Struise Cuvée Delphine

Brewed by De Struise Brouwers
Style: Imperial Stout
Oostvleteren, Belgium

Serve in Snifter

Delphine is a really nice pour. Almost pitch black. Nice frothy mocha two finger head. Great retention. It just screams drink me. The smell on this beer is wonderful. Nice malty backbone, roasty, dark chocolate, plums, raisins, and some notes of cherry. Slightly boozy. Like I said wonderful. I didn’t enjoy the taste as much as I enjoyed the smell but this is still a fantastic stout. Bourbon shines through with the dark fruits. The roasted malt and chocolate take a bit of a back seat but still come through nicely. Slight sourness to it. People might think it’s infected but I don’t think. I believe it’s the way it’s supposed to be. The mouthfeel is wonderful. Full bodied, silky, creamy, and smooth.

Pours black as night with a good brown head. Nose is funky. A little bit of sour fruits. Some high octane coffee and notes of hay and grass. Flavor is bittersweet from start to finish. Perfect balance. Mouthfeel is a bit sharp and oily. Coats well though. Long aftertaste. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

330 ml bottle bought @ Etre Gourmet and consumed on January 28. Pours oily black with a huge frothy and fizzy dark brown head that quickly dissipates while leaving some trace on the glass. Smell is rather subtle and sweet with roasted malts, wood, vanilla, chocolate and alcohol. Taste is full-bodied, vinous, sweet, slightly sour and bitter with wood, darkly roasted coffee, bitter chocolate, vanilla and alcohol. Finish is dry and bitter with coffee and bitter chocolate.

Bottle, 09 vintage 01/27/2012. Pours thick, black, thin creamy tan head fading to a foamy haze, decent lacing. In the nose, dark berries and vanilla caramel, cocoa powder, slight coffee overtones, soft bourbon ending. Taste mirrors the nose, sweet dried dark fruits, berries prominent, dark chocolate, strong roast, warming alcohol and bourbon in the finish, some mildly tart sweetness mixing in. Adequately thick in the mouth, smooth yet intense at the same time. Quite excellent, fruity stout.

Bottle, vintage 2009. Pours pitch black with a tan head. Smells of coffee, a sharp spicy scent, bourbon and goodness. Tastes a heavy sweet, a strong bitter of coffee, with a nice hint of bourbon and spice. Creamy texture. Medium carbonation. Finishes slightly bitter.

Poured into a snifter. 2009 vintage. 4.0 A: Black color. Two fingers of medium brown, creamy/frothy head. Retention is good and a decent amount of lacing is left. 2.0 S: Musty, almost vegetal vibe right off the bat. Oak, peat, and apple orchard from the bourbon and barrel. Light chocolate with a light acridity to it. 2.0 T: Like the nose, there’s a lot of musty earthiness. And again like the nose, there’s a light vegetal component. Bourbon and barrel give oak, peat, char, ash, and a touch of fruit. Chocolate and caramel. Booze is very well hidden. 4.0 M: Medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Nice creaminess on this. Not particularly smooth from the acridity, but feels good when it’s in my mouth. 2.5 D: Not a big fan of this. The barrel aging wasn’t done very well and it shows in the nose and taste. I really liked the mouthfeel though and it almost made the experience a good one. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 01-01-2012 05:23:56

33cl bottle. Pours pitch black with small beige head. Foam increases if swirl. Good lacing. Aroma is little roast, some wood, alcohol dried fruits and lots of bourbon notes. Taste is similar: on the sweet side, with definite whiskey presence but more roastiness than in the aroma. Roasty and woody notes are on classic RIS level with a nice buorbon addition. Not cloying. Soft carbonation and full body. Overall, really nice and complex, definitely a must try.

M’encanta, una altra perfecció de la casa Struise. Sense cap mena de dubte, són els reis.