De Molen Tsarina Esra Imperial Porter

Brewed by Brouwerij de Molen
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Bodegraven, Netherlands

From the Bottle at RBESG Harlequin, Sheffield 19/07/2009 Roast aroma. Beige head. Dark coloured strong in alcohol rich and sweet on the palate with a crisp and slightly dry coffee roast finish.

330mL bottle, 2007 vintage #172, courtesy of fonefan poured into a tulip. The top comes off with hardly a sound and an aggressive pour produces a smattering of big tan bubbles on top of an opaque deep brown body. There is no retention or lacing to speak of. The nose is boozier than I was expecting with a port character that comes out from the very beginning. There are tons of dark roasted malts, coffee and bakers chocolate underneath the booze. There is an interesting mix of tobacco and leather that comes out as it warms. The taste really explodes with the first sip. There is an ashy burnt malt and tobacco presence to start things off, but it gives way to some espresso and dark chocolate malts in the middle. The finish gets slightly sweeter with some molasses before the big dry finish kicks in. The mouthfeel is super slick aned smooth with almost non-existent carbonation. The finish is ash-like in it’s dryness which I don’t often get in a beer. This is an excellent beer that I think would be absolutely world class if it had a shade more carbonation. As it is, the look and feel take a hit from the complete lack of carbonation. The nose and taste are exceptional with tons of complexity and all kinds of different flavors coming out. Interesting and tasty.

330 ml bottle - 2007 vintage; bottle #64; at the time afetr4ever cracked this open, it was my #1 most wanted beer; you rock as usual Tom!!! pours jet black w/ faint tan head; musky aromas of coffee, chocolate and dark fruit; drinks perfectly smooth with rich, sweet coffee and roast; a delicate and nuanced brew; nothing overly aggressive or strong and just a lovely blended mix of flavors; yummy indeed

Tap @ GBBF ’09. Pitch black with a little tan veil of foam. Very strong and complex aroma, sweet, roasted, choco, coffee, some red ripe fruits. Rounded and inviting. Full bodied, rich, the alcohol is quite hidden. Sweet&roasted balanced. Bitter end. Luscious brew.

My Rating # 3100. 2007 Vintage. Thanks to Fonefan. 33cl bottle. Bottle # 54. Pours pitch black with tiny fading brown bubbles on top. Nose is deep and complex and consists of roasted coffee, liquorice, alcohol, hops and even a bit of vanilla. Flat and low carbonation. Slick, oily and sticky. Taste is not as complex as aroma. Lots of hard roasted malts, coffee, liquorice and alcohol up front. Ends dry and hoppy with a vaguely burnt and ashy touch. A nice sipper.

Bottle at the RBESG09 Grand tasting, sheffield. Alround rating: Now dont be annoyed here as its the second time iv had this and its way past the 6 months i said id put this on hold for and the rating is higher. Big burnt roasty malts, raw alcohol, massivly overpowering and totally not my scene.

Bottle at home ... Big thanks to Maria for thisa one (all be it a long time ago) not quite sure how it sat so long :-) ... Deep Deep black ... no head ... big chocolate ... little tobacco ... roast malt ... little vineaous nose ... Rich malts ... little toffee... some plum ... little licorice and molassis ... little smokey with the barest hint of ash ... light spice in back

75 cl bottle. Dark brown with a coating tan head. Nose is chocolate, molasses, wood and green hay. Smooth and silky but not heavy. Sprinkle of carb. Taste is bittersweet chocolate, molasses, dark roast and licorice. A lingering spicy, piny bite. Top notch brewing here.