Coffee porter by this brand new Antwerp microbrewery, at Modeste 2018, Gistgeest's first public appearance. Thick and frothy, yellowish pale beige, moussy head over nearly pitch black beer with thin purplish-burgundy edges. Aroma of milk chocolate and even Ersatz chocolate ('koetjesreep'), fondant, hot black coffee, black peppercorn, burnt toast, brandy, methylated spirits even, beef stock, moist Cuban cigars. Sweet onset with umami edge, dried fig and slight beef stock, very strong and sharp overcarbonation (painful even and obviously way too much for an 8% ABV porter), slick but full, bit oily body, chocolatey and nutty maltiness, toffee but quickly turning roasted bitter, a bit ashy, with the roastedness strongly reinforced by a black bitter coffee effect and peppery hops - but then badly hidden, burning, whisky-like alcohol shows up way too early and way too brutally, strongly increasing the bitterness and creating a wry finish. Clearly needs more finesse and restraint, alcohol should be much better masked and carbonation as well as the coffee factor should be reined in - but apart from those obvious flaws, I must admit I that its robustness and daringness (in a Belgian context) demands some respect and considering the fact that I did like the other Gistgeest I tasted, there is no doubt that I will give this a second chance when I encounter it again.

One of the beers served by Gistgeest at their first public performance, at Modeste Bierfestival in Antwerp. Snow white, medium thick, moussy but opening head over a hazy peach blonde beer with orangey hue. Aroma of orange flesh, grapefruit peel, mango, pineapple, bread pulp, prickly pear, ripe apricot. Sweetish, very fruity onset, yellow kiwi, ripe pineapple, mandarin, fizzy carbonation, supple bready malt body with residual honeyish sweetness to it, aromatic and fragrant hoppy finish, mango and orange but with Belgian (or in this case: "Brett Brux Trois", which confusingly is not a Brettanomyces strain) yeast effect too, banana, bread, earthy finish with mildly spicy, elegant hop bitterness. Decent "Belgian style IPA", promising for this new Antwerp nanobrewery.

Thanks to Benzai. Bottle sampled @ Modeste 2018. Black mocha, tanned head. Nose is chocolate, mocha, caramel, too thin & BE. Too thin & fizzy,.. Poor thin, fizzy, BE, dark fruit & lacking hop.