7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
BB 15/02/21; 330ml can purchased at BieresGourmet (Etre Gourmet) online shop; IS with fermented & smoked chilies;
APPEARANCE: is more of Belgian Strong Dark Ale rather than Imperial Stout, deep dark caramel with loads of dark cherry & port hues;
AROMA: far away from an imperial stout, loads of melting caramel & toffee, toasted bread, brown sugar, dried fruits like figs & dates, butterscotch, soft presence of fermenting chilies, mild vegetable & herbal notes; notes of dried chilies & chili skin as it warms up, subtle candle wax in the background, no obvious chili or alcohol heat for 13.7% abv (masterfully hidden); hints of smoke & earthiness, subtle herbal candy & red wine like tartness, no roast profile at all;
TASTE: light carbonation with tiny bubbles, medium plus body with slightly silky, oily & syrupy mouthfeel, mild lipstick & wax presence, low metallic vibe; moderate sweet onset of caramel, toffee & butterscotch, raisins, quite outspoken chilies & lasting heat that comes in waves, chili skin & flesh, green notes; again, no imperial stout profile on the flavor, very low more noble hop like bitterness, subtle smoke, mineral/salty/savory notes; I don't get any booze from 13.7% abv (remarkably hidden, feels more like 8% abv), surprisingly drinkable; light red wine like tartness
OVERALL: no doubt at all, this is a very quirky beer. More of ”imperial Belgian strong dark ale” than IS but chilies are there with a lasting impact; I can't rate this as an IS, because there is no obvious stout character what so ever 🤔 Untappd 3.8 as a Belgian Strong Dark Ale with chilie twist
Tried
from Can
on 06 Nov 2020
at 22:10