(Draught at Arendsnest, Amsterdam, 16 July 2024) Black colour with brief, beige head. Malty, roasted, boozy nose with notes of chocolate, coffee, whisky, wood and herbs. Malty, roasted taste with chocolate, coffee, herbs, oak wood, whisky and a warming finish with a balanced roasty bitterness. Almost full body, quite sweet. Lots of whisky coming through, making it a bit sweet and boozy. But quite rich and tasty. Very nice.

37,5cl Fles van De Laat. Zwarte kleur, beige kraag. Whisky, fudge, brownie, hint van hout, licht boozy, koolzuur is wat aan de harde kant waardoor het licht mineralig wordt, gebrande mout, hint van koffie, chocolade, medium zoet, beetje Belgische stout met whisky. Medium body. Prima, gewoon lekker.

Kaapse’s standard imperial stout aged on Speyside whisky barrels (which one remains unspecified), from tap at Dok. Pale yellowish beige, moussy, opening head leaving a firm ring and a thin veil behind, jet black robe. Aroma of bitter chocolate, toffee, whisky indeed and clearly so, cigar ashes, dried thyme, pipe tobacco, coffee grounds, dried dates, vanilla-scenting oak wood, old tea. Sweet onset, candied dates, dried blackberries and old raisins, quite stingy carbonation for style but still full, oily mouthfeel; layers of ‘fondant’-chocolatey, walnutty and caramelly malts, developing a firm coffeeish roastedness without becoming overly bitter – and working very well with the tannic, vanilla-ish oak wood and warming, boozy whisky. Ashy, leathery and herbally-hoppy notes appear too, but the black chocolate, coffee and whisky effects dominate. Powerful, well-constructed, old school ‘impy’ – I love this.