De Molen Hel & Verdoemenis (Hell & Damnation)

Brewed by Brouwerij de Molen
Style: Imperial Stout
Bodegraven, Netherlands

Serve in Snifter

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UPDATED: MAY 16, 2012 In bottiglia. Spesso color nero con sottile schiuma marrone poco persistente. Al naso è molto aggressiva con tracce di cioccolato amaro, liquirizia, caffè e malti legnosi. Anche il gusto è molto intenso: stessi sapori ma in versione leggermente arrostita. Corposa e "spessa" al palato, ben bilanciata e con un retrogusto amaro e asciutto molto persistente. Una imperial stout praticamente perfetta, non la mia preferita ma in ogni caso notevole.

[’09 Bottle, #806] I’ll say right up front that this bottle was flat. Not low carbonation, just completely, 100% flat. It makes it hard for me to rate this, because after contacting the brewery, they apparently knew about this, and intended to have "low carbonation." They were very polite, but I’m sorry, there is a vast difference between low carbonation and a completely flat bottle. This is especially an issue when the bottles cost as much as they do. If this was a 12oz single that cost $1.50, I wouldn’t really care. De Molen’s lack of effort to warn people about the nature of this beer, and failure to rectify the situation afterwards has lost them a customer. Anyways, on to the review. The pour is dark brown with obviously no head. The aroma is incredibly weak, and just vaguely sweet--not impressed. The taste borders on ashy, but pulls it off, with chocolate, and a dark fruit undercurrent. A little hot, but not bad. As it warmed, it got sweeter, which actually masked the alcohol. The chocolate and deeply roasted malts battled back and forth for dominance, with candyish caramel also present--however the complexity of the beer did diminish over time. Medium-thick mouthfeel, long finish. Overall, the taste was nice, but that really is all that this beer had going for it. If you are thinking of buying a 2009 bottle or earlier, be prepared for an overpriced, flat mess.

330 ml bottle Pours black with creamy brown head. Sweet alcohol malty burnt aroma. Roasty in taste, full body. Enjoyable.

(Draught) Pours dark brown to black. The aroma is dry roasted and quite malty with tones of dark syrup, liquorice, roasted dark bread, pepper/chilly and coffee as well as a subtle hop note. The flavour is fat malty and roasted with a well-balanced hop profile. Tones of coffee, dark chocolate, mild liquorice, soft dark syrup, pepper and hints of ash. The mouthfeel is light sticky and round. Near full bodied.

Bottle. From November 2011 notes. Roasted malt, coffee aroma. Black brown, ruby tinted with a large brown head. Dark roasted malt, coffee, ash, chocolate flavor. Medium bodied, rather carbonated for the style.Slightly tannic finish.

Pitch black with creamy brown head. Sweet alcohol malty burnt aroma. Very roasty taste, full body. AWSOME

33cl bottle. Black colour with a large, frothy, creamy tan head with a nice lacing. Aroma has toasty malts notes, coffee, strong licorice. Flavour is slightly sweet at the beginning, strong black coffee and licorice, wooden, roasty and a final moderate bittery with an aftertaste with a excellent duration. Dense on palate. Carbonation is soft to medium. Body is medium to high. Texture is oily.

33cl bottle. Muddy brown/black with a thick brown head that leaves nice lacings. Fantastic nose with rick coffee and chocolate, roasted malt, wood, pine needles, caramel and just a pinch of dark fruit and vanilla that along with some alcohol heat gives it a slight vinous touch with a hint of Belgium. Great! Taste is sweet and roasted with caramel, coffee and dark chocolate pralines, licorice, some dark fruit and a huge piney bitter note rising higher and higher. A bit too high actually, and along with some alcohol also noticing I guess it do best with some aging. Bigger body with soft bubbles and a slick mouthfeel. This is an amazing beer, but the exaggerated bitterness along with the slightly hard alcohol stops it from reaching number one.

Small bottle. AROMA: very dark chocolate, dark roasted coffee, nuts APPEARANCE: black, clear, minimal head, completely disappears TASTE: light sweetness, medium bitterness, little bit salty PALATE full body, texture is oily almost velvet, average carbonation, incredibly bitter, long finish, OVERALL: a really good beer, but just too overpowering, needs maturing of several years to mellow down.

330ml bottle. Pours black with a small head. Aroma is leather, roast, yeast and some soy sauce. Taste has roast to start. Strong, bitter coffee and roast finish. Some tar also.