8.4

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Bottle 33cl from the brewery. Dark brown/black colour, brown foam. Nose of roasted malts, coffee, vanilla, caramel, dried fruit, nice and subtle warming whisky finish. Nice!

8.4

Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Bottle from Belgiuminabox webshop, Antwerp, Belgium, had this Christmas Day, Friday 25th December 2020 listening to Craig Charles standing in for Steve Lamaq on 6 Music, cooking a Turkey Wellington, a very fancy layered stuffing and loads of cool vegetables. Pours black with a mid sized creamy textured off white head. The aroma comprising light coffee, liquorice, and some berries, perhaps elderberries is what I am also picking up here, finally light vanilla and a touch of spirit. Certainly not too sweet or cloying in anyway it strikes a nice balance in this respect. A tang of dark sticky fruits such as dates, figs and dried fruits like raisins, but roasted malts, coffee and light liquorice. This is truly lovely, I had the 750ml to myself.

8.5

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9

15/VIII/20 - 75cl bottle from Geers (Oostakker), shared @ Belgian Beer Geek Gathering Summer 2020, BB: 21/0?/23 (2020-787)

Clear black beer, small creamy dense beige head, unstable, non adhesive. Aroma: some swimming pool, some caramel, ripe banana, sweet, malty, soft roast, chocolate, bit malty. MF: ok carbon, medium to full body. Taste: sweet & sugary start, nice roast, sweet malts, alcohol notes, more alcohol. Aftertaste: good roast, sweet, bit sugary, nice acidity, lots and lots of alcohol, coffee, more roast, dark chocolate, more alcohol, sweet and sugary touch, lovely.

8

Aged on Gouden carolus barrels

8.4

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Bottle. Color: Black, small dense mocha head. Aroma: Coffee, roasted malt, subtle Whiskey. Taste: Roasted malt, liquorice, black coffee, mocha, vanilla, subtle dark dried fruit and wood notes. Clearly present but not overwhelming boozy Whiskey. Over moderate sweet, moderate bitterness, slightly coffee-like sourish. Somewhat more bitterness at finish. Overall very malty. Smooth, almost creamy mouthfeel. Bit sticky. Over medium to full body, low carbonation. Long lasting finish.

8.6

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9.5

One of Verzet's more recent beers, Baby Jesus (a strong coffee porter), aged for six months in barrels that previously held whisky made from Gouden Carolus beer - this I absolutely had to taste. Only in 75 cl bottles (now) with crown cap and apparently the starting point of a series of 'Barrel Boutique' beers that will all be aged on these barrels, so who knows what more will come out of that in the near future... Pale yellowish beige, regularly edged, thinnish-mousy and quickly opening to dissolving head, deep dark chocolate brown robe with glowing ruby red hue. Complex, very noble bouquet of black cherries, toffee, tawny port, Syrah wine, wet oak wood or even old furniture, walnuts, coffee grounds, subtler hints of stewed plum, balsamico, nectarine, wood glue, molasses, blackberries, 'Babelutten', dry earth. Sweetish, estery onset with a sourish edge, black cherries, candied figs, blackberries and blue plum, softly carbonated with a very full, even vinous mouthfeel; 'dark' caramelly and walnutty malt backbone, sweetish with this tart edge subtly continuing and adding depth, along with a growing tannic woodiness producing a vanilla-ish scent retronasally too, even mingling with the coffee aspect that appears afterwards, as an 'encore' to an already brilliant flavour 'parcours'. Lots of lingering dark fruitiness, varying between plums, fig and blue grapes, along with malty sweetishness, woody dryness and, finally, a colourful, soothing glow of port-like alcohol. I already liked the regular Baby Jesus, but this barrel treatment has elevated it to a radiant masterpiece, offering complexity and depth like few other Verzet beers have done so far - which is saying a lot, I know. Fantastic creation, I cannot wait to get my hands on more bottles of this, or indeed bottles of further 'Barrel Boutique' beers... This is world class level indeed, not to be missed if you're into barrel aged Belgian beers with a postmodern 'craft' twist.